Item Info

Historic Street Address: 1700 South Broad Street
Media Type: Photographic Prints
Source: Print and Picture Collection
Notes:

 In 1914, the South Philadelphia Branch opened in an Andrew Carnegie-funded building at Broad and Ritner Streets. In 1965, the branch relocated to Broad & Morris Streets. 

This 1981 interior image of the children's room in the newer building shows the wood sculpture titled “Rhythm #1,” created for the library in 1965 by Wharton Esherick, as part of the 1% For Art initiative.

In 2014, this building was demolished, and in 2016, in partnership with CHOP, the City of Philadelphia, and the Free Library, a new building that combines health, recreational, and literacy services was opened on the same site at Broad & Morris, becoming the South Philadelphia Health and Literacy Center, incorporating the new South Philadelphia Library branch.  The Esherick sculpture still resides with the new library building, in the lobby.

The South Philadelphia Branch serves the north central area of South Philadelphia.

Creation Year: 1981
Geocode Latitude: Geocode Longitude:-75.169120
Geocode Latitude:39.929156

Creator Name: Williams, Ron - Photographer