J. Gordon Baugh's A Souvenir of Germantown

Documenting the Early 20th Century Black Business and Civic Community in Philadelphia’s 22nd Ward Curator’s Presentation and Walking Tour This lecture and short walking tour highlight the Black community in 1913 Germantown, as documented in Baugh’s ‘souvenir” booklet published on the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Learn about clergy, contractors, small business owners, medical professionals, and others who formed the core of the neighborhood’s civic leadership. See some of the churches, homes, and other physical evidence of the African American community on the eve of the Great Migration. We will begin with a talk in the galleries of the Black Writers Museum (in Vernon Park) and take a short tour along Germantown Avenue and Rittenhouse and Harvey streets before returning for light refreshments and a chance to visit the museum’s exhibits.