Philly Bridges

Benjamin Franklin Bridge (Completed 1926). Chief Engineer: Ralph Modjeski. Design Architect: Leon Moisseiff. Supervising Architect: Paul Philippe Cret

When asked to name famous Philadelphia architecture or structures, what would most people say? The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Comcast Center, The Benjamin Franklin Parkway etc. What about the bridges? The great bridges that were at one time a big deal seem to have been forgotten. When asked to name famous architecture in San Francisco most people will automatically think of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s internationally known and people see it as a famous icon. Look, it even has its very own website. The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, The Betsy Ross Bridge, and the Walt Whitman need to get some recognition. Take a moment to realize how much they impacted the city of Philadelphia.

Betsy Ross Bridge (Completed 1974). Designer: Delaware River Port Authority

Cities were formed around water, and Philadelphia was no different. By the late 1880’s the Delaware and Schuykill River were eventually full of ferries, transporting people and goods to other areas efficiently, but pretty soon, not efficiently enough. High traffic in the ports caused the city to plan the building of bridges to make things easier. With the industrial revolution in full swing and the invention of the production line, everyone had cars too. In 1926, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge finally opened allowing people to quickly get from Old City Philadelphia to Camden, New Jersey. “The bridge was said to be “worthy of admiration most of all as an embodiment of modern engineering skill”(Petroski).

It seems that in 2013, most people just take the bridge for granted and forget just how much it changed the city forever.

The Walt Whitman Bridge goes from Philly to Gloucester City, New Jersey and opened in 1957. The Betsy Ross Bridge goes from Pennsauken to New Jersey.  Suddenly lanes of traffic were flooding back and forth from each state, an innovation for transportation. Well over 100,000 travelers use these bridges each day alone (DRPA) At one time these bridges were new architectural inventions, but now seem to be overlooked. Not only do bridges link two places together, they link two time periods together.

The early 1900’s were a time about industry, urbanization, and consumerism. Modernity was at its peak. Everything was fast and chaotic. The assembly line came about and suddenly everyone had cars. There was also an increase in signs, advertisements, and billboards. Bridges were a way to keep up with this fast moving culture. They got people long distances in a short amount of time.  Most billboards and ads can be seen along highway that leads to and from bridges. “Modernity implied a phenomenal world-a specifically urban one-that was markedly quicker, more chaotic, fragmented, and disorienting than in previous phases of human culture”(Singer). More people lived in cities, which meant more cars, which meant more traffic. Without the construction of bridges, people would not have been able to get around as easily.

Walt Whitman Bridge (Completed 1957). Designer: Othmar Ammann

Bridges were being contracted all over the country in every city. Certain ones became more famous than others. For instance the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is a tourist attraction. It even has its own distinct orange color. People even buy the paint to use in their own homes. It is a lifestyle. The famous bridge has been in countless films too. One film in particular, X-Men The Last Stand, shows the bridge being destroyed and used to help the villain fulfill his evil scheme. The bridge was picked because showing a famous icon getting destroyed resonates with the viewer. It’s a symbol everyone likes and it helps add to the drama of the film. The Philadelphia bridges have not been in many major motion pictures. This is because they are not as well known. It is a shame because they have the exact same purpose and were just as revolutionary as any other bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge has been a major symbol in many films

Check out the  similarities and differences. Brooklyn Bridge 1889(top). Benjamin Franklin Bridge (2010)

The Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan is another well-known bridge. When film was just coming out, Thomas Edison filmed the trip across the bridge.  Documenting everyday life was new and what people wanted to see. It’s not the most exciting film, but it shows a glimpse back to a time society was making a huge cultural shift.

I chose to glorify the Betsy Ross Bridge, The Walt Whitman Bridge, and The Benjamin Franklin Bridge because I’ve seen and driven over them my whole life and never took a moment to appreciate their purpose. City life would not be the same if bridges were never constructed. I’ve taken the ferry to Camden once and it took an hour. Driving over the bridge takes a matter of minutes. Modern society is used to everything moving at a quick pace when only a century ago, things were a whole lot different. In order to glorify the Philadelphia bridges, work should be done to make them stand out. The Ben Franklin Bridge does indeed have blinking colorful lights, which is a start. Let’s take that to the next level and make Philadelphia architecture the go to back drop for all major motion pictures.

Works Cited
"Delaware River Port Authority - 80 Years of Progress." DRPA. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.<http://www.drpa.org/>
Petroski, Henry. "Engineering: Benjamin Franklin Bridge." JSTOR. JSTOR, Sept.-Oct. 2002. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/27857716>.
Singer, Ben. Modernity, Hyperstimulus, and the Rise of Popular Sensationalism. Los Angeles: University of Califomia, 1995. Print.

Swann Memorial Fountain

Swann Memorial Fountain February 2013

Swann Memorial Fountain. Salvatore C. Dimarco Jr. 12/8/68

Alexander Stirling Calder Sculpted the Swann Memorial Fountain in 1924. The circular fountain is located in Logan Circle in center city Philadelphia. From its prime location the Philadelphia Museum of Art can be seen in the distance down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In the opposite direction, is City Hall, with Calder’s father’s William Penn Statue on top. The public library and Franklin Institute can be seen from  the fountain’s other sides. The piece was installed in 1924 and has remained there ever since.  A tourist attraction now, the fountain was not always admired.  After its installation, people wanted it removed.  Some people even played pranks on the fountain!  Overtime the public became used to the fountain, but should they have? Calder’s fountain changed Philadelphia in many different ways.

In 1681 William Penn laid out the city of Philadelphia in an organized way with a grid dividing certain areas into squares. Rittenhouse square, Center Square, Washington Square, Franklin Square and Logan Square, all make up Penn’s vision for a well designed city. Formally Northwest Square, it was renamed to Logan Square to honor the mayor in 1825. Since the installation of the fountain, “Logan Square” became known as “Logan Circle”(Burkhart). As seen on the map from the early 1900’s there was no curving streets. Just a simple grid. After the fountain was put in, the streets had to be altered for the shape and large scale of the public piece of art. Suddenly the city revolved around the fountain and not the other way around.

Before Swann Memorial Fountain...

Map of Logan Square early 1900's. Click here to see what the area looks like today

There were harsh criticisms of the public art. One was that the design was too European. The  Benjamin Franklin Parkway was inspired off of the Champs-Élysées in Paris. To some, this style is beautiful and elegant, but to others it is not the character of Philadelphia. Some wanted it to be more American and colonial (Chief Justice).  The bathing green figures in the fountain have classical qualities found in Greek art. Some of the public was concerned Philadelphia was trying to be something it's not.

                  

Another criticism of the fountain was that is used too much water.  “Think of the many gallons of water wasted everyday by that fountain! (Overworked).  Wasting hundreds of gallons of water each day would definitely not be approved by the public. The Philadelphia Bulletin informed the public that there are horsepower engines that recycle the water.

Some people just simply did not understand what Calder’s fountain even symbolized. Frogs? Turtles? Gods? What did this have to do with the city? The sculpture was allegorical and citizens could not grasp that the figures and creatures stood for something else. One man in the Bulletin said it gave him the “Heeby Jeebys”(New Fountain). The three figures represent the Schuylkill, Delaware and Wissahickon Rivers and it is supposed to memorialize Dr. Cary Swann.

Pranks were even pulled to show their discontent with the piece of public art. One time in 1960 a prankster put boxes of detergent in that caused the water to produce an overabundance of foamy bubbles (shown above).  The Bulletin

Over time, society has forgotten the criticisms of the sculpture, and have grown to enjoy it. It has become an icon for Philadelphia. The popular show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia uses the fountain in its opening credits. It is supposed to inform the viewer that the location is indeed Philadelphia and combined with the happy music, it portrays the city as a friendly and fun place. By making the sculpture classical, Calder brings ancient themes to the table that coexist with modern times. Used in film the fountain would not only relate to Philadelphia, but to ancient Greece as well.

Even though the fountain has become a Philadelphia favorite, it still goes against William Penn’s original vision. Logan Circle doesn’t fit in with the rest of the squares. The fountain altered streets and altered the city therefore it should be destroyed. Another solution would have been to make the fountain square and also smaller. There would still be room for the memorial, but Penn’s grid of Philadelphia would have been unaffected. It would also make the city have less of a European influence and have more original Philadelphia charm.  When asked his opinion on the fountain, head of the State Supreme Court, Chief Justice Von Moschziker stated in the Bulletin that it had “nothing relevant to things Philadelphian”. The Swann Memorial Fountain should be replaced with a piece of public art that captures more of the essence of Philadelphia.

Works Cited

Burkhart, Kitsi. "Squaring Circle at Logan Square." The Bulletin [Philadelphia] 30 Apr. 1971: n. pag. Print.

"Chief Justice Von Moschziker Criticizes the Logan Circle Fountain." The Bulletin [Philadelphia] 17 Nov. 1924: n. pag. Print.

"New Fountain Has Gobs of 'Culture'" The Bulletin [Philadelphia] 7 Aug. 1924: n. pag. Print.

""Overworked" Water Makes Fountain Negligible." The Bulletin [Philadelphia] 30 June 1925: n. pag. Print.

The Uptown Theater

Hidden Historic Gem in North Philly

The Uptown Theater designed by Louis Magaziner in 1927

Walking through North Philly today you'd never know that 50 years prior, it was a tourist hot spot. If it wasn't for Temple University's campus, there would be no reason to venture up North on Broad. The Uptown Theater is located on 2240 North Broad Street between Dauphin and Diamond Streets and used to be the center for black entertainment in Philadelphia. In fact, some of the biggest names in R&B and motown performed there such as: The Silhouettes, The Supremes, The Jackson Five, BB King, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder! The architect, Louis Magaziner, designed the building in an Art Deco style which was all the rage in the 1920's.

Heres a sample of what you could hear in The Uptown Theater back in the fifties...



   

Besides live music, The Uptown Theater was known for its movies. "Talkies" were just coming out and the theater provided for the new movie-goer audiences. Even though the theater was popular through the decades, it could not keep up with the changing industry and decline of the surrounding neighborhood and it officially closed in 1983. After that, it became a church until 2003.

Today, renovations are going on to bring back the charm and success of the theater and to hopefully to bring in life to the neighborhood. The Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation hopes to create programs for kids and adults and bring back the entertainment that made it so famous back in the day.
As a Temple student it would be great to see the Theater up and running again. Unless you're headed to Center City, no one really goes off campus. The Uptown Theater would be a great addition to the neighborhood and a great nearby attraction for Temple Students. 

Click to see what is happening today at the Uptown Theater.