Philadelphia as Industrial Archaeological Artifact: A Case Study

During the last three years, the industrial evidence of Philadelphia has been inventories and surveyed by the Department of American Civilization at the University of Pennsylvania. A photographic index has been begun which is keyed to the area's chief topographic features. Significant structures have been singled out for more extensive research by future archaeologists. Recently, recorded interviews (both tape and videotape) have been prepared of technicians and workers in industrial facilities, with the emphasis on obsolete technologies. One of the most significant and rich resources is the corporate archive. The great wealth of evidence afforded, for example, by the recently discovered Philadelphia Gas Works Photographic Collection should serve as a spur for further research. Artifact assemblages should be intimately related to technological process and this, in turn, should be linked to social and cultural historical interpretation.