Philadelphia Public Art @philart.net

Year: 1927

Fidelity Mutual Building
Lee Lawrie, 1926 - 1927
* Building renamed in honor of Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman
* big and small people standing sitting, furniture, weapons, kite, ships, tools and machines, dogs, horses, alligators, elephants, owls, squirrels, buildings, trains, plants, symbols and words
* Originally an insurance building. Donated to the Art Museum by the Perelmans. The pictures here are only a representative sampling of the art.
* inscription:
Pennsylvania side:
In the honor and perpetuity of the family is founded the state. In the nobler life of the household is the nobler life of mankind.
26th side:
He labors best who loves best : the finest work of a man's life is to open the doors of opportunity to those who depend on him.
* The whole building. Perelman Building. Northwest corner of Fairmount and Pennsylvania.
* 39.967490,-75.179490 [map] [nearby]
* On the Parkway and Pennsylvania tour
* Exhibits: Labor
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org's page for the building
+Max Buten's picture of one of the reliefs
+Another Max Buten picture of one of the reliefs
+wikipedia.org's Lee Lawrie page
+wikipedia.org's Raymond G. Perlman page

Athena and Cherubs
1927
* relief bust of Athena
* small cherubs, head, helmet
* Way over the entrance. East side of 15th, South of Locust.
* 39.948200,-75.166160 [map] [nearby]
* On the Avenue of the Arts tour
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's Athena page

Barbelin Hall Gargoyles
Francis Ferdinand Durang (Architect), 1927
* including heads of Felix-Joseph Barbelin, James A. Ryder and Burchard Villiger
* small partial people, hats, cat, bat, books, saxaphone
* the builder is John McShain, but there's no record of him being the gargoyle carver
* All over the building. Saint Joseph's University. City Line, West of 54th.
* 39.995250,-75.237950 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: Gargoyles
* See also:
+Gargoyle Hunter page for this piece
+wikipedia.org's page for the building
+wikipedia.org's Francis Ferdinand Durang, Sr. page
+wikipedia.org's Felix-Joseph Barbalin page
+wikipedia.org's James A. Ryder page
+wikipedia.org's Burchard Villiger page
+sju.edu

Bonwit Teller Building
Bella Abdallah, 1927 (approximate)
* small urns, cats, birds, standing people, seated cherubs, pens and books, mirrors, face, Egyptian headpiece, flame
* Artist attribution is from philadelphiabuildings.org
* Entrance. Southwest corner, 17th and Chestnut.
* 39.951430,-75.169000 [map] [nearby]
* On the Rittenhouse Square tour
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org entry for the building

Central Library Pediments
John Donnelly Company, 1927
* big groups of people, some standing, some sitting, sphinx, pyramid, urn, plant, chair, globe, stylus, scroll, tablet and books, typewriter and printing press
* Pediments. Central Library. North side of Vine between 19th and 20th.
* 39.959300,-75.171100 [map] [nearby]
* On the Parkway and Pennsylvania tour
* See also:
+freelibrary.org's Central Library page

Congregation Rodeph Shalom Entrance
Edward Paul Simon (Architect), Grant Miles Simon (Architect), 1927
* scroll and tablet, large cats, angel wings, tree, sun, other symbols
* inscription: My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples
* Entrance. Congregation Rodeph Shalom. East side of Broad Street at Green.
* 39.963825,-75.160900 [map] [nearby]
* On the Fairmount tour
* Exhibits: Religious, Mosaic
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org's page for the building
+philadelphiabuildings.org's Edward Paul Simon page
+philadelphiabuildings.org's Grant Miles Simon page
+rodephshalom.org

Engine 14 Gargoyles
John Molitor (Architect), 1927
* small heads
* Front wall. Engine Company 14. South corner, Foulkrod and Darrah.
* 40.017000,-75.081340 [map] [nearby]
* On the Lower Northeast tour
* Exhibits: Police and Fire Fighters, Gargoyles
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org's page for the building
+philadelphiabuildings.org's John Molitor page
+firemanshallmuseum.org's Engine 14 page

Floating Figure
Gaston Lachaise, 1927 (1963 cast)
* horizontal person
* Despite its mention in Public Art in Philadelphia, this sculpture is not publicly accessible. It is behind a locked gate. Do not go through the gate if you find it open. It will lock behind you.
* Locust between 2nd and 3rd (Society Hill Townhouses).
* See also:
+associationforpublicart.org's page for this piece
+wikipedia.org's Gaston Lachaise page

Flowered Arch
1927 (based on picture of construction)
* plants, arch
* Entrance. North side of Chestnut, East of 21st.
* 39.952275,-75.174730 [map] [nearby]
* On the Rittenhouse Square tour
* Exhibits: Unidentified
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org page for the building
+1927 picture of construction on the front of the building at phillyhistory.org

Gimbel Brothers Clock
1927
* clock
* Wall. Northeast corner, 9th and Chestnut.
* 39.949875,-75.155375 [map] [nearby]
* On the Jefferson Center City Campus tour
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org entry for the building

Pineapple
Rankin and Kellog (Architects), 1927
* pineapple
* Over the entrance. South side of Chestnut, just East of 17th.
* 39.951370,-75.168595 [map] [nearby]
* On the Rittenhouse Square tour
* Exhibits: New
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org's Rankin and Kellog page

Roosevelt Apartments Entrance
Joseph Margolis (Architect), O.W. Ketcham Terra Cotta Works, 1927 (approximate)
* birds, plants, abstract design,
* I am assuming that this building, which was known as the Hotel Roosevelt in 1959, was originally known as the Rabinowitz Residence or Royalton Apartments as listed for this location by philadelphiabuildings.org, which gives the build date as c. 1927. There is a modest ad in the 9/23/1928 Philadelphia Ledger for apartments in the Royalton which sounds like it might be newly opened. 2024 realty listings for the apartments in the building say 1913, but I don't know where that information came from. I am listing it as 1927.
* Entrance. Southeast corner, 23rd and Walnut.
* 39.951020,-75.178310 [map] [nearby]
* On the Rittenhouse Square tour
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org 's page for the building
+philadelphiabuildings.org 's holdings page for the building
+1959 picture of the 23rd Street side of the building at phillyhistory.org
+philadelphiabuildings.org's Joseph Margolis page
+philadelphiabuildings.org's O.W. Ketcham Terra Cotta Works page

Scottish Rite Emblems
1927 (date of building. Metal emblem may be later)
* Scottish Rite emblems, double-headed eagles, crowns
* inscription:
emblems:
Deus Meumque Jus
plaque:
Supreme Council
AASR Nor Jur.
Prince Hall Affiliation
* Front wall. Scottish Rite Cathedral. South side of Fitzwater West of 15th.
* 39.942050,-75.168410 [map] [nearby]
* On the Fitler Square tour
* See also:
+uscnjpha.org