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Philadelphia Awaits You
by Harold Segal
Much of the material in this issue was intended to be part of a convention souvenir booklet. Glancing over the copy, it was decided that a wide circulation would be more effective and might entice some who can’t make up their minds, but if you’ve ever attended a convention, I’m sure you need no enticing.
The official dates are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 2, 3 and 4. An informal reception is scheduled for Thursday evening and Monday afternoon the Segals are planning an “open house.” Philadelphia has scores of attractions, but they are so varied that we wouldn’t even suggest a group outing. You can select those that suit your particular interests. If you’ve got the New York World’s Fair on your calendar, we hope you will incorporate the NAPA convention in your plans.
This year the reception committee has decided on an innovation. For the first time we will convene in a mid-city motor hotel. The Penn Center Inn, at 20th and Market Streets, is ideally suited for our needs. It is a new 21-story building with 3½ floors of free parking, saving you $2.50 a day. You park your own car and it is available without waiting for attendants. You may register without leaving your car, park it and use one of the four self-operated elevators to your room.
The large, bright air-conditioned rooms are luxuriously appointed and equipped with television, clock-radios, two types of pillows, over-sized towels, heat lamps and coffee and tea makers. On the fifth-floor patio-deck there is a large swimming pool and a kiddies’ wading pool – free to guests. A special rate has been given the NAPA – $10 single and $14 double, with children under 21 free if they use the same room as their parents. These are accommodations that would normally cost $16 and $21.
We feel that the selection of this type facility will attract members with “reluctant” spouses and off-spring and keep them happy if they do not care for the business sessions.
Opening Remarks by Reception Committee Chairman:
Every so often the National Amateur Press Association returns to the city of its birth. Usually round-numbered anniversaries, like the 50th year, the Diamond Jubilee (75th) and now – the 90th annual convention. We’re looking ahead, too, wondering whether the NAPA will choose to celebrate its 100th convention here in 1975 – or its centennial (101st convention) in 1976 in the midst of a proposed extravaganza of World’s Fair proportions commemorating the 200th year of independence.
Philadelphia is rich in history and tradition. Historians and Revolutionary War buffs could engross themselves for weeks with sight-seeing and research. In these pages we have merely skimmed the surface, outlining some of the more-known sights, but the city’s Convention and Tourist Bureau could load you up to the elbows with leaflets, brochures and things-to-do. Incidentally, the Tourist Bureau and Hospitality Center is just a few squares [to non-Philadelphians: blocks] down John F. Kennedy Boulevard at 15th Street.
Philadelphia, too, is rich in history and tradition in our small world of amateur journalism. Just a quarter-mile from this meeting room 89 years ago, the NAPA convened for the first time. That building, the City Institute Hall, on the southwest corner of 18th and Chestnut Streets, no longer stands. Progress has removed it to make way for something more compatible with the times.
Whether our small world of printing and writing is compatible with the times is a moot point. We who indulge in the vagaries and caprices of a creative hobby care little to answer or even acknowledge this question. It is a pastime we enjoy to the hilt – as do cross-word fans and girl-watchers.
Anyone caring to delve into NAPA files could find a bit of excitement in some Philadelphia conventions – like the founding one in 1876 with the thrill of organization and the frenzy of electing a president and officers without regard for the unwritten framework of a constitution. And again in ‘87 when lined peek-proof envelopes were introduced to prevent proxy ballot skulduggery – and then they were thrown out completely because a zealous vice-president had prematurely opened the envelopes!
Four years later association politics split the National into two groups at the 16th convention. A motion to adjourn in the midst of a proxy committee report was not recognized. Its proposer called the question from the floor and walked out with twenty-some followers. Duplicate officers were elected and each group claiming to be the NAPA published its own National Amateur for two years until they were reconciled.
In 1906 the National met here and quarreled because the president took too much time for breakfast before calling the meeting. The convention waited almost an hour before the first vice-president, ruffling some feathers, took charge and banged the gavel for order.
Twenty years later, marking a half century in 1926, the association convened with a record 70 in attendance, although activity in these years was languid. Another quiet gathering was in 1940 and the Diamond Jubilee meeting in ‘51 might be remembered by some as the year one member moved that the NAPA disband! The motion lost for lack of seconding support.
What happens in these few days in 1965 remains to be recorded. We hope it will be memorable and fun-filled and without disturbing temper flare-ups although we wouldn’t mind a little bicker or two. A little seasoning generally adds zest. We Philadelphians and suburbanites bid you welcome and trust you will enjoy the atmosphere of this historic area as well as you enjoy the annual thrill of convention.
The Program
Thursday evening, July 1: Registration and informal reception.
Friday, July 2: Reception, roll call, appointment of pro tempore officers, annual reports of officers and committees, presentation of proxy ballots. Caucus in evening.
Saturday, July 3: Unfinished business, report of proxy committee, election of officers, selection of 1966 convention city, vote on proposed amendments, miscellaneous and new business. Special program of talks in evening.
Sunday, July 4: Installation of newly-elected officers, unfinished business, committee reports, cocktail hour, banquet (Sheldon C. Wesson, toastmaster), laureate awards, adjournment.
Monday, afternoon, July 5: Open house at Segals’ in Bristol.
A Fossil Luncheon meeting will probably be held on Saturday.
Work on a daily paper will continue all through the convention – before, between and after business sessions.
Hosts: The Amateur Printers Club (founded 1931).
Campane’s brief guide to the sights
Some Facts About the City
Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn, a city of two square miles between the Deleware and Schuylkill Rivers. In 1683 it had a population of 400 (in 100 dwellings) which grew to 35,000 at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
During the Revolution, Philadelphia was the seat of the Continental Congress, except during the period of the British occupation, and it was the national capital form 1790 until 1800.
Geographically, Philadelphia is 39 degrees, 57 minutes north latitude and 75 degrees, 10 minutes west longitude. The present city has an area of 129.75 square miles. The 1960 census gave Philadelphia a population of 2,002,512, ranking fourth among the cities of the nation.
A circle of thirty miles drawn about Philadelphia would enclose buildings, museums, churches and other structures and collections of more value in Revolutionary history than any other section in the United States. The city is rich in achievements in every field of endeavor and its compilation of “firsts” is surpassed by no other city.
With more than 4,000 plants producing 87% of all industrial qualifications, Philadelphia is one of the leading manufacturing centers in the U.S. It is the largest fresh water port in the world and its import tonnage in 1962 was the largest for any port in the nation. The city’s International Airport is one of the most modern in the world.
Independence Square
Of the four structures now standing in the square, the State House was begun in 1732, the county court house or Congress Hall, in 1787; the old City Hall in 1790, and the hall of the American Philosophical Society in 1785.
The square was entirely remodeled in 1875 in time for the Centennial Exposition and again in 1916, when 56 gas lamps of antique design, representing the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, were installed.
It is historic ground. Here was held the meeting of Philadelphia merchants on September 25, 1765, to protest against the obnoxious Stamp Act. Here the patriots gathered on October 16, 1773, to plan turning back the tea ship Polly – an event which antedated the Boston Tea Party by several weeks. Here, too, the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people on July 8, 1776.
Independence Hall
The old state House, now more familiarly known as Independence Hall, was used by the Second Continental Congress, the sessions being held in the east room on the first floor known as the Assembly Room. Here, George Washington, on June 16, 1775, accepted his appointment as General of the Continental Army; here the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776; here the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the States was signed by eight states, the others following later, on July 9, 1778; and here the convention which framed the Federal Constitution met, completing its labors on September 17, 1787.
The Liberty Bell
Originally ordered to commemorate the 50th year of Pennsylvania, under the Charter of 1701, it was cast by Thomas Lester, of Whitechapel, London, and arrived here in August, 1752. Cracked during its testing, it was recast by Pass & Stow, two ingenious mechanics of the city, a considerable amount of copper being added to remedy its brittleness. This bell was hung in April, 1753; was found to contain too much copper (injuring the tone), was again recast and hung in June of the same year. Throughout these operations, the original inscription from Leviticus XXV, 10: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” – afterward to achieve so great significance – was retained.
In 1777, when the American forces were about to leave Philadelphia, the bell was taken to Allentown to prevent its falling into the hands of the British, then at the city’s gate. After the departure of the enemy, it was brought back. On July 8, 1835, according to tradition – exactly 59 years after it pealed forth glad tidings of independence – it was cracked while tolling for the funeral procession of famed Chief Justice John Marshall, who had died in Philadelphia two days before.
Congress Hall
This building was used by Congress from December 6, 1790, to May 14, 1800. Within its walls Washington took the oath of office for his second term and delivered his last formal address before retiring. There, also, John Adams assumed the presidency and John Marshall, then a congressman from Virginia, speaking on the death of Washington, first uttered the phrase, “First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen,” taken from Henry Lee’s formal resolution.
It saw, too, the establishment of the U.S. Navy, the Mint and the Bank of the United States, the bitter debate over the Jay Treaty with Great Britain and the admission of Vermont, Kentucky and Tennessee into the Union.
Carpenters’ Hall
Built by a group of master carpenters in 1770-74, Carpenters’ Hall gained fame as the meeting place of the First Continental Congress. The opening session was made dramatic by the receipt of news of the cannonading of Boston by the British on September 6, 1774. For a period it was used as a hospital during the Revolutionary War.
Christ Church
Founded in 1695 under the terms of a clause in William Penn’s charter from Charles II in 1681, providing that the Bishop of London might send out a minister when at least twenty residents of the colony desired it. Christ Church was the only Episcopal church in Philadelphia for 66 years. The present building, an outstanding example of colonial architecture, was built between 1727 and 1754; funds for its completion were raised by three lotteries arranged by Benjamin Franklin.
The sites of pews occupied by some early patriots are appropriately marked: the Washingtons, Penns, Franklins, Morrises, Cadwaladers and Betsy Ross.
American Philosophical Society
Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1743, this learned society still occupies the hall it built in 1785-89. Its purpose is “the prosecution and advancement of all useful branches of knowledge [liberal arts and sciences] for the benefit of their country and mankind.” Franklin was president until his death. He was succeeded by noted astronomer David Rittenhouse and then by Thomas Jefferson, who was president for eighteen years, during eight of which he was also President of the United States.
The Society has published scholarly treatises and books uninterruptedly since 1771. It owns a rich collection of historic books and manuscripts, including William Penn’s Charter of Privileges, a copy of the Declaration of Independence in Jefferson’s hand and the journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Betsy Ross House
This ancient two-and-a-half-story structure is regarded as the place where the first American flag was made. Here, according to tradition, Washington had suggested six-pointed stars, but seamstress Betsy Ross deftly snipped the now-familiar five-point star, which he approved.
Academy of Natural Sciences
The oldest scientific institution of its kind in the United States, started in 1812, possesses a collection of natural objects in many respects unrivaled and its valuable library of over 150,000 volumes is rated the most important of its kind in the Western world.
The Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute (1824) is one of the oldest institutions in the country devoted to the study and promotion of the mechanic arts and applied science. From the beginning classes of instruction were opened and its first industrial exhibition was so successful it became an annual affair for many years.
In 1934 the Institute moved to its present building, designed as a memorial to Benjamin Franklin, which houses the offices and library, a large planetarium, an extensive science museum and research laboratories. The library contains 210,000 volumes, 65,000 pamphlets and virtually complete files of 2500 domestic and foreign technical publications.
In the science museum there are demonstrations, many self-operating, of basic scientific principles and latest developments of their practical application in aviation, marine and land transportation. Papermaking, printing and electricity are given special attention. Also a complete functioning weather station and an operating replica of an old-time nickelodeon.
Central Library
The $6,500,000 (1927) central building of the Free Library is constructed of limestone with a granite base and follows the motifs of the buildings by Gabriel on the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It is one of the largest library buildings in the world and has a capacity of about one million volumes. Its Library for the Blind circulates more books to blind people than any other in the world.
Of particular interest in the Rare Book Department are: The Copinger-Widener Collection of Incunabula, the John Ashhurst Collection of Title Pages and Printers’ Marks and other private collections of Bibles, handwriting, cuneiform tablets; European, oriental and medieval manuscripts; Shakespeare folios, early American children’s books, bookplates and German imprints and fraktur.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Of classic Grecian design (the Parthenon in Athens is the size of one wing) this museum ranks with the greatest in the world. Twenty years in planning, nine in building, it was opened partially in 1928.
The display collection shows fine examples of various arts, not merely of painting and sculpture, but also of furniture and the crafts. The main body of the building is devoted to the art of continental Europe from the start of the Christian era to the present day. The north wing devoted to Byzantium and the Levant, traces the art of Asia eastward through Persia, India and China to Japan. In each section there are galleries of esthetically neutral backgrounds and rooms or other antique architectural units suggesting the ensemble or background of the period.
Franklin’s Grave
The grave in the Christ Church burial ground is marked by a plain flat stone with the simple inscription, “Benjamin and Deborah Franklin.” Franklin was buried there in April 21, 1790. The grave is visible from the street through an iron fence.
Campane is published in the interest of organized amateur journalism and the National Amateur Press Association by co-editors Hazel and Harold Segal, Bristol, Pa. 19007.