Capturing the moment

Living in the Past
By Dr. Harry C. Silcox
and Jack McCarthy
For the Times

One of the best collections of Northeast Philadelphia in the years between 1905 and 1939 is from the William H. Sliker Photo and Arts Studio at 4745 Mercer St. in Bridesburg.
The studio was opened in 1900 by William Sliker and his wife Ann, who’d recently arrived as immigrants from Germany. Bridesburg at the time had a large number of German residents, making the Slikers’ heritage a valuable asset in establishing their business.
At the start, Sliker was a studio photographer working out of the first floor of the Mercer Street studio. The front room of the house was a sitting or waiting room for the many families and individuals who came to the studio for portraits.
The back room on the first floor of the house was where pictures were taken. It contained 10 to 12 backdrops that depicted a forest, chapel, a picture of the Delaware River from the local Bridge Street dock, spring flowers and other artificial settings.
This allowed Sliker to take wedding pictures, family portraits and individual pictures in many different settings in the same room. That was important because, at the time, he was using cameras with heavy glass plates that were cumbersome and easily broken in transit.
The two rooms on the second floor were set aside as darkrooms to develop pictures. They were developed from glass plates in those days. When the new Eastman-Kodak cameras became the rage throughout the country, Sliker began developing Kodak film. Through the use of a 12-exposure roll of 2-inch, gelatin-coated paper film, a picture could be taken by almost anyone using a little box-like camera.
Developed by Eastman in the 1880s, the film was originally sent back to Rochester, N.Y., for developing. However, by 1910, Eastman was more interested in selling improved film than developing film. This gave individual photography studios and opportunity to become major developers of the new Kodak film.
About the same time, Sliker’s oldest son, Charles, began working in the shop with his father. William continued the studio work but the 17-year-old Charles seized the opportunity presented by the new Kodak box camera to establish a pick-up and delivery service at drug stores throughout Northeast Philadelphia. He would set out on horseback three days a week, riding along routes that included the communities of Frankford, Tacony, Bustleton, Wissinoming, Torresdale, Lawndale, Fox Chase, Burholme, Somerton, Byberry and Rockledge.
Much of this ride was in open country, the communities small in population. He would pick up film left at the general store or local pharmacy for developing, take it to the Bridesburg studio, develop it and deliver the photographs to the stores on the same day the following week.
In all, Charles had three routes that covered the area. A description of one remains in the Bridesburg Historical Society collection: Charles rode up Bridge Street to Frankford Avenue then over Frankford Avenue to Holmesburg, turning right on Welsh, rode to Feasterville and Southampton. He returned by coming down Second Street Pike, past the toll-gate at Rockledge, through Fox Chase and Burholme on the Oxford Pike to Frankford and then down Bridge Street to Bridesburg.
It would take a full day to complete this one circuit of stores. When one considers that most of these roads were dirt, and that rain and snow were always a possibility, this was quite a job for a young man. Clearly, Charles was making a positive impact on the profitability of the Sliker Studio.
Yet another opportunity presented itself as Charles increased his contacts with the store owners of the Northeast. They told Charles that they had numerous requests for picture postcards of the area. People wanted pictures of important area landmarks, such as churches, schools, libraries, parks and historical taverns — pictures they could send to their friends and loved ones.
The Sliker Studio produced such picture postcards in packages of 25 for each section of the Northeast. Many of these postcards are still available today, sold at postcard and memorabilia shows or from vendors around the country. The cards all have the same characteristics — they focus on buildings, streets and institutions rather than people, reflecting a time when man’s accomplishments were embodied most in images that embraced the building of a permanent and civilized society.
The popularity of the postcards at stores in Northeast Philadelphia grew between 1905 and 1920. It was then that William and Charles were approached by families to take postcard pictures. If you had a house, farm or business that you were particularly proud to own, you could order 20 postcards at a good price to send to your friends.
These pictures of homes and families were not sold at local general stores; they served instead as status symbols for the wealth of the community. It is not clear who took what photograph, since all were simply stamped "Sliker Photographic and Art Studio."
Since we do know that this family-operated business averaged just five employees, we can assume the pictures were taken by either William or son Charles.
During the 1940s, the studio turned to school pictures for most of its business. Sliker held the contract for pictures taken of students at Frankford High School and Harding Junior High School. That included pictures of dances, special school activities and sporting events.
The business continued until William’s death in the 1950s. Charles cut back on photographic services after his father died, closing the studio for good in 1967. He died the following year.
In 1997, about 200 glass-plate negatives from the Sliker collection remained in the possession of Charles’ son. Historian Harry C. Silcox purchased the glass negatives and had his son Bruce reprint the pictures. ••
To reach Harry C. Silcox, send e-mail to silcoxh@axs2000.net

History lessons
of the Northeast

Editor’s note: During the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, the Times publishes a column by local historians Dr. Harry C. Silcox and Jack McCarthy, who examine the little-known historical facts, people and events that have shaped the history of Northeast Philadelphia. Dr. Silcox and Mr. McCarthy are preparing these articles in conjunction with the recently organized Center for Northeast Philadelphia History and the Historical Society of Frankford.