Philadelphia Revealed

Honora Power, known as “Crazy Nora,” was something of a celebrity in 19th century Philadelphia. An Irish immigrant, debt collector, and roving “street character,” Nora was immortalized in articles, poems, and a painting in the Atwater Kent collection. They paint an ambigious picture of a woman both loved and feared. Nora’s story reminded Daralyse Lyons of her own struggles with mental health, and the eating disorder treatment that brought her to Philadelphia.

Baby Evie has always been Michaela Prell’s favorite doll. Soft, minimalist, gender neutral, Baby Evie slept in Michaela’s bed until it was time to go to college and the doll ended up in the bottom of a closet. A Victorian doll in the Atwater Kent collection called Flora McFlimsey — who comes with an extensive wardrobe — reminded Michaela of Baby Evie, and the difficulities of preservation.

As a kid, Martha Cooney was jealous that her brother delivered newspapers. Martha loved the newspaper, especially the sports section. She never became a delivery person, but a wagon for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin reminded her of a job she had in her 20s. Martha had jumped at the chance to deliver phonebooks, thinking it would be similar to newspapers. Great, she thought, a valuable community job. How hard could it be?

A photo album found in a trash heap inspired memories of Cecily Alexandria’s grandfather, a WWII veteran, and the home her grandparents shared. The album offers a glimpse into the lives of multiple black soldiers, during duty and after their return to civilian life. Yet, none of the men in the album are identified. No names, no recent addresses, no next of kin. What work does it take to be remembered? And how do we avoid being forgotten when faced with the shroud of bigotry?

A turnstile from Philly’s storied Veterans Stadium in the Atwater Kent collection reminded Nick Kupsey of how his father’s first job out of college was working at The Vet. Nick has a deep understanding of what it means to be a sports fan in the City of Brotherly Love: the pain and glory, the joy and suffering, and the way all of our teams weave themselves into the fabric of the city. And for Nick, all of these feelings are an intimate part of his family story and what it means to be a Philadelphian.

Stories about the stuff we collect and what happens to it after we’re gone. Neil Benson was a photographer and salvage artist who believed that “trash is simply a failure of imagination.” When he died in 2023, Benson left behind a house filled floor-to-ceiling with his collections of typewriters, Hawaiian shirts and a jacket covered with hundreds of buttons. That jacket reminded storyteller Neil Bardhan of his father’s collection of political campaign buttons and childhood trips to antique stores and a motel-room flea market.

Ever since she was young, Tanisha Palmer has loved to style hair – for herself, for her dolls, for her friends. And her friends let her practice on them, even though when she was starting out, she’d sometimes make mistakes and burn their scalps. Tanisha was inspired by a decorative comb that was made as a souvenir for the 1876 Centennial, aka the United States’ 100th birthday party.

The handcuffs in the Atwater Kent collection stood out to Yahya Moore right away. He was recently released from prison, after serving 25 years for a crime he didn’t commit. Through studying the law, he saw the link between modern mass incarceration and slavery. And feels a deep connection to the abolitionist who might have worn these shackles: John Brown.

Anjoli Santiago has always had a conflicted relationship with religion. Church made her feel like she belonged… until it didn’t. Now, she’s seeking a new spirituality that’s inspired by water. So she’s blown away by an image that seems to bring her two spiritualities together: a church, floating on the Delaware River.

Growing up, Jamie J’s house had a radio in every room. Music brought the family together. Now she’s the culture keeper for her family, taking care of the collection of antique radios. They remind her a lot of the radios from the Atwater Kent collection.

Introducing Philadelphia Revealed, a new podcast from WHYY. In every episode you’ll learn about an object in the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel University and hear a story inspired by it from a First Person Arts storyteller.