This Is What Philadelphia Looked Like 100 Years Ago And It May Surprise You

A century ago, Philadelphia was completely different than it is today. In one of the most stark contrasts to present city life, the Philadelphia Athletics were the most dominant baseball team of the decade, winning the A.L. pennant in 1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913 and 1914, and winning the World Series in 1910, 1911 and 1913. Nowadays, we’re lucky if the Phillies can win any game at all… but I digress.

Philadelphia’s City Hall was considered one of the wonders of the world in the early 1900s, and John Wanamaker was continually the most impressive department store ever built. He even brought the world’s largest pipe organ to the city in 1911, and it still plays regularly in the Wanamaker Building in Center City.

Check out this captivating video shared by YouTube user oldstuff4all to see a slice of Philly life 100 years ago:

What an incredible step back in time! To keep time traveling, explore this collection of The Oldest Photos Ever Taken In Pennsylvania.