Join us for the second lecture in a series of three presentations on Sesqui! Greed, Graft, and the Forgotten World's Fair of 1926 by local historian Thomas Keels in commemoration of America's 250th anniversary.

The Ladies of the Street: One of the few bright spots of the Sesqui-Centennial was the High Street of 1776, a recreation of a Federal-era Market Street lined with 22 reconstructions of vanished historic structures, from William Penn's Slate Roof House to the Jefferson Declaration House. Created by the Women's Committee, the Street of 1776 was the Sesqui's most popular single attraction, and one of the few to turn a profit. Other popular attractions created by women included Sulgrave Manor, a replica of the ancestral English home of the Washington family. The Ladies of the Street describes how Philadelphia women defied the corrupt Republican Organization to create some of the fair's most memorable monuments.

Register for the first lecture in this series The Sesqui Sinks on Monday, July 6 and the following lecture With Liberty and Justice for A Few on Monday, July 20.

About the presenter: Thomas H. Keels is a lecturer, writer, and commentator specializing in Philadelphia history and architecture. He is the author or co-author of seven published books on Philadelphia history, including Sesqui! Greed, Graft, and the Forgotten World’s Fair of 1926; Wicked Philadelphia: Sin in the City of Brotherly Love; Forgotten Philadelphia: Lost Architecture of the Quaker City; and Philadelphia Graveyards and Cemeteries. A confirmed taphophile (Greek for “lover of graves”), Tom has been a tour guide at Laurel Hill Cemetery for thirty years. Visit his website at www.thomaskeels.com.

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