Philadelphians are fond of quoting a letter in which William Penn described his vision of a “greene country towne, which will never be burnt &amp; always wholesome.” Today, Philadelphia’s public parks cover more than ten thousand acres—roughly 11 percent of the city’s area. They encompass extensive woodlands and waterways as well as the largest collection of historic properties in the state of Pennsylvania, including the Fairmount Water Works, the Philadelphia Zoo (the oldest zoo in the United States), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 
The Grid and the River is the product of Elizabeth Milroy’s quest to understand the history of public green spaces in William Penn’s city. In this monumental work of urban history, Milroy traces efforts to keep Philadelphia “green” from the time of its founding to the late nineteenth century. She chronicles how patterns of use and representations of green spaces informed notions of community and identity in the city. In particular, Milroy examines the history of how and why the district along the Schuylkill River came to be developed both in opposition to and in concert with William Penn’s original designations of parks in his city plan. 
Focusing on both the history and representation of Philadelphia’s green spaces, and making use of a wealth of primary source materials, Milroy offers new insights into the city’s political and cultural development and documents how changing attitudes toward the natural environment affected the physical appearance of Philadelphia’s landscape and the lives of its inhabitants.

The Grid and the River: Philadelphia’s Green Places, 1682–1876

History

Milroy, Elizabeth

Americas

Penn State University Press

A wealth of research material has grown up around the collection of works by Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) given to the Philadelphia Museum of Art by the artist's widow and a friend in 1929 and 1930. Over the years, generous contributions of Eakins scholars nationwide have augmented the already voluminous material, which has been newly reorganized and catalogued. The result is outlined in this comprehensive publication that, complete with 450 bibliographical entries, is the most deÞnitive and up-to-date guide to sources on this preeminent American artist. Also included is a history of the research collection and other Eakins-related archival collections at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as a record of some 277 exhibitions during Eakins's lifetime.

Guide to the Thomas Eakins Research Collection with a Lifetime Exhibition Record and

Arts & Photography

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Painters of a New Century celebrates the painters of the groundbreaking 1908 exhibition known as "the Eight"—Arthur Davies, William Glackens, Robert Henri, Ernest Lawson, George Luks, Maurice Prendergast, Everett Shin, and John Sloan. According to Milroy, they "transformed the art exhibition into political statement and media event and shifted forever the relationship between the American artist and the American public." Distributed for the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Painters of a New Century: The Eight and American Art

History & Criticism

Milwaukee Art Museum

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Books by Milroy, Elizabeth