Contributors

Rob Armstrong is the Preservation and Capital Projects Manager for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation where he works on projects related to trails and active transportation, historic preservation and park improvements. He is completing his Ph.D. at Lehigh University in American History, investigating the history and development of the Fairmount Park system and urban open space in Philadelphia. In his free time, he enjoys bicycling, music, homebrewing and rooting for the Phils.

Ryan Briggs is a freelance journalist who resides in West Philadelphia. A veteran of several economic development agencies in Philadelphia, Ryan has contributed to Metropolis, the Philadelphia City Paper, and Philadelphia Weekly. Follow him on Twitter at @rw_briggs.

Joseph G. Brin is an architect, fine artist and teacher based in Philadelphia. He writes on architecture, design and culture for Metropolis Magazine. Brin is writing a graphic novel on Al Capone to be published on Kindle. His website on architecture can be seen HERE, his writing HERE, and his graphics HERE.

Harry Byrne is a lawyer based in Bala Cynwyd, he is a past Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Family Law Section, and an Articles/Comments editor of The Pennsylvania Family Lawyer. He has written and lectured extensively on family law topics. He began shooting pictures as a hobby about 5 years ago, is self taught, and enjoys shooting landscapes in the west of Ireland, as well as urban scenes around Philadelphia. His work can be seen here on flickr.

Gayle Christiansen began exploring the ins and outs of Camden as a middle school science teacher in the City. She has since written a chapter about Camden’s vibrant, essential and overlooked small businesses in Transforming Minds and Cities: Economy, Equity, and Environment, a forthcoming edited volume by Vanderbilt University Press. Gayle earned a bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College and Master of City Planning degree from MIT. She is a sometimes blogger with MIT’s CoLab Radio and part of the Project H.O.M.E. community in North Central Philadelphia.

Matthew Christopher has had an interest in abandoned sites since he was a child, but started documenting them a decade ago while researching the decline of the state hospital system. While he originally had no formal education in photography, Matthew is currently studying for an MFA in Fine Art Photography at Rochester Institute of Technology. He has had gallery shows across the US, lectured on abandoned spaces and mental health history for the Pennsylvania State Museum, Preservation Pennsylvania, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and others, and his work has been featured in several publications including Photographer’s Forum, the International Journal of Arts and Humanities and the United Nations Chronicle. His website, abandonedamerica.us, has gained international attention and is considered one of the leading collections of images of abandoned spaces on the internet.

Dan Cox Daniel Cox is a photographer with a background in architecture. Cox received his BA in Architecture from Yale University and his MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute. His work has been shown nationally in solo and group exhibitions. He lives and works in
Philadelphia.

Stephen Currall recently received his BA in history from Arcadia University. Before beginning doctoral studies, he is pursuing his interest in local history, specifically just how Philadelphians engage their vibrant past. Besides skimming through 18^th century letters, Steve is also interested in music and travel.

Ariel Diliberto grew up in the Greater Philadelphia Area and received her BA in Urban Ecology at Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY) in 2011. She’s interested in using environmental justice as a pathway for social and economic justice in the city. She has interned with the atelier d’architecture autogérée (Studio for Self-Managed Architecture) in Paris, the Plant Biology program at University of Texas-Austin, and the NYC Department of Design and Construction. Ariel currently works for the New Kensington Community Development Corporation as Sustainable 19125 Project Coordinator.

Lauren Drapala is an architectural conservator and writer currently living in Philadelphia. Since receiving her Masters in Historic Preservation at the University of Pennsylvania in 2010, Lauren has been continuing her thesis research on the the decorative interiors and screens of 20th century muralist Robert Winthrop Chanler.

Shawn Evans is Director of Preservation and Cultural Projects at Atkin Olshin Schade Architects. Shawn and others at the firm assisted with the 2009 Hidden City Festival documenting improvements and facilitating approvals for the Metropolitan Opera House.  Raised in Ohio and Texas, he has lived in Philadelphia since 1993 when he began graduate studies in architecture and preservation at Penn. Shawn and his family live in Bella Vista. He is the current co-chair of AIA Philadelphia’s Historic Preservation Committee and sits on the Architectural Committee of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Shawn has also blogged for phillyhistory.org.

Maria Gorshin is a lifelong writer with twenty years experience writing about travel, leisure, tourism, and entertainment for clients around the globe. She recently served as the lead writer on an archaeology based children’s animation series associated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt. Previously, Maria contributed to the development of history-based attractions for a leading theme park company. Her first media position was with the Wall Street Journal. She is an enthusiast about all things New York, the city where she was born and raised. She writes about NYC’s past and present at CityGirlWrites.blogspot.com and is a frequent contributor to WestSideRag.com and UntappedCities.com.

GroJLart is the anonymous foulmouthed blogger of Philaphilia, where he critiques Philadelphia architecture, history, and design. He resides in Washington Square West. GroJLart has contributed to Naked Philly and Philadelphia City Paper’s Naked City Blog.

Libbie Hawes worked for a decade as a theatrical properties master, and went on to attend University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, earning her master’s degree in 2010. She has a particular affinity for traditional building technology and vernacular architecture. Libbie is the Buildings and Grounds Coordinator at Cliveden of the National Trust and a Program Assistant at the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Northeast Field Office.

Rachel Hildebrandt, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, is a native Philadelphian who is passionate about the ever-changing city she inhabits. Before beginning her graduate studies in historic preservation planning, Rachel obtained a B.A. in Psychology from Chestnut Hill College and co-authored two books, The Philadelphia Area Architecture of Horace Trumbauer (2009) and Oak Lane, Olney, and Logan (2011), both published by Arcadia Publishing.

Nicole Judayspent many years as a horticulturist before trading her shovel for a laptop. She now writes about gardening and natural history for the WHYY website NewsWorks and a number of print publications, as well as giving lectures and tours. With a particular interest in landscape history and old plants, she loves exploring and researching forgotten gardens, and wants more Philadelphians to appreciate our city’s remarkable horticultural legacy.

Laura S. Kicey is a photographer and artist based in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Kicey is a 1999 graduate of Kutztown University, where she studied graphic design and photography. Since 2004, her work has been shown in numerous galleries and museums across the U.S., and has been licensed by such clients as Urban Outfitters, Terrain at Styers, AMC Network, Lensbaby, Philly Weekly, and Pantone. Her photographs and digital composites can be found in several private collections and have been prominently featured in print 
publications internationally. Check out her website HERE and her Twitter feed HERE.

Harry Kyriakodis is a staff attorney for the American Law Institute, Harry Kyriakodis has collected what is likely the largest private collection of books about the City of Brotherly Love: about two thousand titles, new and old. He is a founding/certified member of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides and has lived at Pier 3 Condominium at Penn’s Landing since 1997, when and where his fascination with Philadelphia’s waterfront district began. Harry regularly gives walking tours and presentations on this and other unique yet unappreciated parts of the city for various groups.

Chandra Lampreich became interested in photography in high school, and then continued her training at Antonelli Institute where she received an associates degree in photography.   She specializes in architecture photography, and has a passion for shooting old, dilapidated buildings. Her photographs can be seen on Flickr HERE.

Ben Leech is the Director of Advocacy at the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and editor of their Field Notes blog. In his spare time, he likes to wander around and draw buildings. He splits his time between Philadelphia and Lancaster, where more of his work can be seen at Old Weird Lancaster  and the Lancaster Building  Conservancy.

Jennifer Leibert was born and raised in the Kensington section of Philadelphia and has a deep passion for Philadelphia history. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and a M.A. in Museum Studies, with her graduate thesis focusing on public art in Philadelphia.  After completing her college coursework, Jennifer was selected for The City of Philadelphia’s Destination Mayoral Fellowship, where she was apart of The Public Art Office (now apart of The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy).  It was during this experience that her passion for art and architecture grew stronger. Jennifer is also a caretaker for an historic home in Northwest Philadelphia and teaches with the Claymobile Program, an award winning mobile ceramic art program that works with schools, community based organizations and social service agencies. Her classes often focus on Philadelphia history and architecture.

Adam Levine has done extensive research since 1998 into the historical topography of Philadelphia, mostly as a consultant to the Philadelphia Water Department. As part of this work, he manages the PWD Historical Collection, and also maintains an extensive website of watershed and water supply material at www.phillyh2o.org. In a related career path, he writes about gardening, and is the author of many articles and four books, including A Guide to the Great Gardens of the Philadelphia Region (Temple, 2007).  In another life, he worked full time as a journalist, both freelance and as a staff writer for the Gloucester County Times in Woodbury, NJ.

Zachary Lifton is a freelance creative consultant, historian and cultural heritage junkie.  His work focuses on community engagement and alternative, inclusive takes on preservation.  Zach’s current ventures include a Latino heritage education initiative for the National Park Service as well as an oral history project and exhibit for the William Way Community Center’s Archives.  Zachary holds a M.S. in Historic Preservation from Columbia University and a B.A. in Arts Management from Bennington College.

Rob Lybeck is fascinated by Philadelphia’s architecture and its embellishments. He endeavors to raise an awareness of the city’s unique built environment through his photography. What began years ago as the chosen theme for a course assignment, has developed into a lifelong passionate pursuit: photographing the many diverse architectural styles and building details of the metropolitan area. His work can be seen here on flickr.

Brad Maule was the long-time proprietor of the widely acclaimed Philly Skyline. These days, his love is directed to Portland Urban Resource.

Jack McCarthy is a certified archivist and longtime archival/historical consultant who has worked with numerous Philadelphia area historical organizations and collections. He is deeply involved in Northeast
Philadelphia history, having co-founded the Northeast Philadelphia History Network and served as founding director of the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame. Jack is also a professional musician and music historian with a particular interest in the history of Philadelphia music.

Kevin McMahon recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with an M.S. in Historic Preservation and now works as an associate at Powers & Company, historic preservation consultants. He’s interested in architecture, development and the infinite layers, physical and historical, that Philadelphia contains.

Dominic Mercier is a freelance writer, photographer, and graphic designer and Philadelphia native. He is a 2001 graduate of Temple University, where he majored in journalism. He is the former Managing Editor of Montgomery Newspapers and press officer at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He currently serves as the communications director for the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. More of his photographic work can be seen here.

Kim Miller was raised in Darby in the 60′s and 70′s. Took the #11 Trolley in those days. Traveled the globe. No other place felt like home. Now happily a Mt. Airy-ite!

Christopher Mote is a graduate of Holy Family University and the Creative Writing Program at Temple University. Currently a freelance writer and editor, he lives in South Philadelphia and blogs about art and culture here.

Meredith Nutting is a freelance filmmaker originally from the DC Metro Area. Since finishing her Biology/Studio Art degree at Bates College she has worked on film productions for National Geographic, History Channel and Animal Planet.

Katrina Ohstrom moved to Philadelphia nearly a decade ago where, constantly armed with at least one camera, she goes about her daily business and photographs anything that catches her eye. Her ongoing documentary projects include visual catalogs of the post-industrial wonderland that exists within the city she calls home, sub-sub underground experimental music and it’s players, and the humans behind the scenes in cat and dog show culture.  In her spare time she enjoys, collecting animal skulls, conspiracy theories, gardening and long walks with her dog.

Bob Skiba formed his own performing group, Mixed Pickles Vintage Dance Co., after moving to Philadelphia in 1998. The group researches, recreates, and performs American social dances from the colonial period through the 1950s. Bob serves on the Advisory Board of Dance USA Philadelphia and the president of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides. He is also the archivist at the William Way Community Center, helping to document the LGBT contribution to Philadelphia.

Bob is keen on combining his two loves–research and performing–in the study and recreation of historical and vintage dances. Read his blog The Philadelphia Dance History Journal HERE.

Theresa Stigale loves Philadelphia and was born and raised in Southwest Philly. She earned a B.B.A. from Temple University in 1983. Theresa is a photographer as well as a licensed Pennsylvania Real Estate Broker, developer and instructor. In the past ten years, she has documented the entire development process for all of the loft conversion projects that she and her partners have completed in Philadelphia. This gave her the opportunity to shoot some great Philadelphia architecture: from stately old abandoned warehouses covered with graffiti to vintage factories, some still active with manufacturing. These before and after photos comprise the vast majority of her 100K+ photographic archive. She has also created numerous other photography series including street art, street festivals, flea markets, vintage stores and signs and portraits of artists in their lofts and studios. Some of her collection can be viewed here on Flickr.

Stephen Stofka is weeks (hopefully) from a BA at Temple. Urban/transportation theorist/planner/designer (mix and match matrix as you please). Particularly interested in complexity theory and how it manifests in urban form.

Mike Szilagyi was born in the Logan neighborhood of Philadelphia, and raised in both Logan and what was the far edge of suburbia near Valley Forge, I found myself intrigued by both the built landscape and by the natural “lay of the land.” Where things really get interesting is the fluid, intricate, multi-layered interface between the two.

Angela Taurino is a Philadelphia native now living in Bucks County and received her B.A. in English and Education at Arcadia University. She taught English in Costa Rica as part of the VIH Program for Women in Global Leadership. She also studied abroad at City University in London, focusing on British history, art, and architecture. Angela currently serves as an AmeriCorps VISTA at New Kensington Community Development Corperation as Sustainable 19125 Project Coordinator and volunteers for Hidden City by writing articles and managing social media pages. Her interests include nutrition, linguistics, and the preservation of architecture and our environment.

Steven Ujifusa is a writer living in Philadelphia with a specialty in historic preservation and urban planning.  His first book, A Man and His Ship: America’s Greatest Naval Architect’s Quest to Build the SS United States, will be published by Simon and Schuster in July 2012.

Ethan Wallace attended Temple University, where he received a BA in Communications.   He has always been interested in the forgotten, unknown, or unseen parts of the city and has spent the last several years photographing Philly’s hidden and vanishing locations.  He is also involved with the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, Pa.  Ethan’s photography is featured on his website, Shadowsandrust.com.

Steve Weinikis a Philly-based photographer, documentary researcher, and Toynbee tile enthusiast. His work has been widely published in print and on screen. Following a career in Philadelphia public schools, he earned his degree in American History from the University of Pennsylvania. You can see more of his work at steveweinik.com.