Editor’s Note: As a mega-perk for the Hidden City Daily’s crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, we just posted a private tour of two of Philly’s legendary buildings, the Metropolitan Opera House and the Divine Lorraine hotel. Remarkable grand dames like these deserve a raconteur of the first order, which is exactly what we have in Hidden City’s own Thaddeus Squire, who will be leading the tour. To sweeten the deal, we dipped into our private stash of Divine Lorraine-iana and pulled out two postcards from the 1920s, as well as matching views of the same rooms from the early 2000s from photographers Joseph E.B. Elliott and Peter Woodall.
Hotel Lorraine lobby
Divine Lorraine lobby in 2000 | Photo: Joseph E.B. Elliott
Hotel Lorraine banquet hall
Divine Lorraine banquet room | Photo: Peter Woodall
Its a tragedy how much damage has occurred to the building since 2000. True negligence by the former owners and totally unnecessary.
not only was it negligence, the whole place was looted -hardwood floors, marble, bathtubs, fixtures and doors were all ripped up and sold.
you should reproduce these and sell them as cards.
Is this a question as to who is the biggest fan? lol I’d be in the running
Just found an invite to the Lorraine circa 1940 for the roof garden. Any knowledge of its existence. Has new apts. included this with renovations?