Quote:
Originally Posted by Philly-Drew
Cool links Jayfar. I love looking at old pics of the city, and old buildings under construction.
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Check out this one from June 1913, looking north from Locust, shortly before they began additions on both the Broad and Walnut St sides of the Ritz-Carlton. The Horace Trumbauer original had only been completed in 1912, and was a mere slice of its eventual expanded form:
https://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoA...x?assetId=6974
The circa 1913-14 additions grew Ritz-Carlton's footprint from 40' to 100' on Walnut and from 120' to 138' along Broad.
And a 1917 shot in all its full-grown glory:
https://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoA...x?assetId=4028
As to the original early form, a New York Times article from Jan 11, 1911 stated that it would have a 40 x 120 footprint and be completed by September of that year. They also understated the height as 8-stories. I was going to embed the clipping, but the new design of photobucket seems to be profoundly broken; maybe the link below will work.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...080&fit=bounds
I imagine if I do a little digging at newspapers.com I can find a lot more from the Philly papers.
EDIT: I see the formal opening of the Ritz-Carlton was Dec 14, 1912, according to the Inquirer of Dec 15.
There was an informal opening for the press on Dec 10, 1912:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3394..._preview_1912/
Land acquired for addition in May 1913:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3394...and_purchases/
More on plans for the additions were announced in June 1913:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3394...addition_1913/
Enlarged Ritz-Carlton reopens Nov 21, 1914:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3394...rlton_reopens/
The Ritz-Carlton closed at midnite, June 30, 1954; to become office building:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3394..._set_to_close/
[continued]:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3394...ing_continued/
Contents auctioned in September:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3394...d_july_1_1954/
Advert for auction:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3394...uction_advert/
Contracts issued in Dec 1954 for office conversion; will add two floors on top, plus split ballroom into 2 floors:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3394...ce_conversion/
And here's what the hacked and re-skinned base looked like in 1956 after Thalheimer & Weitz had their way with it, taking off the Ritz:
https://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoA...?assetId=39739