West Philadelphia Story

Penn undergraduates have played a vital role in developing a virtual museum of the historic neighborhood that surrounds the Penn campus. The West Philadelphia Community History Center, spearheaded by Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History Walter Licht, paints a portrait of the families, institutions and events that have shaped West Philadelphia.

"The West Philadelphia Community History Center is so important because it's intended to be a collaborative project...it's a project with Penn working with the people of West Philadelphia because it is a shared history." – Michael Garofalo

Undergraduates had the opportunity to contribute to the museum through an academically based community service course taught by Licht, Mark Frazier Lloyd, Director of the University Archives and Records Center, and Professor of History Robert Francis Engs.

In this audio slide show, view historical images of West Philadelphia and listen to College juniors Michael Garofalo and Erik Virbitsky talk about their experiences working on the West Philadelphia Community History Center.