Philadelphia General Hospital was originally part of the Philadelphia Almshouse, which was founded in 1731 for the city’s poor, elderly and indigent. Nicknamed “Old Blockley,” because of its location in Blockley Township of West Philadelphia, the hospital was renamed Philadelphia General Hospital in 1919. The hospital eventually closed in 1977. The images in this collection have been compiled from a number of sources but appear to be predominantly from the personal photo albums of attending physicians.

Philadelphia General Hospital Photograph Collection, Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, box 1, photo no. 4