Merrick & Sons iron founders, boiler makers & machinists. Washington Ave. & Fifth Street, Philadelphia.

Civil war-era advertisement containing seven titled views promoting the manufactory (orginally established in 1836 as a foundry for castings) on the 400 block of Washington Avenue. Central view shows the "Front View" of the foundry. Soldiers march in front of the "Southwark Foundry&qu...

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Bibliographic Details
Date:1863
Dimensions:92 x 66 cm
Call Number:Bc 35 M 551
Format: Electronic
Published: William H. Rease
Subjects and Genres:
Copyright:Please contact Historical Society of Pennsylvania Rights and Reproductions (rnr@hsp.org)
Online Access:https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/14672
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Summary: Civil war-era advertisement containing seven titled views promoting the manufactory (orginally established in 1836 as a foundry for castings) on the 400 block of Washington Avenue. Central view shows the "Front View" of the foundry. Soldiers march in front of the "Southwark Foundry" building that is adorned with signage advertising "Merrick & Sons Engineers & Machinests." An omnibus stops near the foundry to allow the passing of troops who are greeted by a small group of women. In the foreground, a six-horse team truck transports a large pipe, as behind it, a truck without a load follows. A family waits to cross the street because of the trucks. Also shows a rail truck loaded with barrels and large cylinders parked in front of the loading bay of the factory. Across the street men inspect large pipes on blocks in the left of the image. Scenes above the central view show "Steamer Keystone State at Reed St. Wharf"; a rowboat of men in the waters in front of the "U.S. Steamers Ironsides (Armored) Mississippi & Tuscaroroa off Fortress Monroe"; a man leading an 8-horse team pulling a "Bedplate for Monongahela" past a workshop.



Views at the bottom of the print show the "Interior of the Boiler Shop" with laborers working around a large crane and elevated walkways as they hammer large metal forms; the "Steamer Quaker City off ’Sombrero Key.’ Light House" tilting in rough waters; and the "Interior of the ’Old Foundry’ " with workers at their tasks around a large crane and surrounded by machine parts. Merrick & Sons, a premier iron foundry, constructed almost all the machinery for U.S. Navy steamers during the war, as well as the New Ironsides, the first U.S. armor-clad war vessel. The firm was also the exclusive maker of the N. Rillieux patent sugar boiler apparatus and Nasmyth steam hammers.