Thaddeus M. Fowler
(American, 1842-1922)
Royersford, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania,1893
Hand-colored lithograph
Published by James B. Moyer
Collection of the Palmer Museum of Art

From Main Street to Moscow by Way of Rails and Sails: History of Transportation in Pennsylvania Prints from the Permanent Collection.
May 8ÐSeptember 2, 2001

Soon after William Penn and members of the Quaker religion acquired the territory of Pennsylvania in 1681, they settled in Philadelphia and were quickly followed by a multitude of other European immigrants. To accommodate this growth, Penn made plans to build up the seaport, to expand the inhabitable parameters of Philadelphia, and to create routes that permitted easy access in and out of the city's business district. Outside the city limits, even rural routes in Pennsylvania served as main thoroughfares for colonists travelling west due to the state's central location on the newly settled continent. Challenging topography, however, necessitated the development and implementation of various modes of travel. As such, Pennsylvania had a number of transportation firsts, including the first steamboat and the first coal railroad, both of which infiltrated many small towns and facilitated travel throughout the states. From Main Street to Moscow by Way of Rails and Sailspresents a selection of prints from the permanent collection that record the growth and development of highways, byways, and railways in the State of Pennsylvania.

A children's guide for this exhibition is available at the security desk in the museum lobby.

Thaddeus M. Fowler
(American, 1842-1922)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,1902
Color lithograph
Printed by T. M. Fowler & James B. Moyer.
Collection of the Palmer Museum of Art

Artist unknown
Pioneer Fast Line, by Railroad Cars and Canal Packets from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh,1837
Print on broadside
Collection of the Palmer Museum of Art

Return to Special Exhibitions

Return to the Palmer Museum of Art's Main Page