Philly Tales Blog

Back when we had no air conditioning, there was one thing about Philly in the summer: Man, it could get hot! Once school was out, there was an exod...

• Leeches to reduce swelling and heal bruises: Drug stores used to sell leeches, and I believe they had them up to the 1950s. Interestingly it appears this is one old wives tale that might be true.

Happy Easter! “Spring has sprung,” my grandfather, Pop, used to say. For him, it was a time for celebration because he could go fishing again. Ever...

A while ago, I wrote about the smells of Kensington. I thought I would continue the five senses theme and write about the symphony of sounds we all...

Every place has a recognizable scent to those who grew up in that location, and when you smell it, your mind is flooded with memories. If you lived...

Yesteryear Technology We live in a fabulous technological world! So many great technical feats make our lives better and healthier. For example, in...

“Ties that bind” is an English language idiom that generally refers to shared beliefs that connect people emotionally. Religion would be one tie, f...

It’s odd to look back to my days growing up during the 1950s in Philadelphia’s Kensington section. Kensington today is different from the blue-coll...

People often tell you, “Don’t sweat the small things,” and that’s good advice when it comes to things that disturb you. However, it’s the small thi...

On November 22, 1963, I was working in the darkroom making prints of some target or another for my employer, the United States Air Force. It was a ...

My favorite Bruce Springsteen song is “The Streets of Philadelphia.” It gives me a lump in my throat every time I hear it. This haunting song remin...