Natasha Hulme

Welcome to Market East Natasha Hulme

In 2014, Street Photographer, Michael Penn set out to capture the area of Center City Philadelphia known as Market East. Market East was home to the Reading Terminal, The Gallery, a sprawling urban mall, the original Strawbridge & Clothier, John Wanamaker's, Lit Brothers, and Gimbels department stores. Market East spanned from Philadelphia's City Hall to Independence Mall at 6th street. Gentrification plans included demolition and renovations to the seven block corridor. The area was swiftly rebranded as "Jefferson Station," once the barricades went up and heavy machinery moved in. Penn's intention for "Welcome To Market East," was to document urban decay, homelessness, the drug addicted, and troubled inhabitants that called the sidewalks, alleys, and entryways of Market East "home" since the area began its decline in the early 1990's. Today, the corridor is winding down from a massive billion-dollar makeover, making this street photography book a must-have for any historian.