In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

  • Fender Benders in Philadelphia's Built Environment:The Insurance Records of Fiske and Marie Kimball
  • Marie Frank (bio)
Keywords

Fiske Kimball, Marie Kimball, automobile accidents, insurance records, residential thefts, 1940s, 1950s, traffic patterns

Fiske Kimball's reputation as a preeminent historian of American architecture and his position as director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA, 1925–55) suggest an intimate connection with both the historic and contemporary architecture of his adopted city. During his years as director of the PMA, he oversaw the installation of colonial period rooms and the layout of the museum itself, participated in the design of the parkway that led to the museum, and restored his residence, Lemon Hill, located nearby. The voluminous records housed in the Library and Archives of the PMA contain ample evidence of these activities. But one single box in the archives provides a different angle on Kimball and the built environment he navigated: box 57 of the Fiske Kimball Papers. This box contains the insurance records for the cars and residences that he and his wife, Marie Kimball, owned in the 1940s and '50s.

The claims submitted by Fiske and Marie provide a sustained account of their movement within the city and its environs—not only transportation choices and accident hotspots but also patterns of petty theft. The records provide a very physical cultural history that complements the built history of the city. The Kimballs loved sporty, fast cars—they owned both a Packard Convertible Roadster and a Plymouth Deluxe Club Coupe. Both Fiske and Marie roared around Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr, backing into and hitting a succession of individuals, including at least one motorcyclist. They became so used to claims amounts that they could estimate on the spot if it was a $5 or $10 "job." Filled with the typical details insurance companies require, the claims give faces and character to the city.

The Kimballs also submitted claims for items burgled from their cars and residences. These items ranged from cigar lighters stolen while parked near the museum to silver-handled silk umbrellas and neckties. In 1953, a [End Page 364] theft at Lemon Hill included Fiske's Bok Award bronze medal. Finally, the insurance records also fill in some missing biographical details about the Kimballs themselves: in 1953, Fiske ran a red light near the museum, and Marie was seriously injured. The doctors' reports on her injuries for the claims help explain her failing health and eventual death in 1955 (and Fiske's subsequent grief).

In sum, this box of records provides an excellent case study of people's movements around the city prior to the construction of the interstates and other highway improvements of subsequent decades. [End Page 365]

Marie Frank
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Marie Frank

Marie Frank teaches art and architectural history in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

...

pdf

Share