Exploratory Dashboard
Collections as Data
This site is a 'Collections as Data' visualization environment for Temple University Libraries' digital repositories. While you can find the full, comprehensive collections hosted dynamically on Temple's ContentDM instance, this site focuses on remediating, analyzing, and visualizing a curated selection of those collections. By treating these curated collections as datasets, we can explore big-picture questions about the temporal spread, geographic reach, and sheer scale of our cultural heritage.
All item images and data analyzed on this site are served via the
IIIF Image API.
The Big Picture
Scaling our Cultural Heritage
Temporal Reach
The collections sampled span from the 1880s to the present day, allowing us to build timelines mapping public recreation, wartime propaganda, and civil rights mobilization.
Geospatial Footprint
While rooted in Philadelphia History, we extract coordinates from these items to reveal the global geographic footprint of our local archives.
Browse Collections
Select a collection to explore its items
Allied Posters of World War I
A striking collection of over 200 Allied propaganda posters from World War I, featuring recruitment appeals, war bond campaigns, and morale-boosting imagery …
Blockson Afro-American Collection Photographs
Photographs from the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, one of the nation's leading research facilities for the study of the history and culture of …
City Parks Association Photographs
Over 200 photographs from the City Parks Association of Philadelphia documenting the city's parks, playgrounds, and recreational spaces from the late 19th and …
Frank G. Zahn Railroad Photograph Collection
Over 1,000 photographs from the Frank G. Zahn Railroad Photograph Collection documenting Pennsylvania railroads from the 1930s through the 1990s. Zahn …
John W. Mosley Photographs
Over 30,000 photographs by John W. Mosley documenting African American social life, community events, and cultural activities in Philadelphia from the 1930s …
NAACP, Philadelphia Branch Photographs
Photographs from the Philadelphia branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), documenting civil rights activities, …
Paul Robeson Collection
Materials documenting the life and career of Paul Robeson (1898-1976), the renowned singer, actor, athlete, and civil rights activist. The collection includes …
Philadelphia Dance Collection
Photographs documenting Philadelphia's rich dance heritage, featuring the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco). The collection …
Temple History in Photographs
Over 1,500 photographs documenting the history of Temple University from its founding by Russell Conwell in 1884 to the present day. The collection includes …
Temple Sheet Music Collections
A diverse collection of American sheet music spanning the 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring popular songs, patriotic music, ragtime, and parlor songs. …
Browse Exhibits
Thematic exhibits exploring items across Temple's digital collections
Trains at Temple
Train and railroad imagery drawn from Temple University Libraries' digital collections.
Philadelphia Dance Collection
Photographs spanning classical ballet, modern dance, and African American dance traditions.
WWI War Posters
Allied Posters of World War I exploring recruitment, propaganda, war bonds, and the home front.
Explore the full archives
This site serves as an exploratory proof-of-concept for data visualization. To browse the definitive collections, perform deep searches, and view un-curated materials, visit the Temple University Digital Collections portal.