Sunday, October 19, 2008

Historical Fiction Picturebook on John Wanamaker of Philadelphia




Here's the final spread for a picture book about John Wanamaker, an American business pioneer who revolutionized the mercantile world with his principles: one price, cash sales and guaranteed money back satisfaction. Wanamaker was a visionary who built the largest retail store by 1890, founded Sunday School and was Postmaster General of the United States from 1889 - 1893.

John's statue stands outside City Hall in Philadelphia. It was a fun and interesting project to research on-line, accessing the archives of the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings files, plus a lot of help from the Philadelphia Librarians. It was fun to wander through the streets and compare life in historical Philadelphia to the modern city it is today and recognize how Wanamaker's contributions have made a huge difference in all our lives.