Framed | Scene Through the Lens

A recent assignment - looking at how Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park is getting ready for America’s 250th birthday - checked a few of my boxes.

I have written here before of my love of history, and how I never pass on an opportunity to meander around the park and walk the exact same streets as the Founders. And how much I enjoy finding new ways to see the same old things, over and over again.

You can actually see Independence Hall from The Inquirer newsroom, and I have probably photographed it hundreds of times over the years. I did for this story as well, even going there when we received out first measurable snowfall in two years.

I found the view at the top of the column at a selfie spot across the street, in front of the National Constitution Center. The Georgian-style building on Chestnut Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets. building also served as the first capitol of the United States and is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and on the National Register of Historic places. The U.S. Constitution was also debated and adopted inside.

Since 1998, a black-and-white photo has appeared every Monday in staff photographer Tom Gralish’s “Scene Through the Lens” photo column in The Inquirer’s local news section. Here are the most recent, in color: