Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

📾 Documenting Chinatown history | Morning Newsletter

And what really happens inside the Masonic Temple.

Photographer Rodney Atienza was photographed in the Chinatown section of Phila., Pa. on Thurs. May 18, 2023.
Photographer Rodney Atienza was photographed in the Chinatown section of Phila., Pa. on Thurs. May 18, 2023.Read moreElizabeth Robertson
    by Paola PĂ©rez
    Published 

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

The sun’s out again, with highs in the low 70s.

Today’s lead story highlights the efforts of a Philadelphia photojournalist to captivate the rich history of Chinatown.

If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

— Paola PĂ©rez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Rodney Atienza has been documenting Chinatown for two decades. Here’s what he’s seen.

If you’ve ever attended a protest or march in Philly, you may have been right next to him without realizing it.

Rodney Atienza is often stealthily running around with his camera shutter clicking from different angles, recording life in living color.

That’s particularly true in Chinatown, which Atienza has been documenting since the late 1990s, his lens conveying often unseen stories about the historic neighborhood.

In his own words: “It’s more than a place where you go eat. It’s more than restaurants. There’s a vibrant community behind it that people don’t know about, and we need to bring that to the forefront.”

Atienza first moved to Philly from Virginia in 1995 to volunteer with Project HOME, and soon after met award-winning photographer Harvey Finkle, whose career has focused on covering social justice issues and movements.

“I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do,’” Atienza said.

Keep reading about Atienza’s dedication to capture the chronicles of Chinatown.

Broad Street’s iconic Masonic Temple turns 150

The Masonic Temple may seem ominous at first glance. But it’s actually open to the public.

The landmark in Center City turns 150 this year. It attracts about 11,000 visitors and hosts about 125 weddings, corporate gatherings, and other non-Masonic events annually.

“It’s not a secret, forbidden place,” library and museum director Michael G. Comfort said. “It’s a meeting hall, an event venue, and an educational facility with books, artifacts, documents, and artwork.”

Behind the design: Architect James Hamilton Windrim, a Mason, was at the helm. It cost $1.6 million (about $40 million in today’s dollars) to complete the five-story, 97,000-square-foot Romanesque-style structure showcasing Masonic culture and history.

Inside the building: Seven enormous and meticulously maintained meeting halls, each with a distinctive theme such as Egyptian, Renaissance, and Gothic, were designed by George Herzog, also a Mason. These spaces are regularly used for Masonic gatherings as well by visitors who snap selfies against opulent backdrops.

It was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Learn about the temple’s storied history and its challenges for the future, plus how you can attend a free anniversary tour.

What you should know today

  1. Cherelle Parker and nearly all of the candidates she defeated in last week’s Democratic mayoral primary gathered for a “unity breakfast” on Wednesday. Some still speculate that one or two former rivals may join her administration in January.

  2. Asbestos damage at Frankford High School is so extensive that the school will likely not reopen at all next school year.

  3. A Montgomery County man was convicted of attempted murder for abusing his 8-week-old son.

  4. Prosecutors say a Glenside man trafficked 15 guns — two of them linked to multiple shootings, including three homicides in Philadelphia.

  5. The former site of Philadelphia Beer Co. could be turned into an apartment building. Neighbors are unhappy with the proposal. 🔑

  6. A ransomware group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on The Inquirer’s internet servers.

  7. Calling all capybara enthusiasts: The large guinea pig-like creatures at the Cape May County Zoo are ready for summer.

  8. Ford scrapped an unpopular plan to eliminate AM radio from future models. A recent Inquirer story elevated concerns about rural Pennsylvania, where broadband and cell service can be dismal.

  9. Romantic balladeer and UPenn grad John Legend is getting his own mural at the Philly club where he got his start. It will be dedicated Thursday afternoon, followed by a tribute concert at night.

🧠 Trivia time 🧠

The lineup at next weekend’s Roots Picnic at the Mann Center in Fairmount Park has been shaken up. Who’s replacing Diddy as a headliner?

A) Drake

B) Usher

C) Beyoncé

D) Kendrick Lamar

Find out if you know the answer.

What we’re...

đŸ» Brainstorming: Names for the twin sloth bear cubs born this week at the Philadelphia Zoo.

🎬 Dreading: Netflix’s incoming crackdown on password sharing.

đŸ—‘ïž Rummaging: What remains of “Penn Christmas” a.k.a. the trash apocalypse.

đŸ§© Unscramble the anagram đŸ§©

Hint: This YouTube star from Ventnor has surfed all 50 states but loves New Jersey best.

AVG BERNY

Think you got it? Email us if you know the answer. We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Cheers to Judy Pidgeon who guessed Wednesday’s answer: American Gladiators.

Photo of the day

đŸŽ” Turn on some Tina Turner and have yourself a lovely Friday Jr. We’re almost there.