Cornerspotter is a Curbed Philly feature in which we show you a historical image of the city and you identify it. Do not submit guesses in the comments. Send them to our tipline: philly@curbed.com. The prize? Your name and quirky biographical info here as well as a historic Philadelphia postcard snail-mailed to your home.
When we discovered a 19th-century book about Philadelphia at a flea market, we swooned, hyperventilated and had to breathe into a paper bag. Aside from a plethora of drawings like the one above, it features advertisements and articles about the city's landscape, architecture and industry. Unless you were a woman, a minority or a horse, your experience of the city at that time would have been far better. Philadelphia was held in such high regard. There were great expectations (and expectorations), some of which were fulfilled, many of which weren't. Can you identify this spot? If you think you know the answer, ping our tipline: philly@curbed.com.