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$20 for individuals/ $50 for institutions and universities
Individuals may purchase this DVD for $20 plus shipping and handling online using Scribe Video Center's secure PayPal account. Institutions should contact Scribe directly by calling 215 222 4201.

Scribe Video Center’s
Precious Places Community History Project Vol. 4

While tourists head straight for the city’s official “Historic District” and native Philadelphian’s think they have seen it all, Scribe Video Center’s Precious Places Community History Project reveals bypassed neighborhood sites as bright landmarks that surprise and inspire residents and visitors alike. Using the video documentary as a storytelling medium, neighborhood residents have come together to document the oral histories of their communities. Over the past 6 years Scribe has collaborated with community groups from Philadelphia, Chester, Ardmore, and Camden to produce 59 community histories. Precious Places is a regional history, an occasion for neighbors to tell their own stories about and the people and places that make their communities unique. Volume 4 features 10 videos covering themes that include urban green spaces, immigration, religion, racial segregation and integration and urban renewal.

Awbury by Awbury Arboretum (East Germantown)
The Awbury Arboretum has existed for over 150 years, and over that time it has been a celebrated green space in northwest Philadelphia. “Awbury,” by the Awbury Arboretum Association and residents living on the arboretum grounds, digs into Awbury’s history, from the purchase of the land by the Coate family in the 1850’s to the arboretum’s current youth programs and community gardening workshops. By revealing the similarities between past and present uses of the arboretum, the video underscores the timeless importance of green spaces in urban areas. (8:42 min)

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Standing on the Promises of God by Bethany AME Church (Northeast Philadelphia)

Meaning “School of Blood Moving in the Heart” in the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs, Ollin Yoliztli Calmecac is a dance and cultural troupe based in the heart of South Philadelphia. A visually captivating portrait of the group told through their own voices, Aztec Dance in Philadelphia raises questions about indigenous history and the retention of cultural heritage in the context of modern immigration. “We consider it a school because we are learning about the culture we have lost,” says one of the group’s members.

The Houston Community Center carries on a long and illustrious tradition of social service in this ethnically diverse South Philadelphia neighborhood. Founded in 1901 as St. Martha’s House, the organization functioned as a settlement house serving the predominantly Italian and Eastern European immigrant communities of the area. St. Martha’s provided education and health services and emphasized “integration and assimilation” programs for immigrants intended to ease their transition into an unfamiliar city and culture.

St. Augustine Church has been continually transformed by immigrants throughout its two century history. It has nourished many generations, beginning with Irish and German immigrants, who have made their home in the river wards of old Philadelphia. Anti-Irish, anti-catholic nativists burned the church to the ground in 1844, but the church was rebuilt and subsequently became a major institution of the neighborhood.

Starting in February 1999, a total of 33 teens gathered on a weekly basis to script, shoot, and edit a 15-minute video addressing issues they decided were important in their lives. The dreams of Asian American teenagers, the expectations of immigrant parents, and the pull towards gang culture and violence are the themes of the resulting youth-produced narrative. The fictional story centers around three Asian-American teenagers their struggles and choices, set against the backdrop of life in Asian South Philadelphia and teen hip hop culture.