Store Review by Aaron Stella

Framing Philadelphia
631 N. 2nd St
Philadelphia Pa, 19123
215-923-9310

Northern Liberties owner Timothy Martin of Framing Philadelphia specializes in custom frames and is an avid collector of antiques and maps from the 1800’s. While Martin’s frames can accommodate a variety of portraits, landscape stills, and of course, maps, he also stocks antebellum styled frames, something you don’t see everyday. Then there are Martin’s antiques. Each is in pristine condition. Most of them are in use in his shop, although everything you see is for sale. And reclining on all sides of the antiques are the maps and cartograms. The contents of the maps range from diagrams of townships to full-scale country contour maps. I also spied an old constellation cartogram, with all the zodiacs drawn in pulpy pencil etchings, and almanac info penned in whimsical cursive along the sidebars. A fair number of portraits also fill the myriad shelves and folders in Martin’s shop. Aside from the costs of framing, prices on antiques and maps range, as put by Martin, from $25 to $25,000, so antiquers and cartophiles have a rare diversity to peruse. Even if antiques or maps isn’t your thing, you might want to stop into Martin’s shop anyway, for there are many beauties to be had and behold; you just never know what you might find.

Tags: antiques, Northern Liberties, philadelphia

Posted in Neighborhoods, Northern Liberties