Philadelphia Department of Records

The Philadelphia Department of Records maintains the Philadelphia City Archives, the official historical memory of the City of Philadelphia. With over 20,000 cubic feet of documents, maps, photographs, films, books, deeds, birth and death records, and many other materials, the City Archives preserves and protects the history of our City. We are pleased to make historic films from the collection of the Philadelphia City Archives available for the first time to the general public. 

The Home Rule Charter of 1952 established the Department of Records to ensure that Philadelphia's municipal records are appropriately controlled and managed. The Department sets records management standards and procedures for all departments, boards, commissions and agencies, and it manages key central recordkeeping operations and services such as the City Archives, the Records Storage Center, the Recorder of Deeds and the Central Reprographics Services.