William G. Weiner Jr

Due in part to the Lehigh Canal and the Lehigh Valley Railroad, Bethlehem evolved from a tranquil town to a modern industrial city. Built in 1829, the Lehigh Canal passed by the center of Bethlehem. With it brought a steady stream of outsiders who shaped and changed the community. The Lehigh Valley Railroad was established in South Bethlehem in the 1850s, turning the city into a manufacturing center with such new industries as Lehigh Zinc and Bethlehem Steel as well as silk mills. Bethlehem Revisited captures a city in transition, at a time when its streets could barely accommodate the influx of horses, trolleys, automobiles, and pedestrians. Bursting at its seams with people, businesses, and residences, Bethlehem comes alive through this collection of extraordinary postcards.

Located in the Lehigh Valley along the Lehigh River, Bethlehem was founded by Moravian settlers in 1741. In 1845, the traffic on the Lehigh Canal convinced the Moravians to open the town to outsiders who could purchase their land and buildings. The former Moravian farmlands south of the river were soon developed into railroad lines, industrial mills, homes, and Lehigh University. One of the mills evolved into Bethlehem Steel, once the second-largest steelmaker in the United States.