author
Frances Anne Wister
1874–1956
Best remembered as a fierce defender of Philadelphia’s historic landmarks, she also wrote a lively early history of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Her work blends civic pride, culture, and a deep sense of place.
1 Audiobook
Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925
by Frances Anne Wister
About the author
Born in 1874, Frances Anne Wister became one of Philadelphia’s leading preservationists. She is closely associated with the rescue of important historic sites, especially through the founding work that led to the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks, and she spent decades supporting the city’s cultural life.
As a writer, she is known for Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925, a book substantial enough to remain available through major public-domain and library projects. That work reflects the same interests that shaped her public life: music, local history, and the institutions she believed were worth protecting.
Wister died in 1956, but her legacy is still tied to the preservation of old Philadelphia. For readers, her writing offers more than facts alone—it opens a window onto the people and civic spirit behind one of America’s great cultural cities.