Finding Aids

Charles Findeisen (1919-2007) was an aerial photographer hobbyist turned professional and spent most of his life flying airplanes. Findeisen consulted for real estate development concerns, engineering firms, and construction companies among others. Virtually all of his work was in the tri-state region of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

This collection contains his aerial photography from 1962 to 2000. It is comprised mostly of negatives but does include some photographs. Many of his subjects were photographed over time at regular intervals. This is particularly true of real estate development programs and building projects. But there is also one-off material of current events, local places, and landmarks.

The Wyomissing Development Company was a housing development firm for the employees of a manufacturer of knitting machinery, the Textile Machine Works. Both companies were incorporated by Henry Janssen (1866-1948) and Ferdinand Thun (1866-1948). The collection contains two minute books which document the organization of the Wyomissing Development Company, the acquisition of land for the company town and other public facilities including stores, parks, playgrounds, schools, and hospitals.