Francis Speight, Untitled (Manayunk Scene)

A subject dominating much of the artist’s work, Manayunk is shown here at a distance. Brown hills become green, which give way to a line of townhomes with colorful roofs, and factory buildings further beyond. The the bright copper-topped steeple is Holy Family Church on Hermitage Street. The densely packed, sloped streets and industrial character still define the neighborhood.

Woodmere has collected numerous works by artists who found their inspiration in Manayunk, an industrial and residential neighborhood on the Schuylkill River northwest of Philadelphia. Claude Joseph Warlow, Antonio P. Martino, and Ron Tarver are among those who have been drawn to Manayunk visual richness: the drama of its steep terrain and its mix of monumental, industrial, and domestic architecture.