Who We Are
City Line Drawings began in 2017 when a man from Philadelphia rediscovered his love of illustration on a trip to the Middle East. He worked on his perspective in more ways than one and finally created a drawing he liked of Philly's Girard Avenue Trolley on a route map.
A larger trolley drawing was one of the first twenty illustrations that appeared at a coffee shop art show under the name Philly Line Drawings. The art supplies came from a store on City Line Avenue, which inspired the name change to a wider subject.
Our first big business collaboration was a Valentine to a Philly landmark just next to City Hall. It led to a variety of partnerships and vendor arrangements with world-class museums, and quite a few originals for their sponsors and officers.
City Line Drawings moved past prints and originals with a small line of housewares that included coasters and mugs. The illustrator's father has more than 40 years' experience in ceramics and he used dye sublimation technology to make full graphic glazing featuring illustrations of Philly and New York landmarks.
Now, we feature hundreds of illustrations from thirty cities on six continents. Our website also features our new line of textile products, including clothing and accessories. We are still based in Philadelphia with a location in Brooklyn and agreements with cultural institutions around the world.
And we still love that trolley! When they took it off the line in early 2020, City Line brought local artists together to make our own for the holiday. Joyful projects like this are why we love collaborations with other artists.
What We're About
1. We have city pride, so we understand city pride.
Our family has been in Philadelphia for more than a century, and it's the place that gave us our love of architecture as well. We started City Line with the places that made us smile. When we go to a new place for a new collection, we look around and ask the locals which sites remind them the most of home. Our products are all about reminding you what you love about a place. If we didn't find it yet, tell us and we'll add it.
2. We are a small business, so we respect small businesses.
Speaking of love, City Line is a family labor of love that supports more than the four people who work here. Our supplies come from small businesses in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and internationally. We offer discounts to the cultural institutions that enrich our communities without seeking profit. And we donate portions of our profits along with other small businesses to end poverty, discrimination and other social ills.
3. We live on Earth, so we care about Earth.
We conserve resources as much as we can. From the beginning, we have offered carbon-neutral delivery in the Philadelphia and New York City regions to save our clients money and avoid the fuel of standard shipping. We also negotiate the shortest possible supply chains with our vendors. And we love working with our fellow small businesses to collaborate for better deals and share tips on cutting waste.