I am just reading a wonderful book about John Barrymore. His family was steeped in the theatrical world and it all began for his grandmother, when as a 7-year-old prodigy she performed as the Chestnut Street Theatre. She then had another engagement at Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre.

Electric Lights Steam heat
Electric Elevator Svc

What's a "Chestnut"?

It must be a Sunday for the street to be so deserted at this time of the morning.

John Wanamaker and his brother-in-law Nathan Brown opened their first store in Philadelphia in 1861. Following Brown's death in 1865, Wanamaker opened a store at 818 Chestnut, which must be nearby to the building we see here. In the context here, "liveries" refers to clothing, horsey sort of clothing.

"Livery" and "Newspaper." "Buggy whip" and "Classified advertising."

Here is a view looking down Chestnut from 10th towards the post office on 9th. Click to enlarge.

Below is the same view from July of 2006.

that make Shorpy great.

I wonder if it is first thing in the morning, or the photographer tried to clear the street first, or what? Before I full-sized it, I couldn't see anyone and it looked kind of creepy, like the show called "Life After People".

Not certain of this, but that Mercury Arc Lamp looks like it used a whole quart or so of highly toxic mercury. That can't be good.

[That's a carbon arc lamp. - Dave]

seems awfully intrigued by the Emerson Shoe sign.

Seen here twice before:

https://www.shorpy.com/node/4911
https://www.shorpy.com/node/8176

or some refuse containers are needed on the street corners. Not many people milling about either.