For one-night only, browse treasures from the Othmer Library’s collections and hone your skills in archival detective work at the Othmer Library Open House: Escape the Archives! Continue reading
Category: document display
Night of Lights – October 5th, 2018
This innovative public art exhibit will transform Chestnut Hill’s familiar commercial corridor into an interactive exhibit of local history and architecture. Continue reading
From Oyntments & Salves to Kotex & Pills – October 9, 2018
Please join the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia for a special pop-up exhibit, “From Oyntments & Salves to Kotex & Pills.” Continue reading
Drinks in the Archives – October 10, 2018
Join us for an evening filled with fancy menus, the history of brewing and wine making, and recipes for non-alcoholic botanicals and teas – all based on drinks in the archives!
Monmouth County Archives Week – October 13, 2018, and more all month long
Archives & History Day, a history expo with more than 60 organizations participating, plus other days with lectures and a feature film.
Continue reading
Second Saturday at Founder’s Hall – October 13, 2018
Come behind the wall and find out more about one of Philadelphia’s richest and most influential citizens and the legacy of the unique school he founded. Continue reading
Secret Stoogeum – October 15, 2018
See behind-the-scenes at one of Philly’s most unique museums! Continue reading
Defying Convention: Audacious Women in the Kislak Center Collections – October 16, 2018
The Special Collections Processing Center reveals written and visual accounts of extraordinary, independent women who were determined to forge their own paths–we welcome you for a one evening show-and-tell to see our rare books and manuscripts chronicling the exploits and adventures of these extraordinary women. Continue reading
The School of John Morris’s Dreams – October 17, 2018
John T. Morris has one purpose in mind when he buys a farm across the road from his Chestnut Hill estate in 1914: turn it into a state-of-the-art school. Continue reading
“Ethyl is not a Lady”: The Faces of Temperance, 1800-1960 – October 19, 2018
Come to the Presbyterian Historical Society for a one-night-only display of temperance items from the collection. Continue reading
Behind-the-Scenes Tours of the Archives – Every Friday throughout October 2018
To celebrate Archives Month Philly, Eastern State Archivist Erica Harman will lead several special 15-minute Hands-On History tours of the penitentiary’s collection storage area that houses Eastern State’s generally unknown, fascinating, and sometimes creepy collection of prisoner-made objects, photographs, and documents. Continue reading
Imperfecta – Multi-day exhibit, 2017
Using artifacts from The Historical Medical Library and Mütter Museum collections, this new exhibition examines the shifting perceptions about abnormal human development, from fear and wonder to curiosity and clinical science. Continue reading
Curious Revolutionaries: The Peales of Philadelphia – Multi-day exhibit, 2017
An exhibition about the Peale family’s role in shaping early American public culture through innovations in art, science, and technology. Continue reading
Things Fall Apart – Multi-day, 2017
An exhibition and walking tour exploring the life and afterlife of things. Continue reading
Tour of Founder’s Hall, Girard College – October 5, 2017
Check out what’s behind the wall at Girard College and explore treasures ranging from a letter from President Monroe asking for a loan to records of school dining hall cuisine. Continue reading
Invisible, not insignifcant – October 10, 2017
“Invisible, not insignificant” uses the Historical Medical Library’s collection of 19th- and early 20th-century photographs, case books, diaries, and pamphlets to look at ‘invisible’ conditions such as depression, and explores 19th-century asylum life. Continue reading
Othmer Library Open House: Back to School Night – October 11, 2017
For one-night only, discover how STEM education has changed over the centuries as the Othmer Library of Chemical History opens its vaults for American Archives Month! Continue reading
Second Saturday at Founder’s Hall – October 14, 2017
Come find out more about one of Philadelphia’s richest and most influential citizens and the legacy of the unique school he founded. Continue reading
Behind the Scenes – October 17, 2017
Come see the invisible sights and unheard sounds of the moments before the big moments … before the counter-attack is launched, the play performed, an execution ordered, a new bestseller published. Continue reading
Presbyterian Historical Society Open House – October 20, 2017
See curios and oddities from the collection, view the “Presbyterians and the American Revolution” exhibit, and take a behind-the-scenes tour! Continue reading
Collection Curios and Oddities – October 14, 2016
Visit our open house and see some of our favorite known unknowns. Continue reading
BLIND PIGS AND BATHTUB GIN – October 13, 2015
October 13, 2015 – 3:30pm Tour, 4:30pm pop-up exhibit at Heritage Center
The Heritage Center of The Union League of Philadelphia
140 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Free
Registration required; call Jes Rudderow at 215-587-5596 or foundations@unionleague.org
Prohibition-themed walking tour led by Bob Skiba and pop-up exhibit. Begin at City Hall, end at the Heritage Center of the Union League of Philadelphia. Free snacks, cash bar (no bathtub gin). Sponsors: Heritage Center, William Way LGBT Center, MARAC-PA, PACSCL.
Tour is limited to 25 people and will be approximately one hour. Heritage Center portion of the event open to 50 people. Registration is required. Please contact Jes Russerow at 215-587-5596 or foundations@unionleague.org to register or with any questions. More information (including the exact location to meet for the tour) will be emailed to attendees as the event approaches.
Sponsors: The Heritage Center of The Union League of Philadlephia; The John J. Wilcox, Jr., Archives at the William Way LGBT Community Center; The Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference Pennsylvania Caucus, and the Philadelphia Area Consortium for Special Collections Libraries.
Visit the Heritage Center website. Find them on Facebook and Twitter.
Visit The John J. Wilcox Jr. Archives at the William Way LGBT Community Center website. Find them on Facebook and Twitter.
Visit the Philadelphia Area Consortium for Special Collections Libraries website. Find them on Facebook and Twitter.
Visit the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference Pennsylvania Caucus website. Find them on Facebook.
The Paper Menagerie: Animals on the Page in the Kislak Center’s Special Collections – October 15, 2015
Thursday, October 15, 5:30-7:30 PM
Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, 6th Floor
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Free and open to the public (please show photo ID at entrance)
Registration for this talk is appreciated but not required. Please RSVP HERE or contact rbml@pobox.upenn.edu or 215.898.7088
Human fascination with animals has always inspired us to recreate their form in a variety of media; from cave paintings of prehistoric creatures to plush teddy bears, we surround ourselves with them. They are loyal companions and bloodthirsty predators, and they intrigue us with their strength and beauty. As part of Archives Month Philly, fearsome beasts and fluffy friends alike will leap from the pages of the Kislak Center’s collections. Join the cataloging staff for an evening safari that will include vicious lions, colorful fish, beautiful bugs, and perhaps even a few zoological mysteries!
The Monstrous, Fabled & Factual: Exploring the Meaning of ‘Monster,’ 1500-1900 – October 26, 2015
Monday, October 26, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Free
Reservations required. RSVP here
What is a monster? Today, one often thinks of large, fantastical – and often frightening – creatures when one hears the word ‘monster.’ The meaning of ‘monster’ has changed seemingly little over the years. However, at one time, ‘monster’ was used also to describe people with medical anomalies, not just fabulous creatures out of legends.
As part of Archives Month Philly, The Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia will be displaying materials that explore what it meant to be a ‘monster’ in the 16th through the early 20th centuries and how the use of the term has changed – at least in the medical world.
This event is free, but reservations are required. Space is limited to 30 attendees. A behind-the-scenes tour of the library stacks is included with this event.
Meet the Free Library of Philadelphia Special Collections – October 27, 2015
October 27, 2015 at 6pm
Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine Street, 4th floor
Free
Space is limited, so please RSVP here
The Free Library of Philadelphia invites you to learn more about the seven fantastic special collections at Parkway Central: the Automobile Reference Collection, the Children’s Literature Research Collection, the Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music, the Map Collection, the Print and Picture Collection, the Rare Book Department, and the Theatre Collection.
Treasures from each collection will be on view, and the collections’ curators will lead a special show-and-tell. A reception with light refreshments and drinks will follow.
Archives Month Philly 