Stop by to see our current exhibition, or head upstairs to hear more about the history and preservation of pipe organs. Continue reading
Category: free
Kislak Center New Acquisitions Showcase: While you were away … – October 5, 2021
While in-person visits to the library have been on hold, curators at the Kislak Center have been hard at work obtaining new and exciting items for the collection. Continue reading
William Still, the Underground Railroad & Abolition in Philadelphia – October 5, 2021
A panel discussion examining Still’s role as an abolitionist in Philadelphia and how it compared to the movement throughout the state. Continue reading
William Still at 200: The Still Family, Journal C, and the Underground Railroad – October 7, 2021
Rarely out on display, come to see Journal C on display as well as a marathon reading of selected entries. Continue reading
Black Ancestral Healing and Historic Remedies with Nyambi Naturals – October 7, 2021
Make fire cider with Nyambi Naturals. This ancestral recipe uses ingredients right from your pantry and garden. Continue reading
Night of Lights – Multi-day, 2021
History comes to light in Chestnut Hill with archival images projected through storefront windows, illuminating multiple layers of neighborhood history and spotlighting community stories. Continue reading
History of Bicycles and Cycling – October 12, 2021
Athenaeum Member Tom Carroll shares with us the history of bicycling using items from The Athenaeum archives. Continue reading
Make Your Own WPA Poster with Posters for The People – October 13, 2021
Drop in between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for a free hands-on screen printing workshop. All ages welcome and no experience required. Continue reading
Make Your Own WPA Poster with Posters for The People – October 14, 2021
Drop in between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for a free hands-on screen printing workshop. All ages welcome and no experience required. Continue reading
Lewis and Clark, Expanding America – October 14, 2021
When President Jefferson dispatched Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to go exploring, and report back on what he had bought, it turned out to be one of the great non-military adventures of American history. Continue reading
Preserving YOUR Past – October 20, 2021
Join local Chester County archivists, librarians, and curators for a conversation on preservation techniques for your family collection! Continue reading
Highlights from the CCHC Library and Photo Archives – Multi-day, 2021
Come to the Chester County History Center Library to see Chester County’s place in Pennsylvania history! Continue reading
Printmaking with the Dox Thrash House – October 21, 2021
Learn more about the history and future of the Dox Thrash House and join them for a fun printmaking activity. Continue reading
Archives Along Girard Avenue: Girard College and the Gesu – October 23, 2021
Join us for a special joint program for a behind-the-scenes and behind-the-walls look at the historic buildings and archival collections of neighboring St. Joseph’s Prep and Girard College. Continue reading
The Journey Of An Artifact: From Storage To Exhibition – October 25, 2021
An exclusive look at the artifacts in the National Constitution Center’s newest exhibit, The 19th Amendment: How Woman Won the Vote Continue reading
Edgy Urban Ministry: Then and Now – October 26, 2021
The Redemptorist Archives presents a day-time open house showcasing items from its collections on urban ministries and an evening film screening of The Heart of Camden: The Story of Father Michael Doyle. Continue reading
“Lost Heroes of WWII: We will not forget” with Shalom E. Lamm – October 26, 2021
Most people don’t know that hundreds of Jewish-American GIs killed-in-action in WWII were mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses, nd there they have remained for 75 years. Until now. Continue reading
Allure of the Archives – October 27, 2021
Join the Chester County Archives to dig into their most popular collections and to learn how these resources can help you search your family’s history! Continue reading
Inside Ben Franklin’s World – A Conversation with Liz Covart – October 28, 2021
“Ben Franklin’s World” is a podcast focusing on a variety of subjects in early America. Join us for a conversation with host Liz Covart. Continue reading
Ask Us Anything – October 28, 2021
Ask Us Anything about the New Sweden Colony, Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church and Early Philadelphia. Continue reading
For the Greatest Number: The New Deal Revisited – Multi-day, 2021
It’s been ninety years since the crisis of the Great Depression inspired a New Deal of arts programs, infrastructure investment, and worker protections. The art and objects funded by New Deal programs show us how workers shaped the country in the 1930s. But it’s not just history. The country is again facing a choice: what do we owe our neighbors? What does our country owe us? Continue reading
Garden Variety: An Arrangement of Exceptional Art – Multi-day, 2021
Now that the Free Library of Philadelphia has reopened to the public, Parkway Central feels like it is in full bloom again! We hope you enjoy these botanically-themed materials housed in the Children’s Literature Research Collection, Map Collection, and Print & Picture Collection. The exhibition is located in the Second Floor West Gallery of Parkway Central Library. Continue reading
“The Acacia Chronicle: Joseph Widener, Thomas Roland, and the United States Botanic Garden” and “Two Women, One Garden: Selections from the Castaña Portfolio” – Multi-day, 2021
PHS McLean Library is pleased to present two virtual exhibitions: “The Acacia Chronicle: Joseph Widener, Thomas Roland, and the United States Botanic Garden” and “Two Women, One Garden: Selections from the Castaña Portfolio.” Continue reading
Teaching the Faith: Origins of Catholic Higher Education in Philadelphia – Multi-day, 2021
Join the Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for a digital exhibit premier on the history of Catholic education. Continue reading
Some Things Last a Long Time: A Medieval Life Virtual Program – October 1, 2020
This virtual gallery talk focuses on the companion exhibition to “Medieval Life: European Manuscripts in Philadelphia Collections” which looks at universal themes from *outside* medieval Europe. Continue reading
Culinary Tales for Your Ails – October 6, 2020
Join Archivist Chrissie Perella for a look at some of the Historical Medical Library’s collection of recipe books! Continue reading
Neighborhood Stories: A Spit Spreads Death Virtual Tour of Brewerytown – October 7, 2020
How did the influenza pandemic of 1918–19 affect Philadelphia’s neighborhoods? Continue reading
Silences in the LAMS: Digital Surrogacy in the Time of Pandemic – October 12, 2020
Calling all library/archives/museum/education workers! Continue reading
Before 219: A Look at the Athenaeum Before its Move to Washington Square – October 13, 2020
Join the Athenaeum Curator for a brief history lesson on the Athenaeum of Philadelphia Continue reading
Confronting Our Language in the Library – October 13, 2020
The PACSCL DEI committee invites you to attend a panel discussion about confronting and dismantling long-standing pejorative language in library cataloging and description, centering around the documentary, Change the Subject. Continue reading
Debating Woman’s Place in America, 1860-1880, led by Dr. Amy Sopcak-Joseph – October 14, 2020
“Debating Woman’s Place in America, 1860-1880” will offer a companion to the Library Company’s latest exhibition, “Women Get Things Done,” and a crash course on the activism that enabled the passage of the 19th Amendment. Continue reading
German Heritage in Letters: From Family Research to Digital History – October 15, 2020
This presentation will introduce “German Heritage in Letters,” (germanletters.org), an initiative to find, collect, and share online, correspondence that sheds light on the effects of immigration from German-speaking lands to the United States on families and communities on both sides of the Atlantic. Continue reading
From Boston Marriages to the Lavender Menace: Queer Women and the Fight for Suffrage – October 15, 2020
Join us as we meet some of the folks who were key to winning and protecting women’s suffrage from the 19th century through the Civil Rights Era, who were gender variant or in same-sex relationships. Continue reading
Philly in Focus: Robert Halvey’s Photographic History of Catholic Philadelphia: 1935-1999 – October 19, 2020
Join the Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for a digital exhibit premier! Continue reading
Picking the President in the 19th Century – October 20, 2020
Virtual collection review by Rachel D’Agostino, Curator of Printed Books. Continue reading
John Dickinson and the Making of the U.S. Consitution, 1776-1788 – October 21, 2020 & more
This seminar will consider the innovative contributions of John Dickinson to the creation of the United States Constitution through his work on the Articles of Confederation (1776), the Annapolis Convention (1786) that met to consider the shortcomings of the Articles, the ensuing Federal Convention (1787), and the debate over ratification (1788). Continue reading
Miss Matthews Memento: Photographs of the Edgar Allan Poe School Garden – October 22, 2020
To celebrate Archives Month Philly, join PHS McLean Library staff as we examine an intriguing photo album from our archives. Continue reading
2020 Virtual Lantern Slide Salon – October 22, 2020
The 2020 Philadelphia Lantern Slide Salon will showcase recently digitized glass lantern slides from the special collections of several Philadelphia area institutions. Continue reading
Night of Lights – October 9-25, 2020
History comes to light in Chestnut Hill with archival images projected through storefront windows, illuminating multiple layers of neighborhood history and spotlighting community stories. Continue reading
The Journey of an Artifact: From Storage to Exhibition – October 27, 2020
An exclusive look at the artifacts in the National Constitution Center’s newest permanent exhibit, Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality. Continue reading
Voter Suppression in U.S. Elections: A Roundtable Discussion – October 27, 2020
Emerging from an extraordinary conversation held at Library Company last year in conjunction with the annual conference of the Organization of American Historians, this round table conversation will reflect upon that conversation and assess recent developments related to voter disenfranchisement and the voting barriers that ostracize the poor, Black, and Latino communities. Continue reading
Transcribing the Letters of William Darlington – October 27, 2020
Join library staff members and students, who will describe how we spent this summer transcribing the letters of renowned botanist William Darlington (1782-1863). Continue reading
Neighborhood Stories: A Spit Spreads Death Virtual Tour of Kensington – October 28, 2020
How did the influenza pandemic of 1918–19 affect Philadelphia’s neighborhoods? Continue reading
Archives Month Live Virtual Tour of Founder’s Hall – October 15 & 29, 2020
Join us online for a live virtual tour of Founder’s Hall and its museum with Director of Historical Resources, Kathy Haas. Continue reading
Artifacts After Dark – October 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29, 2020
Locked safely away in Eastern State Penitentiary’s climate-controlled darkroom, hundreds of artifacts rest in neatly organized drawers. Thousands of photographs fill museum storage boxes. Rare books line the shelves. Each object is an irreplaceable historic treasure that tells part of Eastern State’s complex story. Continue reading
Historic Bristol Day 2020: Bristol “Then and Now” Virtual Scavenger Hunt – October 1-31, 2020
Historic Bristol Day in Bristol, Bucks County, may not be happening like it would in years past, but you can still celebrate our town’s rich history through a virtual scavenger hunt! Continue reading
Medieval Life: European Manuscripts in Philadelphia Collections – Multi-Day 2020
800 years is a long time ago, but some questions are universal. A Digital Exhibition. Continue reading
“Scraps for Keeps”: Exhibit Curator’s Talk – October 2, 2019
Curator’s talk for the exhibit “‘Scraps for Keeps’: Scrapbooks and Photo Albums from Distinctive Collections.” Continue reading
Old school PowerPoint: Film Strips! – October 3, 2019
Once upon a time before computers, nifty little machines were used in classrooms and museums to make lectures visual; come engage with our film strip viewers! Continue reading
Quaker Cookie Face-Off – October 4, 2019
Spice Cookies vs. Oreos: which is more “Quaker”? Continue reading
