Every Friday the Penn Museum opens its archives doors to everyone to see hidden collections. Continue reading
Category: previous years
What in the World? Early Television Meets the World of Archaeology – Multi-day, 2017-2018
The early “What in the World” television game show inspired young people to enter the world of archaeology and anthropology Continue reading
Monument Lab – Multi-day festival, 2017
What is an appropriate monument for the current city of Philadelphia? Monument Lab is a public art and history project from Mural Arts Philadelphia and a team led by curators Paul M. Farber and Ken Lum, taking place citywide in fall 2017. 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
Deprived of the Use of their Reason: Quakerism & the Curability of Mental Illness at Friends’ Asylum, 1817–1867 – Multi-day, 2017
This exhibit traces the history of the first private mental institution in the United States. Continue reading
Where is the Penn Treaty Elm? – Multi-Day Exhibit, 2017
This exhibit explores the myth and history of the Penn Treaty Elm from the time of the treaty to the present day. Continue reading
Things Fall Apart – Multi-day, 2017
An exhibition and walking tour exploring the life and afterlife of things. Continue reading
Monmouth County Archives Week – October 14, 2017, 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
The Art of Ownership: Bookplates and Book Collectors from 1480 to the Present – Multi-day exhibit, 2016
Presenting beautiful and curious specimens from five centuries of book collecting, The Art of Ownership delves into the stories of these bookplates, the rare editions behind them, and the lives of the men and women who owned them. Continue reading
Something’s Brewing: History of the Gay & Lesbian Coffeehouse of Philadelphia – Multi-day exhibit, 2016
For over a decade—at multiple locations and in several guises—the Gay and Lesbian Coffeehouse of Philadelphia served as a welcoming and inspiring anchor for LGBT community life in Philadelphia. Continue reading
“Sweep the Country: Political Conventions in Philadelphia” – Multi-day Exhibit, 2016
“Sweep the Country: Political Conventions in Philadelphia” is presented in partnership with the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent, and covers the 12 political conventions held in Philadelphia between 1848 and 2016.
All the Presidents’ Flowers: Plants and Flowers for Presidents and First Ladies – Multi-day Exhibit, 2016
This exhibit of archival photographs and nursery catalogs from the library’s collections, features plants named in honor of U. S. presidents and first ladies, and also reflects aspects of the garden history of the White House, with some Philadelphia connections.
Vesalius On The Verge: The Book and The Body – Multi-day Exhibit, 2016
In 1543 Vesalius published De humani corporis fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body). The exhibit features an edition of the Fabrica book as well as other works by Vesalius and specimens highlighting his accomplishments in the field of anatomy.
Common Touch: The Art of the Senses in the History of the Blind – Multi-day Exhibit, 2016
Common Touch: The Art of the Senses in the History of the Blind is a multimedia exhibition that looks at historical embossed and raised-letter documents for the visually impaired as a starting point for a multi-sensory exploration of the nature of perception.
Translating Across Time and Space: Endangered Languages, Cultural Revitalization, and the Work of History Symposium – October 13-15, 2016
“Translating Across Time and Space” will explore the ways archival collections and scholarly fieldwork help preserve and revitalize linguistic and cultural practices in indigenous communities throughout North America.
Archives Hands-On History – October 24-28, 2016
In celebration of Archives Month, Eastern State Penitentiary’s Manager, Archives and Records, Erica Harman, will lead ten special Hands-On History (15-minute) tours of the historic site’s collection storage area. Continue reading
Vesalius On The Verge: The Book and The Body – Multi-day Exhibit, 2015
Daily 10AM – 5PM
Mütter Museum
College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19 S. 22nd Street, Philadelphia PA 19103
Free with museum admission (Museum admission fees)
December 31st marked the 500th birthday of the “Father of Modern Anatomy” Andreas Vesalius. In 1543 Vesalius published De humani corporis fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body), a series of seven books based on the dissection and research he conducted while at the University of Padua. This treatise on the human body was a groundbreaking work, with both detailed text and illustrations. To this day the Fabrica is still considered a masterpiece of both medical and anatomical literature. Please visit our exhibit which opened on December 19th, 2014. It features an edition of the Fabrica book as well as other works by Vesalius and specimens highlighting his accomplishments in the field of anatomy.
Defiant Archives: Trans Histories of Existence, Resistance, and Brilliance – Multi-day Exhibit, 2015
October 1 – December 4, 2015
City Hall, Second Floor, East Corridor (in front of Mayor’s Office)
1401 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19107
In celebration of LGBT Month, Art In City Hall and the City’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy presents Defiant Archives: Trans Histories of Existence, Resistance, and Brilliance. The exhibit shares a collection of archival and personal items with a focus on the history of transgender activism in Philadelphia, curated and collected by local trans community members. Visitors will be able to watch a collection of oral history videos shared by the Trans Oral History Project, as well as the short documentary video “Transpass” about the work of Riders Against Gender Exclusion, a local activist group who won the fight to end SEPTA’s use of gendered stickers in 2013. The exhibit will also invite participation, as visitors are welcomed to share their own histories on a timeline stretching from 1965 to 2015.
The Defiant Archives exhibit responds to a missing piece in the Reminder 2015 celebration. Before, during, and after the Annual Reminder Day protests (1965-69) demanded gender conformity from participants, transgender and gender nonconforming activists have mobilized for sexual and gender self-determination, social transformation, and collective liberation.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defiantarchives
Twitter: #defiantarchives
Gay Love On Display: Taking On the APA – Multi-day Exhibit, 2015
October 9-31, 2015
William Way LGBT Community Center
1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA
Free
From 1953 until 1973, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) classified homosexuality as a mental disorder, a disease that doctors could treat. Gay activists like Barbara Gittings and Frank Kameny first challenged this medical definition of homosexuality as illness through actions such as petitions, lectures, and appearances on television talk shows. In 1970, they moved on to spontaneous demonstrations, or “zaps,” at the APA conference, and in subsequent years Gittings and Kameny became the first gay people to have a voice in official APA panel discussions.
Between 1972 and 1978, Gittings, Kameny, and Gittings’ partner Kay Lahusen created three informational display booths for national meetings of the APA. Portions of these confrontational booths, donated to the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives of the William Way LGBT Community Center by Kay Lahusen, have been restored and are presented together for the first time as part of an exhibit called “Gay Love on Display: Taking on the APA”
Exhibits at The Heritage Center of The Union League of Philadelphia – Multi-day Exhibit, 2015
Exhibit on view until February 2016. Open Tuesdays and Thursday, 3-6pm and the second Saturday of every month, 1-4pm.
The Heritage Center of The Union League of Philadelphia
140 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145
Free
No RSVP needed.
“1865: Triumph and Tragedy”: On April 9, 1865 Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, ending the bloodiest conflict in American history. Six days later, John Wilkes Booth ended the life of President Abraham Lincoln. The year ended with the passage of the 13th amendment to the United States Constitution, ending slavery in America. On May 5, the Union League began a new chapter in its history with the opening of its new clubhouse on South Broad Street. These and other events of the year will be explored in the exhibit on Philadelphia and the Civil War.
“Love of Country Leads”: Titled after the motto of the Union League, this exhibit gives the visitor an overview of the League’s 150-year history and was designed to showcase some of the League’s historical collections. Foremost among these is a rare copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed with Abraham Lincoln’s full signature. It is one of an edition of about 48 that League members arranged to have printed and sold at the Great Central Fair in Philadelphia in June of 1864. (Only about 26 of these still exist.) The fair raised more than $1 million for sick and wounded Union soldiers. Love of Country Leads will remain on display indefinitely.”
http://www.ulheritagecenter.org/research-and-exhibit/exhibits/current-exhibits/
Facebook.com/ulheritagecenter
Twitter (@uheritagecenter)
100 years in Nursing History & Open House and Tour, Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing on October 12th – Ongoing Exhibit, 2015
Exhibit will be ongoing for month of October, Open House Event and Tour of the Center will be on October 12th from 5-7 PM
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
418 Curie Boulevard, Floor 2U, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Free
http://batesopenhouse.eventbrite.com
100 Years in Nursing History will be an ongoing exhibit that explores the rich history of the nursing profession beginning in 1915 and will include photos and selections from the archives of the Bates Center.
Open House and Tour Description for 10/12/15: Come explore the archives of the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at Penn Nursing. As one of the oldest and largest archives dedicated to preserving nursing’s rich history, the Bates Center is a rich resource for researchers from across the globe who are interested in the historical development of nursing.
The open house will be held on October 12th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM and will feature the Center’s ongoing exhibit “100 Years in Nursing History,” as well as select items from the archives.
Follow the Bates Center on Twitter @Penn_Bateshx
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennNursingBatesHistoryCenter
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nursinghistory/
Monmouth County Archives and History Day – October 3, 2015
October 3, 2015, 9am-3pm
Monmouth County Library HQ
125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan, NJ 07726
Free
RSVP required for tour of Monmouth County Archives
The event includes a History Forum, 62 exhibit tables hosted by history organizations, awards presentations, and a history game with prizes, as well as a tour of the Monmouth County Archives, for which reservation is required. Attendees will be able to view the exhibit, “New Jersey in Focus: The World War I Era, 1910-1920,” which will be on view in the library’s gallery for the month of October, after which it will be hung in the hallway outside the Archives office on the lower level of the building.
Also during the week preceding the main event:
Tuesday, September 29, 2pm, movie, WWI era, “The Water Diviner”
Wednesday, September 30, 9:30-11:45am: Seminar, Newspaper Photo Collections in New Jersey
Speakers
Sarah Hull, Plainfield Public Library (Courier News)
Gary D. Saretzky, Monmouth County Archives (Red Bank Register)
Boris Von Faust, Passaic County Historical Society (Paterson Evening News)
Wednesday, September 30, 1-2:30pm: Lecture by Joe Grabas, “Monmouth County Land Holdings”
Thursday, October 1, 2pm, movie, WWI, “Lawrence of Arabia: The Battle for the Arab World”
Marking Time: Voyage to Vietnam – Ongoing Exhibit, 2014
October 3, 2014 – May 26, 2015
Independence Seaport Museum
211 S. Columbus Blvd. and Walnut St.
$13.50 (museum admission)
Developed by Art and Lee Beltrone, founders of the Vietnam Graffiti Project, this exhibition presents the stories of American soldiers bound for Vietnam in the late 1960s. The stories are depicted through writing and artwork left on troopships’ bunks, capturing the era’s politics, military pride, humor and anti-war sentiments. The exhibition will feature canvasses with connections to the PA/NJ/DE region.
More information: http://www.phillyseaport.org/Markingtime
The Place of Pennsylvania – Ongoing Exhibit, 2014
Tuesday, 10/14/2014 – Friday, 11/7/2014
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107
Free and open to the public.
Pennsylvania has long been known as the Keystone State, and not without cause. Its history and culture have been shaped by its place—geographically and otherwise.
In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Historical Association annual meeting, HSP will display selections from its collections that look at Pennsylvania as a place, whether geographical, political, or imagined. Included will be items that depict the “place” of Pennsylvania in its region(s) (mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, Northeast, etc.), the nation, and the world as well as Pennsylvania places, large and small, throughout the commonwealth’s history.
Hours exhibit on view (10/14/2014 – 11/7/2014)
Tuesday: 12:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 12:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Thursday: 12:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
More information: http://hsp.org/calendar/the-place-of-pennsylvania
Fated Sky: The Textuality of Time & Space – Ongoing Exhibit, 2014
Sept. 22, 2014 – Feb. 14, 2015, Monday – Saturday, 9am-5pm
Free Library of Philadelphia, Rare Book Department
1901 Vine Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA
Free
No registration required
What people see in the heavens has, through the ages, been connected with religion, time and science. This exhibition presents that broad spectrum, in print and manuscript, from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment.
Follow the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Rare Book Department on Facebook and Twitter.
Born of the Bard: Works Inspired by Shakespeare – Ongoing Exhibit, 2014
Oct. 10 – Dec. 21, 2014, Monday – Saturday 9-5, Sunday 1-5
Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine Street, West Hallway Gallery, 1st floor, Philadelphia, PA
Free
No registration required
This exhibition highlights the myriad ways that Shakespeare, both the man and his works, have inspired artists of all kinds: performers, musicians, filmmakers, writers, visual artists, and more. Through items like movie posters, novels, programs, and photographs, visitors can see the vast impact Shakespeare has had on cultural heritage around the world.
Follow the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Rare Book Department on Facebook and Twitter.
Tour of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Rare Book Department – Ongoing Exhibit, 2014
Every Monday to Saturday at 11am
Free Library of Philadelphia, Rare Book Department
1901 Vine Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA
Free
No registration required
A public tour of the Rare Book Department has been in operation since 1949. Rare book librarians on staff provide a basic introduction to the history of the book using the items from the collections, including cuneiform tablets, a section of a papyrus scroll, a medieval manuscript and a leaf from a Gutenberg Bible. The tour also includes a visit to our Elkins Room, the actual library of a former Free Library Trustee who was also a prominent book collector.
Follow the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Rare Book Department on Facebook and Twitter.
50th Anniversary Celebration of Lloyd Alexander’s “The Book of Three” – October 11 and Ongoing Exhibit, 2014
Event on October 11, 2014 at 1:00 pm in the Montgomery Auditorium
Exhibit on view all October, Monday – Saturday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm in the Rare Book Department
Free Library of Philadelphia,
1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA
Free
No registration required
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of “The Book of Three,” the first book in Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles, the Rare Book Department is displaying a small exhibition of archival material relating to its creation and publication.
Philadelphia native Lloyd Alexander wrote more than 40 books for children and young adults, including the “exciting, highly imaginative, and sometimes profound” (New York Times) fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain. In 1995, he donated his papers to the Children’s Literature Research Collection of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
On October 11, at 1pm in the Montgomery Auditorium, bestselling fantasy author Tamora Pierce will lecture on Lloyd Alexander, followed by a discussion with Alexander’s goddaughter Sharyn November, senior editor at Viking Children’s Books and Editorial Director at Firebird Books.
A screening of “The Black Cauldron” will follow the lecture and discussion.
Follow the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Rare Book Department on Facebook and Twitter. More event details at http://libwww.freelibrary.org/authorevents/index.cfm?ID=47433&type=2
The Moon Reader – Ongoing Exhibit, 2014
September 4 – October 10, 2014, 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
Library Company of Philadelphia
1314 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Free
Philadelphia artist Teresa Jaynes, The Moon Reader. An artist project hosted by VCP at LCP at The Library Company of Philadelphia.
Created by Philadelphia artist Teresa Jaynes, The Moon Reader is inspired by 19th-century primers in the Michael Zinman Collection of Printing for the Blind at The Library Company of Philadelphia. The multimedia installation, comprised of two artists’ books (in Moon type and in Braille and large print) and an audio file, invites participants to learn to read Moon, an embossed reading code for the blind invented by blind educator William Moon in 1845. The Moon Reader will serve as a literal and figurative meeting place where the tactile experience is primary and accessible to almost everyone. The activity – deciphering, translation, and finally comprehending – will be a quiet act of discovery. Visitors will be invited to learn to read Moon and interpret ideas about sight in ways that elicit curiosity, humor, and empathy. Afterwards, readers may post comments on The Moon Reader Facebook page where they can also learn more about William Moon and the artist’s creative process.
Event details on Facebook
