How did the influenza pandemic of 1918–19 affect Philadelphia’s neighborhoods? Continue reading
Category: previous years
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
Going Viral – Multi-Day 2020
Going Viral examines the intersection of disease and environment through the lens of three major theories of infection. Continue reading
Spit Spreads Death – Multi-Day 2020
A century ago, a worldwide health disaster hit home. The influenza pandemic of 1918–19, the global epidemic often called the “Spanish flu,” killed 50 to 100 million people worldwide. Spit Spreads Death explores how neighborhoods in Philadelphia were impacted, how the disease spread, and what could happen in future pandemics. 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
Night of Lights – October 4, 2019
One night only: Archival images projected through storefront windows and onto walls along Germantown Avenue. Continue reading
Quaker Games for World Quaker Day! – October 7, 2019
Come to Haverford to play Quaker-based and Quaker invented games! Continue reading
Poison or Panacea? – October 7, 2019
What do chamomile & hemlock have in common? Find out at “Poison or Panacea?”! Continue reading
Nerd Nite: Archives Take-Over – October 9, 2019
Archivists take over the popular bar-based monthly lecture series, Nerd Nite Philly. Continue reading
Monmouth County Archives Week – October 12, 2019, and more all month long
Archives & History Day is an annual gathering for archivists, local historians, and others interested in New Jersey History.
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George F. Heckler Archives Open House – October 12, 2019
Experience Williamson College’s unique history by enjoying our display of materials in the George F. Heckler Archives during our Homecoming event. Continue reading
Identifying Literary Manuscripts – October 12, 2019
Explore original special collections and learn to identify states of literary manuscripts in the publishing process, highlighting formats that predate the use of computers in writing and publishing. Continue reading
Pulling Back the Curtain: Portraits of Redemptorist Life – October 15, 2019
Join the Redemptorist Archives for an open house with archive tours throughout the day and the unveiling of a new exhibit, “Pulling Back the Curtain: Portraits of Redemptorist Life,” revealing personal accounts from this Catholic order of priests and brothers who have been ministering in the United States since 1832. Continue reading
“Keith Carter: Seek & Find” and “The Politics of Rhetoric” – Multi-day exhibits and programming, 2019
The Print Center is pleased to present two exhibitions this fall in conjunction with the Whitman at 200 initiative: “Keith Carter: Seek & Find” and “The Politics of Rhetoric.” The Print Center is also hosting numerous public programs related to the exhibits. Continue reading
It Came from the Archives – October 16, 2019
In celebration of Archives Month, join us for a screening of short films from Philadelphia’s most fascinating archives and libraries. This year includes rarely screened clips of musical puppets, travel on the high seas, 1990s Ben Franklin, the magic of Saran Wrap, mimes, a soap opera about polymer, and more!
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The Journey of an Artifact: From Storage to Exhibition – October 16, 2019
An exclusive look at the artifacts in the National Constitution Center’s feature exhibit, Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes that Shaped a Nation. Continue reading
John and Lydia Morris’s Travel Companion Tells All – October 16, 2019
Find out what the founders of the Morris Arboretum experienced as they traveled the world collecting artifacts and touring ancient sites & palatial gardens. Continue reading
Cartooning Catholics – October 17, 2019
Join us for an opening reception for our new exhibit, “Cartooning Catholics.” Continue reading
Treasures from the Library Vault – October 17, 2019
Explore some of the most intriguing and “hidden” items in the Mercer Museum Library during this evening program. Continue reading
Open House and Block Party – October 19, 2019
Gather at Chester County Historical Society for a day of family fun and surprising opportunity to make history. Continue reading
Founder’s Hall Open House – October 19, 2019
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
Escape the Archives – October 19, 2019
A dastardly villain is tinkering with time and changing the history of science. Let’s do some archival detective work to stop the crime! Continue reading
Secret Stoogeum: The Moe You Know – October 21, 2019
Go behind the scenes at the world’s largest museum of Three Stooges memorabilia.
NOTE: This event has sold out!
Continue reading
Inside the Book Restorer’s Workshop – October 22, 2019
Join us in the Horner Library for a presentation by Philadelphia-based artist and book restorer Ruth Scott Blackson. Continue reading
Philadelphia Lantern Slide Salon – October 23, 2019
The 2019 Philadelphia Lantern Slide Salon will showcase glass lantern slides from the special collections of several Philadelphia institutions projected from an historic lantern projector in the Wagner’s Victorian-era lecture hall. In the spirit of lantern exhibition culture, this salon will bring together unique and rarely-seen images presented in the context for which they were originally created.
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From Antarctica to Zimbabwe: Around the World with Archives, Books and Codices – October 23, 2019
Take a voyage through the far-flung geographical corners of our collections; the catalogers of the Kislak Center will be your guides. Continue reading
SJU Before You: Saint Joseph’s University Archives and Special Collections Open House – October 24, 2019
Solve the mystery of what is behind the doors to the secret rooms. Continue reading
Quaker & Special Collections Maps & Images Open House – October 28, 2019
A maps & images open house to welcome local archivists into the newly renovated Quaker & Special Collections at Haverford College Continue reading
Design in the Archives – October 30, 2019
Join us Wednesday, October 30, 2019 from 6:00-8:00pm for Design in the Archives. The Free Library of Philadelphia, in coordination with the Delaware Valley Archivists Group, is celebrating American Archives Month with an evening of free activities and entertainment focused on archives and design.
Behind-the-Scenes Tours of the Archives – Mondays, October 7, 2019 through October 21, 2019, & October 31, 2019
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
Hallowe’en Open House – October 31, 2019
Enjoy some tricks and treats with Villanova’s Distinctive Collections staff! Continue reading
The Most Revolutionary: LGBTQ Politics and the Radical Left, 1969-1999 – Multi-Day Exhibit, 2019
Queer anarchists, rabble-rousers, reds and revolutionaries! Continue reading
Beat Visions and the Counterculture – Multi-Day Exhibit, 2019
Drawn from UD’s Special Collections and Museums, we explore the ideas and imagery of the Beat Generation and its influence on 1960s counterculture and beyond. Continue reading
From Thought Into Print: the Creative Process of Publishing – Multi-Day Exhibit, 2019
Manuscript drafts, blue-lines and mock-ups, paste-ups, galleys and proofs–this exhibition reminds viewers of nearly forgotten literary formats that are no longer part of contemporary computer-driven writing and publishing practices. Continue reading
Northern Liberties: Your Neighborhood, Your City – Multi-day exhibit, 2019
History of the first lager brewery in America and much more! Continue reading
Imperfecta – Multi-day exhibit, 2019
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
In Franklin’s Footsteps: 275 Years at the American Philosophical Society – Multi-day Exhibit, 2018
“In Franklin’s Footsteps” highlights the groundbreaking work of APS Members and the innovations they have made that changed the world. Continue reading
1968 in Pennsylvania – Multi-day Exhibit, 2018
Historical documents from HSP illustrate how 1968 stands as an icon, representing the upheaval of the 1960s and early 1970s. See how national movements for women, African Americans, children and poor people were influenced by and conducted in Pennsylvania. Continue reading
Imperfecta – Multi-day exhibit, 2018
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
Opening Reception and Behind the Scenes Tour – October 3, 2018
Join us for the opening of our new exhibit “The Spanish Lady in the City of Brotherly Love: The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919.” Continue reading
Behind the Marches – October 3, 2018
Find out how the values of Quakerism shaped the defining social movements of the 1960s, including the Civil Rights Movement, the Freedom Summer of 1964, and the Anti-War protests. Continue reading
Othmer Library Open House: Escape the Archives – October 4, 2018
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
Quaker Cookie Face-Off – October 5, 2018
Animal Cracker v. Meringue: which cookie is more ʺQuakerʺ? Continue reading
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
Transitions in Northeast Philadelphia History – October 7, 2018
The Historical Society of Frankford’s event is a free-form conference of members and friends of the Society who have researched various aspects of Northeast Philadelphia history and can bring the lore to bear in explaining the importance of maps, deeds, prints, and other documents from our special collections, plus a few items from our museum. The public is cordially invited to come, enjoy the occasion, and interact with the featured researchers.
Archives Month Philly 