You may have heard the recent news that Free Library cardholders now have access to ProQuest’s Historical Black Newspapers , featuring coverage of The Philadelphia Tribune (the oldest continuously-published Black daily!) from 1912-2001. ( More recent Tribune articles are also available.) It’s just one way that the Free Library… continue reading Philadelphia History from Home: Digital Access to Primary Sources

By written by Caitlin G.    August 25, 2020   

• Digital Collections
• Rare Book Department
• Literacy
• History
• Digital Literacy
• Digital Media
• Special Collections
• Digital Learning
• History of Philadelphia
• Virtual Programs

Before I was a Rare Book Librarian, I worked as a Stitcher (let's not say "sewer"), and have recently pulled out my sewing machine to make face masks for donation. As of April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially endorsed wearing cloth face masks in public settings. While the gold standard to… continue reading Making Face Masks for Fun (and Not Profit)

By written by Caitlin G.    April 17, 2020    6  

• DIY
• Crafts and Hobbies
• Healthy Communities

Ferdinand never wanted to be a fighting bull, so he's right at home here in the Free Library...  John Cena stars as the big-hearted bull in the animated adaptation opening in theaters today, but did you know the film is based on The Story of Ferdinand , a children's book that just celebrated its 80th birthday last year? Written by… continue reading Ferdinand: The Bull Is In The House (or at least the library!)

By written by Caitlin G.    December 15, 2017   

• Archives
• Rare Book Department
• Robert Lawson
• Childrens Books
• Film

Do you send out greeting cards around the holiday season? Families have been writing "Christmas Letters" for hundreds of years, but the commercially produced Christmas card is a little bit younger: first manufactured in 1843 for the personal use of Henry Cole. Cole was a popular fellow, and letters from friends filled with holiday… continue reading Do You Need Some Holiday Card Inspiration?

By written by Caitlin G.    December 8, 2017   

• Digital Collections
• Holidays
• Rare Book Department
• Children's Literature Research Collection
• Print and Picture Collection
• Special Collections

We like to celebrate Beatrix Potter every day here in the Rare Book Department , but today is her 151st birthday, so it's extra-special. You probably remember Peter Rabbit and his better-behaved siblings Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail. They were "born" in 1893, in a get well letter that Beatrix Potter wrote to her former… continue reading Birthday Bread and Milk and Blackberries for Beatrix Potter

By written by Caitlin G.    July 28, 2017    3  

• Rare Book Department
• Beatrix Potter

We all know Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia's everyman. Poor Richard . Diplomat of the Revolution . Inventor of the Glass Harmonica . Postmaster General . Guy Who Flew A Kite in a Thunderstorm. Founder of the University of Pennsylvania , and the Library Company , and Pennsylvania Hospital ... And the famous author (and printer)… continue reading "Pay to Benjamin Franklin, for Printing"

By written by Caitlin G.    April 28, 2017   

• Rare Book Department
• Childrens Books
• Special Collections

The Rare Book Department 's Judaica includes a beautifully written and lavishly hand-decorated Spanish Hebrew Masoretic Text bible . Commissioned in 1496 in Lisbon, Portugal, the book is well-known among contemporary Hebrew bible scholars. But for Joseph Shemtov, a librarian in the Rare Book Department, it has a personal connection.  … continue reading Librarian Traces Family Roots Through Historic Bible

By written by Caitlin G.    February 24, 2017   

• Rare Book Department
• History
• Religion

We're celebrating the 150th anniversary of beloved English children's book author and illustrator Beatrix Potter a little early up here in the Rare Book Department. The anniversary is not until July 2016, but we've kicked things off with a display of over two dozen treasures from our Beatrix Potter collection. The Free Library… continue reading Happy Early Birthday Beatrix Potter!

By written by Caitlin G.    October 15, 2015   

Caitlin Goodman, one of the librarians in our Rare Book Department, writes a column for City Paper in which she gives a book recommendation based on reader submissions of two books they liked with one book they hated. We'll be re-posting the columns here. The Grumpy Librarian: As Nasty As You Wanna Be There’s no surprise in a reader… continue reading The Grumpy Librarian: Book Recommendations with Attitude

By written by Caitlin G.    July 3, 2015   

• Reading
• Humor
• Literacy

 The Free Library of Philadelphia’s Rare Book Department has on display an exhibition of original drawings and published works of Robert Lawson.  The Department has a large collection of Mr. Lawson’s drawings and first editions of his books thanks to a generous gift from Frederick R. Gardner, a rare book dealer and avid… continue reading Not Just for Children: the Art of Robert Lawson

By written by Caitlin G.    February 28, 2013    2  

• Exhibitions
• Archives
• Rare Book Department
• Robert Lawson
• Childrens Books

In a previous post, I wrote about researching the personal and professional life of Philadelphia writer, actor, and comedian, Ed Wynn (1886-1966). A versatile and adaptable performer with vaudeville beginnings, Wynn wrote and starred in Broadway shows, radio programs, and a television variety show. He went on to appear in feature films,… continue reading “The Perfect Fool” Lives On Part II

By written by Caitlin G.    May 23, 2012   

• Rare Book Department
• Disney
• Radio
• Television
• Film
• Theatre
• Comedians

This past year, I had the privilege of processing and creating a finding aid for the papers of Ed Wynn (1886-1966), an actor, writer, and comedian from Philadelphia, as part of an internship requirement for Temple University’s graduate archives management program. I had not heard of the name Ed Wynn before I was assigned this project by… continue reading “The Perfect Fool” Lives On Part I

By written by Caitlin G.    May 22, 2012    2  

• Rare Book Department
• Disney
• Radio
• Television
• Film
• Theatre
• Comedians

By Edward Pettit The Vincent Van Gogh exhibition, Van Gogh Up Close , now open at the Philadelphia Museum of Art has been receiving lots of attention . The exhibition focuses on Van Gogh’s paintings of nature and one can see the vibrancy in color and texture of our everyday world  that the artist illuminates.  Van Gogh also… continue reading Empty Chairs

By written by Caitlin G.    April 23, 2012    2  

• Art
• Rare Book Department
• Charles Dickens
• Year of Dickens

As archivists at the Children’s Literature Research Collection, it’s not surprising that most of the materials we work with are children’s book materials: drafts of manuscripts, sketches for story ideas, original illustrations in all kinds of media. But sometimes we come across a few more… unusual items. A promotional… continue reading Dolls and Matchbooks and Buttons, Oh My!

By written by Caitlin G.    April 17, 2012    1  

• Archives
• CLIR Grant
• Digital Collections
• Rare Book Department
• Children's Literature Research Collection

by Edward Pettit Tonight our Dickens Literary Salon will be discussing the author’s final, incomplete mystery novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood .  SPOILERS AHEAD When Edwin Drood goes missing it is assumed that he has been murdered. Edwin’s uncle and guardian, John Jasper, is the choirmaster of the Cloisterham Cathedral, but… continue reading An Unsolved Mystery

By written by Caitlin G.    March 15, 2012    2  

• Rare Book Department
• Charles Dickens
• Year of Dickens

Hi! I’m Garrett Boos, the most recent archivist to join the “Milestones in 20th Century American Children’s Literature” project at the Free Library of Philadelphia. My particular part of the project involves reformatting finding aids for already processed collections. Since the beginning of November I have been… continue reading Finding aid conversions at the Free Library of Philadelphia

By written by Caitlin G.    March 6, 2012   

• Archives
• Art
• CLIR Grant
• Digital Collections
• Rare Book Department
• Childrens Books
• Children's Literature Research Collection
• Beatrix Potter

When Charles Dickens died suddenly of stroke in 1870 he had written half of a novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood .  Dickens published all of his novels in serial format and wrote the chapters sometimes just weeks before they were published.  So when he died with Drood only half written, it really was just that, only half written. … continue reading Boz Bicentenary Speaker Series - Matthew Pearl

By written by Caitlin G.    March 2, 2012    1  

• Events at the Library
• Rare Book Department
• Charles Dickens
• Year of Dickens

With all the glitz and glamour that Hollywood is known for, it is easy to imagine that the Oscars have always looked like they do now with red carpets and galas and tear-soaked speeches.  Yet, if you are watching the 84th Annual Academy Awards presentation live this Sunday, take a moment to compare this year’s proceedings with the… continue reading Looking Back at the First Annual Academy Awards

By written by Caitlin G.    February 24, 2012   

• Awards
• Rare Book Department
• Film
• Theatre

Today marks the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, and the Free Library joins the global celebration honoring the life and legacy of the world's first literary superstar. Philadelphia is home to what for a long time was the world's only statue of Charles Dickens. Find out more about the statue in our digital collection . Each year… continue reading Happy 200th Birthday Charles Dickens!

By written by Caitlin G.    February 7, 2012    2  

• Exhibitions
• Rare Book Department
• Charles Dickens
• Year of Dickens

A vibrant and colorful exhibition at the Parkway Central Library highlights one of the most enduring legacies of Charles Dickens's genius: the unforgettable characters he brought to life. By some estimates there are 989 named characters in his works, with names like Toodle, Tappertit, and Tattycoram; Buzfuz, Bumble, and Bucket. Each of… continue reading Character Sketches from the World of Charles Dickens

By written by Caitlin G.    December 28, 2011    4  

• Exhibitions
• Art
• Rare Book Department
• Charles Dickens
• Year of Dickens