Posts in “history” (168)
Blog Articles
On Friday, October 4 at 2:00 p.m. , the Social Science and History Department will host Antje Ulrike Mattheus , the author of a unique book on Philadelphia history. Cresheim… continue reading Author of Unique Local History to Speak at the Free Library
By written by Ben R. October 1, 2024
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Social Science and History Department at Parkway Central Library is excited to host three programs covering different aspects of the… continue reading Hispanic Heritage Month in the Social Science and History Department
By written by Ben R. September 19, 2024
Since Parkway Central Library opened in 1927, patrons have had free and open access to its rich and unique collections, expanding services, and professionally trained and welcoming… continue reading Department Highlights: Social Science and History
By written by Ben R. August 15, 2024
While working in the newspaper business in the 1830s, Herbert Ingram noticed that newspaper circulation increased when a newspaper included an illustration. Ingram found the first newspaper… continue reading Highlights of the Illustrated London News
By written by Hal T. August 7, 2024
![A target of COINTELPRO, Angela Davis ended up on the FBI’s Most Wanted List but was acquitted of all charges in 1972. [Credit: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture]](https://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/blog/FLPBlog/orig/angela-davis-wanted.jpg)
On August 7, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. , the Free Library's Social Science and History Department will host a discussion by Dr. Kelly Harris of the University of… continue reading COINTELPRO: A Black August Discussion
By written by Sabrina W. July 29, 2024
This summer, the Free Library of Philadelphia is excited to announce the return of the Revolution at the Library program, in partnership with the Museum of the American Revolution . This… continue reading Revolution at the Library Programming Returns
By written by Brianna V. July 25, 2024
![The Stonewall Inn, Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan [Photo credit: Johannes Jordan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons]](https://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/blog/FLPBlog/orig/the-stonewall-inn.jpg)
In celebration of Pride Month , the Free Library’s Social Science and History Department is displaying books from the collection that give an overview of the study of queer history. LGBTQ+… continue reading Collection Spotlight: Exploring Queer Histories
By written by Sabrina W. June 20, 2024
Philadelphia has the highest incarceration rate of any city in Pennsylvania, and the most locked-up census tracts in North Philadelphia have 17 times as many people behind bars as census tracts in… continue reading Author Event: The Warehouse: A Visual Primer on Mass Incarceration
By written by Ben R. May 30, 2024
From classics like In Cold Blood and Helter Skelter to recent bestsellers like In Light of All Darkness and If You Tell , readers love true crime. In addition to generating chills and thrills, a… continue reading 19th Century True Crime at the Free Library
By written by Ben R. April 19, 2024
Baseball: for over a century, the game has been known as "America’s favorite pastime." During the early parts of the 20th century, tuning in to a baseball game on the… continue reading Collection Spotlight: Highlights from the Negro Leagues
By written by Chris M. April 19, 2024 1
March is Women's History Month! Did you know that Women’s History Month has its roots in the struggle for workers’ rights? In 1908, women garment workers protested the poor… continue reading Teen Reads for Women's History Month
By written by Verónica M. March 6, 2024
Happy Women’s History Month , Philadelphia! What began as a local educational initiative in Sonoma, California 46 years ago, has evolved into a month-long celebration "commemorating and… continue reading It's Women's History Month in March!
By written by Jennifer E. March 1, 2024 2
I’ve been working in the Print and Picture Collection at Parkway Central Library for about a year now and I’ve still barely scratched the surface of learning about all of the art… continue reading Japanese Ukiyo-E Prints in the Print and Picture Collection
By written by Nora R. February 27, 2024 3
Lately, there has been a resurgence of interest in African Americans' contributions to the classical music genre. Boston Conservatory is set to have a Florence Price Birthday Celebration… continue reading African American History in the Fleisher Collection
By written by Danielle T. February 22, 2024
In celebration of Black History Month, the Free Library's Social Science and History Department is displaying books from the collection that tell a visual history of Reconstruction — the… continue reading Collection Spotlight: A Visual History of Reconstruction
By written by Ben R. February 12, 2024
It’s the 50 Anniversary of the blaxploitation film Foxy Brown starring Pam Grier . The film is credited for revolutionizing the way women were portrayed in cinema. To celebrate this… continue reading Pam's Picks: Favorite Books of Legendary Actress Pam Grier
By written by Administrator February 9, 2024 6
Helen Adele Johnson Whiting (1885 – 1959) was a trailblazer in the education of African-American students, particularly those in rural areas of the South. Her education from Columbia… continue reading Advancing African-American Education: The Helen Adele Whiting Collection
By written by K. Michelle W. February 1, 2024
The Free Library of Philadelphia is the proud custodian of an astounding literary artifact in our Rare Book Department : a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio that belonged to English… continue reading “Making Shakespeare: The First Folio” - Featuring a Cherished Free Library Artifact
By written by Bridget G. November 21, 2023 1
Beginning Wednesday, April 12, 2023, the Free Library of Philadelphia launches a unique seven-part series of live evening events exploring the life and career of George Orson Welles , one of the… continue reading Special Lecture Series: Orson Welles & The Golden Age of Hollywood
By written by Administrator October 12, 2023 10
In 2023, the Free Library is observing the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a limited-edition library card design commissioned by local artist Akinseye Brown . In… continue reading 50 Years of Hip Hop: Books Authored by the Artists
By written by Bridget G. September 11, 2023