Posts in “literary-history” (17)
Blog Articles
In partnership with Visit Philadelphia and Little Free Library , the Little Free(dom) Library initiative encourages residents and visitors of Philadelphia to pick up a free banned book at… continue reading Check Out A Banned Book From Our Little Free(dom) Libraries
By written by Administrator June 11, 2024 2
The exhibition Into the Night features two paintings by N. C. Wyeth, The Admiral's Ghost and Snow-Drop . The first's title is somewhat explanatory ( It's a ghost! ), but the… continue reading Snow-Drop: A Märchen, a Mouse, and a Mystery
By written by Chris B. April 2, 2024
Just in time for spring cleaning, N. C. Wyeth's The Old Woman Tost Up in a Basket is back on display in Up Above: Thinking About the Skies in Parkway Central Library. Creating and… continue reading Up Above: Thinking about the "Little Old Lady Tost Up in a Basket"
By written by Chris B. April 19, 2022 2
Call me Ishmael. It’s one of the most famous sentences in U.S. literature—and the opening statement of what is often called "the great American novel": Herman Melville… continue reading The Free Library Celebrates Herman Melville’s Bicentennial
By written by Clare F. November 4, 2019
August 1, 2019 marked the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville ’s birth. In honor of his bicentennial, we are proud to present American Voyager: Herman Melville at 200 , a new exhibition on… continue reading Happy 200th Birthday, Herman Melville!
By written by Rosa D. August 2, 2019
Coming down from your Fourth of July celebrations, but not quite ready to put away your red, white, and blue clothes (or fireworks)? You’re in luck! July 14 is Bastille Day —the… continue reading Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité: Happy Bastille Day!
By written by Clare F. July 12, 2019
The Rosenbach 's annual Bloomsday festivities will be held on Sunday, June 16, falling on Father’s Day this year! What is Bloomsday? Bloomsday is an annual event where the… continue reading ReJoyce! Bloomsday Returns to The Rosenbach
By written by Rosa D. June 7, 2019
The late and great Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell once sang, "Ain’t nothing like the real thing baby." These words hold true for how to best experience our material culture. People… continue reading Take History in the Palm of Your Hand with this New Series from the Free Library's Special Collections
By written by Joe S. January 7, 2019 1
Who was Herbert Crowley? And why did he almost fade into obscurity after exhibiting critically acclaimed work at the start of the 20th century? Crowley was part of the very influential… continue reading Herbert Crowley: A Visionary Artist Rediscovered
By written by Alina J. October 29, 2018
"For two centuries," writes The New Yorker essayist Adam Gopnik in the preface of his 2004 collection Americans in Paris: A Literary Anthology , "Paris has been attached for… continue reading An American Author in Paris
By written by Violet L. August 16, 2018
George Orwell , who was born on this day 115 years ago, entered the world as Eric Arthur Blair. It is fitting that this legend of dystopian literature—which essentially puts a mask on ills… continue reading Wishing a Doubleplusgood Birthday to George Orwell
By written by Julie B. June 25, 2018
The Centaur Book Shop was opened on 1224 Chancellor Street in Philadelphia by Harold Mason. Initial funding was partially supplied by John Frederick Lewis, the Philadelphia bibliophile and… continue reading Philadelphia's Centaur Book Shop and Press, 1921-1942
By written by Alina J. June 22, 2018 3
Jane Eyre was my first favorite book. And that makes Charlotte Brontë —whose 202nd birthday we celebrate tomorrow—my first favorite author. I met Charlotte and Jane when I was in… continue reading The Fiery and Dramatic Heart of Charlotte Brontë
By written by Alix G. April 20, 2018
Nearly 100 years ago today, on February 2, 1922, bookstore-maven-cum-publisher Sylvia Beach stood anxiously waiting on the platform at the Gare de Lyon train station in Paris for the arrival of… continue reading Happy Birthday, James Joyce … and Ulysses!
By written by Alix G. February 2, 2018 2
November is the quintessential month of community, tying the nation and families together in a cranberry and pumpkin spice-scented weave of traffic jams and tryptophan that decoct into something… continue reading Plugging Away For NaNoWriMo? Let The Free Library Help You Across the Finish Line!
By written by Adiel L. November 27, 2017
I’ve never read Moby-Dick . I know! I work at the Rosenbach, where one of the world’s best collections of Herman Melville’s work resides, and I haven’t read his most… continue reading Reading Moby-Dick for the First Time
By written by Alicia T. November 14, 2017
As the opening date for Frankenstein & Dracula approaches, we've been revisiting some of the strange ( and occasionally salacious ) stories from the lives of the Romantic… continue reading Mary Shelley's Indestructible Heart
By written by Sara D. August 30, 2017 1