Posts in “maps” (28)
Blog Articles
There’s treasure in your neighborhood if you know where to look! Southwest Philadelphia families are invited to hunt down treasure troves of books to kick-off Summer of Wonder in June.… continue reading Start Summer of Wonder with a Treasure Hunt
By written by Rachel R. May 25, 2022
Happy National Bike Month ! Founded in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bicycle Month is full of activities and initiatives to inspire people to take to the road on bikes rather… continue reading Bicycling Resources for National Bike Month
By written by Megan M. May 5, 2022
The New Deal, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s political experiment to pull the United States out of the Great Depression, created programs for relief for the unemployed and economic… continue reading Explore the New Deal’s Legacy Across Philadelphia
By written by Laura S. October 5, 2021
Sanborn fire insurance maps are available once again through ProQuest’s updated and newly-released database, Sanborn Maps 1867-1970 (formerly known as Sanborn Maps Geo Edition 1867-1970).… continue reading New Release of the ProQuest Sanborn Maps Database
By written by Megan M. January 21, 2021 4
As COVID-19 cases surge in our city, Philadelphia health officials have announced a new Safer at Home plan, which aims to limit the spread of this virus through this difficult period. Vaccines for… continue reading Using the City's Online Maps to Find Free Food Distribution and COVID-19 Testing Sites
By written by Michael R. November 19, 2020
With current stay-at-home orders and social distancing precautions in place, I find myself more eager to spend time outside and walk (or jog if I’m feeling really motivated) around the… continue reading Explore Your Neighborhood Virtually with Digital Collections
By written by Megan M. May 18, 2020
The Free Library of Philadelphia is home to a myriad of Special Collections . Since mid-March, we have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that those of us who work with the… continue reading #SpecialCollectionsAtHome
By written by Megan M. April 27, 2020
At 54 neighborhood libraries and the Rosenbach , Free Library volunteers embody the institution's vision of "an enlightened community devoted to lifelong learning" every day.… continue reading Free Library Tour Guides Use Map Collection to Celebrate This Year's Volunteer Appreciation Day!
By written by Andrew W. April 20, 2020
Do you remember that scene at the beginning of Tangled where Rapunzel completes a day's worth of tasks before breakfast? Yeah, that's a lot less funny now. But if the school… continue reading #ColorOurCollections: Creating Art with the Free Library's Digital Archive
By written by Chris B. April 8, 2020 4
In a recent CNN article titled, "Why touching art is so tempting — and exciting," Fiona Candlin, a professor of museology at Birkbeck College in London and author… continue reading Learning Through Touch: Connecting with Objects in Our Special Collections
By written by Joe S. May 28, 2019
Philadelphia has been a major center of international commerce for over 300 years. Even today, with major port complexes serving major metropolitan centers throughout the country, Philadelphia and… continue reading A History Minute | 14 Surprising Facts about the Port of Philadelphia
By written by Sally F. March 28, 2019 2
Can you name five women artists off the top of your head? (Not counting Frida Kahlo or Georgia O’Keeffe.) Try. Surprised if you can’t? Don’t be. It happens. But let us help… continue reading #5WomenArtists from Our Special Collections
By written by Karen K. March 8, 2019
Long ago, Philadelphians had the opportunity to escape the congestion of the city by ferrying to two islands in the middle of the Delaware River, across from what is now Penn’s Landing.… continue reading An Island Retreat Off the Shores of Philadelphia
By written by Megan M. January 22, 2019
The current exhibition in the Rare Book Department ’s Dietrich Gallery, entitled Philadelphia - The Changing City , offers a look at centuries’ worth of local transformations… continue reading Philadelphia - The Cycling City | Part 1: Paving the Way
By written by Alina J. January 18, 2019
Maybe when they say November 17 is Take a Hike Day , they mean you’re supposed to tell someone on your nerves to go take a hike?! Hmmm. *shrug emoji* In any case, we figured it was a good… continue reading Celebrate Take a Hike Day with the Free Library!
By written by Kate C. November 16, 2018
![L.A.W. Local Cycling Map, 1897, Map [recto]](https://libwww.freelibrary.org/images/blog/FLPBlog/orig/changingcity-cycling.jpg)
Come and learn about Philadelphia's exciting, dynamic, and often forgotten history with a free guided tour of the Philadelphia: The Changing City exhibition. The tour will be led by… continue reading Free Tours of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition
By written by Joe S. November 5, 2018
October 10 marks the opening of an exhibition that analyzes Philadelphia's growth across more than three centuries, presenting more than 80 rare and revelatory prints, photographs,… continue reading Philadelphia: The Changing City - An Exhibition from Special Collections
By written by Janine P. October 9, 2018
The Map Collection , a Special Collection at the Parkway Central Library , houses numerous resources for all types of research. The Map Collection has pictorial maps to inspire… continue reading Navigate Your Research with Resources from the Map Collection
By written by Megan M. July 26, 2018
The Free Library’s map collection comprises thousands of maps focused on the development and history of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. One particular map, the Plan of the City of… continue reading A Rare Glimpse of Philadelphia in the Early 1800s
By written by Megan M. May 19, 2017 3
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Last week’s deadly train derailment in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia was eerily similar to a crash that happened at the same junction on Labor Day in 1943. The 1943 accident… continue reading 1943 Philadelphia Train Derailment Tragedy
By written by David N. May 21, 2015