Join us for a screening of The Automat followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Lisa Hurwitz. 

Featuring photographs from the Free Library of Philadelphia's Print and Picture Collection and filmed locally, The Automat premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival and was nominated for four 2022 Critics Choice Awards. It had its local premiere at the 2022 Philadelphia Film Festival. The Automat tells the 100-year story of the iconic restaurant chain Horn & Hardart, the inspiration for Starbucks, where generations of Americans ate and drank coffee together at communal tables. From the perspective of former customers entertainer Mel Brooks, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Mayor Wilson Goode the Horns, the Hardarts, and key employees - we watch a business climb to its peak success and then grapple with fast food in a forever changed America.

Free and open to the public, this event does not require registration. It will be held on the Fourth Floor of the Parkway Central Library, and Horn & Hardart Automat Coffee and pastries will be served.

This program is part of We Are What We Eat, the latest exhibition from the Free Library's Special Collections. Visit freelibrary.org/eat to learn more and find related events. The exhibition is on view through August 30, 2024.