A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition

Thu, January 24, 2019 3:00 P.M.
Rare Book Department at Parkway Central Library

Come and learn about our city’s exciting, dynamic, and often forgotten history with a guided tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City exhibition. The tour will be led by an exhibition curator in the Dietrich Gallery in the Rare Book Department , which is located on the third floor of the…

Adult Young Adult School Age Other Great Programs African American Art Digital Collections Education Family Free Library of Philadelphia Programs & Services Health & Fitness Philadelphia History Rare Books, Manuscripts, & Digital Collections Special Collections Teens History printmaking architecture Changing City

Author Talk: Kenneth Finkel

Wed, January 30, 2019 6:30 P.M.
Philadelphia City Institute

Author Kenneth Finkel will present his book Insight Philadelphia: Historical Essays Illustrated. Each of the nearly 100 essays in Insight Philadelphia tells a succinct, compelling, and little-known tale of the city’s past. Lavishly illustrated with archival images, these stories bring to…

Adult Speakers and Lectures Philadelphia Philadelphia History

The Lost Islands of the Delaware River: An illustrated lecture by Adam Levine, Environmental Historian

Thu, January 31, 2019 6:00 P.M.
Rare Book Department at Parkway Central Library

Smith’s and Windmill Islands once sat in the Delaware River channel, between Center City Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. Join Adam Levine as he explores the history of these islands, from the siting of a windmill in the river channel in the 1700s, to their uses for industry and…

Adult Speakers and Lectures Other Great Programs Philadelphia History Rare Books, Manuscripts, & Digital Collections Special Collections History Maps Print and Picture Collection Changing City

Jane Brox | Silence: A Social History of One of the Least Understood Elements of Our Lives

Thu, January 31, 2019 7:30 P.M.
Parkway Central Library

Cost: FREE

Penning “nonfiction literature of a high and lasting order” ( Chicago Tribune ), Jane Brox is the author of, among other books, Five Thousand Days Like This One , a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award; Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light , named one of…

Adult Author Events Speakers and Lectures Author Events - Free Series Author Events Body, Mind & Spirit Philadelphia History General Research Social Science History Hearing Loop

A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition

Thu, February 14, 2019 3:00 P.M.
Rare Book Department at Parkway Central Library

Come and learn about our city’s exciting, dynamic, and often forgotten history with a guided tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City exhibition. The tour will be led by an exhibition curator in the Dietrich Gallery in the Rare Book Department , which is located on the third floor of the…

Adult Young Adult School Age Other Great Programs African American Art Digital Collections Education Family Free Library of Philadelphia Programs & Services Health & Fitness Philadelphia History Rare Books, Manuscripts, & Digital Collections Special Collections Teens History printmaking architecture Changing City

Philadelphia: The Changing City Events Day

Sat, February 16, 2019 1:00 P.M.
Parkway Central Library

From 1:00-5:00, join your neighbors for an afternoon of programs for adults, as well as children, themed around the Rare Book Department’s fascinating special exhibition,  Philadelphia: The Changing City. Images of the city drawn from 300 years of prints, photographs, documents, and…

Adult Young Adult School Age Preschool Toddler Community Events Black History Month Discussion and Participation Family Programs Live Performances Speakers and Lectures Other Great Programs One Book Author and Featured Events African American Philadelphia Philadelphia History Changing City

Pepper Pot Soup Changing the City

Sat, February 16, 2019 4:30 P.M.
Culinary Literacy Center at Parkway Central Library

Food has the ability to shape a city’s culture, as much as a city’s culture can change it’s food. Philadelphia’s own pepper pot soup has its own folklore tales and legend dating back to the Revolutionary War. No matter how stirring the war tale may be, the real origin…

Adult Young Adult Senior Community Events Culinary Literacy African American Cooking & Nutrition Philadelphia History

The Secret Cinema presents: Philadelphia - The Changing City

Wed, February 20, 2019 6:00 P.M.
Art Department at Parkway Central Library

The Free Library of Philadelphia is thrilled to partner with Philadelphia's beloved film screening series, The Secret Cinema , now in its 27th year.  As usual, The Secret Cinema will present selections from their collection shown on 16mm film onto a big screen. This…

Adult Young Adult Senior Film Screening Speakers and Lectures Other Great Programs Philadelphia Philadelphia History History Changing City

Steve Luxenberg | Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America’s Journey from Slavery to Segregation

Thu, February 21, 2019 7:30 P.M.
Parkway Central Library

Cost: FREE

A 30-year writer and senior editor at The Washington Post , Steve Luxenberg has overseen reportage that has won a host of awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes for explanatory journalism. He is the author of Annie’s Ghosts: A Journey in a Family Secret , the tale of his eponymous aunt who…

Adult Author Events Speakers and Lectures Author Events - Free Series African American Author Events Law Philadelphia History General Research Hearing Loop

A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition

Thu, February 28, 2019 3:00 P.M.
Rare Book Department at Parkway Central Library

Come and learn about our city’s exciting, dynamic, and often forgotten history with a guided tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City exhibition. The tour will be led by an exhibition curator in the Dietrich Gallery in the Rare Book Department , which is located on the third floor of the…

Adult Young Adult School Age Other Great Programs African American Art Digital Collections Education Family Free Library of Philadelphia Programs & Services Health & Fitness Philadelphia History Rare Books, Manuscripts, & Digital Collections Special Collections Teens History printmaking architecture Changing City

Thousand Dollar Dinner with Author Becky Diamond and Chef Adam Diltz

Mon, March 11, 2019 6:00 P.M.
Culinary Literacy Center at Parkway Central Library

In the mid-19th century, Philadelphia invited seasoned New York culinarians to an extravagant dinner in response to a cooking challenge. Philadelphia chef James W. Parkinson rose to the challenge and created a seventeen-course meal known as the “Thousand Dollar Dinner.” Sourcing…

Adult Senior Community Events Culinary Literacy Cooking & Nutrition Philadelphia History History

A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition

Thu, March 14, 2019 3:00 P.M.
Rare Book Department at Parkway Central Library

Come and learn about our city’s exciting, dynamic, and often forgotten history with a guided tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City exhibition. The tour will be led by an exhibition curator in the Dietrich Gallery in the Rare Book Department , which is located on the third floor of the…

Adult Young Adult School Age Other Great Programs African American Art Digital Collections Education Family Free Library of Philadelphia Programs & Services Health & Fitness Philadelphia History Rare Books, Manuscripts, & Digital Collections Special Collections Teens History printmaking architecture Changing City

Democracy and Truth: a Short Philadelphia History

Wed, March 20, 2019 6:30 P.M.
Literature Department at Parkway Central Library

What is democracy?  It's a word often debated; a word we often overhear; a word with many subtleties and connotations; a word held dear by many throughout the world.  Join University of Pennsylvania's Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History Dr. Sophia Rosenfeld as she presents…

Adult Young Adult Discussion and Participation Other Great Programs Speakers and Lectures Free Library of Philadelphia Free Library of Philadelphia Programs & Services Philadelphia Philadelphia History Social Science History

Historic Architecture of West and Northwest Philadelphia

Wed, March 20, 2019 6:30 P.M.
Philadelphia City Institute

Minardi will give a talk on the varied residential architecture of West and Northwest Philadelphia. The author has written three books about historic architecture in Philly and serves on the Board of Governors of the University City Historical Society. In 2014 he received the Save Our Sites…

Adult Other Great Programs Philadelphia Philadelphia History Photography

Author Talk: Kenneth Finkel

Wed, March 20, 2019 6:30 P.M.
Falls of Schuylkill Library

Insight Philadelphia: Historical Essays Illustrated  will discussed by the author.  Mr. Finkel is a professor of history at Temple University and is the author of nine books on Philadelphia. He was a former curator of prints and photographs at the Library Company of Philadelphia,…

Adult Senior Speakers and Lectures Author Events Philadelphia History

A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition

Thu, March 28, 2019 3:00 P.M.
Rare Book Department at Parkway Central Library

Come and learn about our city’s exciting, dynamic, and often forgotten history with a guided tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City exhibition. The tour will be led by an exhibition curator in the Dietrich Gallery in the Rare Book Department , which is located on the third floor of the…

Adult Young Adult School Age Other Great Programs African American Art Digital Collections Education Family Free Library of Philadelphia Programs & Services Health & Fitness Philadelphia History Rare Books, Manuscripts, & Digital Collections Special Collections Teens History printmaking architecture Changing City

A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition

Thu, April 11, 2019 3:00 P.M.
Rare Book Department at Parkway Central Library

Come and learn about our city’s exciting, dynamic, and often forgotten history with a guided tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City exhibition. The tour will be led by an exhibition curator in the Dietrich Gallery in the Rare Book Department , which is located on the third floor of the…

Adult Young Adult School Age Other Great Programs African American Art Digital Collections Education Family Free Library of Philadelphia Programs & Services Health & Fitness Philadelphia History Rare Books, Manuscripts, & Digital Collections Special Collections Teens History printmaking architecture Changing City

Survivors and Casualties: Domestic Housing in Philadelphia During the 18th and 19th Centuries

Now through Sat, April 13, 2019 5:00 P.M.
Art Department at Parkway Central Library

Explore the long history of working-class housing in Philadelphia including the ubiquitous row home and the many residences that have disappeared in the name of progress. On display in the Art Department Hallway Gallery until mid-April, 2019

Adult Young Adult School Age Senior Exhibitions Philadelphia Philadelphia History History architecture

Philadelphia: The Changing City

Now through Sat, April 13, 2019 5:00 P.M.
Rare Book Department at Parkway Central Library

October 10, 2018 – April 13, 2019 From river to skyline and stoop to stoop, Philadelphia has been re-formed and re-shaped throughout its history. Its transformation from bustling port to workshop of the world to World Heritage City and hub for education, medicine, and entrepreneurship has…

Adult Young Adult School Age Senior Exhibitions Other Great Programs Citizenship Philadelphia Philadelphia History Photography Special Collections Maps Print and Picture Collection Changing City

Janny Scott | The Beneficiary: Fortune, Misfortune, and the Story of My Father

Mon, April 22, 2019 7:30 P.M.
Parkway Central Library

Cost: FREE

Janny Scott, a 15-year reporter for The New York Times , was part of a team that won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. She is also the author of the “meticulous” ( Washington Post ) biography A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother . She is the…

Adult Author Events Speakers and Lectures Author Events - Free Series Author Events Biography & Autobiography Business & Economics House & Home Philadelphia History General Research Hearing Loop