Tagged Philadelphia History
Historic Preservation in Philadelphia
Paul Steinke, Executive Director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, will discuss the challenges of historic preservation in a growing city with a robust development climate. He will give an overview of the…
Author Talk: Bill Double
Author Bill Double will present his book Philadelphia’s Washington Square and sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase. This book recounts the fascinating history of Washington Square, which has played a…
Lorene Cary | Ladysitting: My Year with Nana at the End of Her Century
“A powerful storyteller, frankly sensual [and] mortally funny" ( New York Times ), Lorene Cary is the author of the novels Pride , The Price of a Child , If Sons, Then Heirs , and the memoir Black Ice . A senior lecturer in…
Nicole Weisensee Egan | Chasing Cosby: The Downfall of America’s Dad
A 14-year veteran crime reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News , Nicole Weisensee Egan was the first journalist to delve into Andrea Constand’s 2005 sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby. As other news organizations lost…
Janny Scott | The Beneficiary: Fortune, Misfortune, and the Story of My Father
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:…
Survivors and Casualties: Domestic Housing in Philadelphia During the 18th and 19th Centuries
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…
Philadelphia: The Changing City
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…
A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition
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…
"Where's the Creek?" Bus Tour: Uncovering the History of Mill Creek in West Philadelphia
Mill Creek can be found on 19th century maps of Philadelphia, draining more than 4,000 acres of West Philadelphia with its main stem and several tributaries. While some of the place names associated with this stream still exist --…
A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition
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…
The Secret Cinema presents: Philadelphia - The Changing City
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…
Author Talk: Kenneth Finkel
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…
Democracy and Truth: a Short Philadelphia History
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.…
Historic Architecture of West and Northwest Philadelphia
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…
Through this Lens: African American Photographers
This exhibition of books and other materials from the collections of the Art Department offers a look at the camera work of African American artists from the earliest days of photography to today. In addition to photographers like…
A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition
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…
Thousand Dollar Dinner with Author Becky Diamond and Chef Adam Diltz
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…
A Free Tour of Philadelphia: The Changing City Exhibition
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…
Sisters in Freedom : Screening and Panel Discussion
Sisters in Freedom is a new documentary from History Making Productions that tells the story of the brave black and white women who banded together to fight slavery before abolition. The filmmakers will bring the movie, discussion, and…
Sanborn Maps Geo Edition (1867-1970)
(1867-1970) provides digital access to thousands of large-scale maps of American towns and cities, searchable by address and GPS coordinates.
Philadelphia Press Index
The Philadelphia Press (1857-1920) was one of Philadelphia's oldest major newpapers. This index is an electronic version of a paper index kept by Free Library staff from 1898 through 1912. It directs you to citations for specific…
Philadelphia Inquirer Digital Archive 1860-2001
This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.
Philadelphia Evening Telegraph
Philadelphia Evening Telegraph was a daily afternoon newspaper started on January 4, 1864. Search, browse, and read it online here.
Pennsylvania Historical Newspapers
174 full-text historical Pennsylvania newspapers from 1790-1922.
Evening Public Ledger
Evening Public Ledger was one of the most widely read dailies in Philadelphia between 1914 and 1942. Read, search, and browse the full text of the paper here.
Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade
The oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the country takes place right here in Philadelphia!
National Parks Center – Valley Forge
Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-1778 winter encampment of the Continental Army. The park commemorates the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation and honors the ability of citizens to pull together and…
National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center is the first and only institution in America established by Congress to “disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a non-partisan basis in order to increase the awareness and…