Looming from behind a glass case and wood framing in Parkway Central Library's Social Sciences and History Department is an accurate model of the USS North Carolina , a 74-gun ship of the line. While the oversized model was meticulously crafted in 1840 by an unknown New York sailor, the actual ship is much older. USS North… continue reading A Model Ship Docks at the Library
By written by Shane M. May 30, 2025
The exhibition Black Histories of Philadelphia observes the stories of people and places that make up Philadelphia’s countless histories. Some stories are kept, some fade over time, and others are misrepresented or silenced. The people featured in this exhibition created change through determination and innovation.… continue reading Black Histories of Philadelphia: Preserving Historical Sites
By written by Kelly D. February 25, 2025
For centuries Black free labor was simply a guarantee. However, there was always an awareness that we were entitled to equity in the profits from the country we worked hard to create. 1850 ushered in the first attempt at a Black labor union, the very short-lived American League of Colored Laborers. Founded in New York, the group focused on… continue reading Nothing Less Than What We’ve Earned: Black Voices in the Labor Movement
By written by Maya R. January 30, 2025 1
On Tuesday, January 21, at 6:00 p.m. the Social Science and History Department will screen Abortion and Women's Rights 1970 , the first documentary made in the U.S. about the struggle for reproductive rights. Following the 28-minute film, there will be a panel discussion about the film, its historical context, and its relevance to… continue reading Abortion and Women's Rights 1970: Film Screening and Panel Discussion
By written by Ben R. January 16, 2025
Few individuals better encapsulated the highs and lows of the Golden Age of Hollywood than the Mankiewicz brothers. Filmmakers Herman (1897–1953) and Joe (1909–1993) are the subjects of the Free Library’s upcoming program Scripting The Movies: The Mankiewicz Brothers in Hollywood , which will occur virtually on Friday,… continue reading Learn About the Mankiewicz Brothers’ Impact on Hollywood With “Scripting the Movies”
By written by Anthony T. November 27, 2024 2
![Cardinell, John D. - Photographer. (1926). Sesqui-Centennial Performance #37. [Silver Gelatins]. Retrieved from the Free Library of Philadelphia's Print and Picture Collection](https://libwww.freelibrary.biz/images/blog/FLPBlog/resized/native-american-family.jpg)
November is National American Indian Heritage Month, also known as Native American Heritage Month . While different single-day observations began across the country early in the 20th century, it was in 1990 when President George H.W. Bush signed a joint resolution designating the month. Subsequent presidents have issued similar proclamations… continue reading Native American Heritage: Language Resources
By written by Meredith M. November 14, 2024 1
On December 16 at 6:00 p.m. at Parkway Central Library , the Social Science and History Department will host Bob Weinberg, Professor of History and International Relations at Swarthmore College. Weinberg is the author of the new book Jews Under Tsars and Communists . He will explore anti-Jewish visual imagery from the late Tsarist era to the… continue reading The Dehumanization of Jews in Russian and Soviet Cartoons
By written by Hal T. November 13, 2024
The Map Collection , Print and Picture Collection , and Children's Literature Research Collection have joined together to create a new exhibition in the West Gallery on the Second Floor of Parkway Central Library . The exhibition, entitled Telling Tales: From Oral Tradition to Art focuses on four subgenres of… continue reading Telling Tales: From Oral Tradition to Art
By written by Nora R. October 30, 2024 3
On Thursday, October 10 , in the Fourth Floor Skyline Room at Parkway Central Library , the Social Science and History Department will host Jon Grinspan , curator of political history at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Grinspan will be in Philadelphia to discuss his latest book,… continue reading A Smithsonian Curator on the Lead-Up to the U.S. Civil War
By written by Ben R. October 8, 2024
On Friday, October 4 at 2:00 p.m. , the Social Science and History Department will host Antje Ulrike Mattheus , the author of a unique book on Philadelphia history. Cresheim Farm: An American History of Conquest, Privilege, and Struggles for Freedom and Equality , which Mattheus refers to as "political… continue reading Author of Unique Local History to Speak at the Free Library
By written by Ben R. October 1, 2024
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Social Science and History Department at Parkway Central Library is excited to host three programs covering different aspects of the Hispanic-American experience. The first program comes on September 26, when University of Pennsylvania historian William Sturkey will discuss his latest book,… continue reading Hispanic Heritage Month in the Social Science and History Department
By written by Ben R. September 19, 2024
Since Parkway Central Library opened in 1927, patrons have had free and open access to its rich and unique collections, expanding services, and professionally trained and welcoming staff. The robust programs and collections available are impressive, but some patrons may not be familiar with all of them. To promote these… continue reading Department Highlights: Social Science and History
By written by Ben R. August 15, 2024
While working in the newspaper business in the 1830s, Herbert Ingram noticed that newspaper circulation increased when a newspaper included an illustration. Ingram found the first newspaper that subordinated the text to pictures, the Illustrated London News , which featured high-quality engraving. You can view some of these… continue reading Highlights of the Illustrated London News
By written by Hal T. August 7, 2024
![A target of COINTELPRO, Angela Davis ended up on the FBI’s Most Wanted List but was acquitted of all charges in 1972. [Credit: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture]](https://libwww.freelibrary.biz/images/blog/FLPBlog/resized/angela-davis-wanted.jpg)
On August 7, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. , the Free Library's Social Science and History Department will host a discussion by Dr. Kelly Harris of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Africana Studies about the history of the FBI's Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO), in recognition of Black… continue reading COINTELPRO: A Black August Discussion
By written by Sabrina W. July 29, 2024
This summer, the Free Library of Philadelphia is excited to announce the return of the Revolution at the Library program, in partnership with the Museum of the American Revolution . This partnership includes engaging and educational programming that will bring the captivating stories and artifacts of the American Revolution to life for… continue reading Revolution at the Library Programming Returns
By written by Brianna V. July 25, 2024
![The Stonewall Inn, Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan [Photo credit: Johannes Jordan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons]](https://libwww.freelibrary.biz/images/blog/FLPBlog/resized/the-stonewall-inn.jpg)
In celebration of Pride Month , the Free Library’s Social Science and History Department is displaying books from the collection that give an overview of the study of queer history. LGBTQ+ people have always existed and will continue to exist throughout human history and across the world. Queer history involves examining these lives and… continue reading Collection Spotlight: Exploring Queer Histories
By written by Sabrina W. June 20, 2024
Philadelphia has the highest incarceration rate of any city in Pennsylvania, and the most locked-up census tracts in North Philadelphia have 17 times as many people behind bars as census tracts in Center City, according to the Prison Policy Initiative . This is one example of how data can help us visualize mass incarceration, which has been… continue reading Author Event: The Warehouse: A Visual Primer on Mass Incarceration
By written by Ben R. May 30, 2024
From classics like In Cold Blood and Helter Skelter to recent bestsellers like In Light of All Darkness and If You Tell , readers love true crime. In addition to generating chills and thrills, a good true crime account sheds light on the society and the era in which the crime took place. That’s certainly true of Murder in a Mill Town:… continue reading 19th Century True Crime at the Free Library
By written by Ben R. April 19, 2024
Baseball: for over a century, the game has been known as "America’s favorite pastime." During the early parts of the 20th century, tuning in to a baseball game on the radio after a long day at work became a ritual of the American working class, beloved by citizens of all races. But while Black citizens loved baseball,… continue reading Collection Spotlight: Highlights from the Negro Leagues
By written by Chris M. April 19, 2024 1
March is Women's History Month! Did you know that Women’s History Month has its roots in the struggle for workers’ rights? In 1908, women garment workers protested the poor working conditions inside factories. This was just the beginning of a larger fight for equality, equity, and safe working environments for all, which… continue reading Teen Reads for Women's History Month
By written by Verónica M. March 6, 2024
