Posts in “history” (162)
Blog Articles
With the practice of social distancing and stay-at-home orders in place, people have been racing to stores to stock up on essentials, and one essential item in particular has become an infamous… continue reading Unrolling the History of Toilet Paper
By written by Karen O. April 1, 2020 2
As March draws to a close, we near the end of Women’s History Month. Here at the Free Library, we’ve celebrated this important observance in many ways: with the story of Mary Church… continue reading Stream a Film by a Woman to Celebrate Women's History Month
By written by Clare F. March 27, 2020
"Even if I believed that women should be denied the right of suffrage, wild horses could not drag such an admission from my pen or my lips, for this reason: precisely the same arguments used… continue reading Women's History Month 2020: Stories We Know, Stories We'll Discover
By written by Kalela W. March 3, 2020
On Thursday, February 20 , David W. Young will appear at Parkway Central Library to discuss his book, Battles of Germantown: Effective Public History in America . Many Philadelphia residents… continue reading What is "Public History", Anyway?
By written by Nina C. February 19, 2020
From the mid-1930s to the early 1940s, artists working for the Federal Art Project’s Poster Division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA, later renamed Work Projects Administration)… continue reading Spotlight on Special Collections: WPA Posters in the Print and Picture Collection
By written by Laura S. December 2, 2019
With National Philanthropy Day just a few days ago and Thanksgiving fast approaching, it’s a great time to think about what philanthropy is and what it means to each and every one of… continue reading The Meaning of Philanthropy
By written by Jamie K. November 21, 2019
While reading There There — Tommy Orange ’s award-winning novel and the 2020 One Book, One Philadelphia featured selection—I was repeatedly struck by how many references Orange… continue reading #OneBookWednesday | Some History and Terms from There There
By written by Clare F. November 13, 2019
The human toll exacted by the Civil War is made clear simply by the size and number of hospitals in Philadelphia that treated the casualties of war. It’s no exaggeration to say that a few… continue reading Civil War Medicine: What Went Right
By written by David N. November 12, 2019
Have you read the 1619 Project yet? It’s the award-winning special issue of the New York Times Magazine all about American Slavery that was published last month. The project’s creator,… continue reading Find Out How Slavery Made Our World with These Free Library Resources
By written by Jamie B. September 17, 2019 1
History is endlessly fascinating to me; twentieth-century history in particular is full of triumphs and dark chapters. Sometimes it takes some distance to get perspective on events of… continue reading It's All Just a Little Bit of History Repeating Itself Again
By written by Rachel F. July 23, 2019
Fifty years ago today, Neil Armstrong , Buzz Aldrin , and Michael Collins first set off into space to explore the surface of the Moon. Their mission, Apollo 11 , was the culmination of decades of… continue reading Fly Me to the Moon: Apollo 11 at 50
By written by Clare F. July 16, 2019
Coming down from your Fourth of July celebrations, but not quite ready to put away your red, white, and blue clothes (or fireworks)? You’re in luck! July 14 is Bastille Day —the… continue reading Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité: Happy Bastille Day!
By written by Clare F. July 12, 2019
Parkway Central Library Senior Services will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Awards for excellence in African American children’s literature with a five-part… continue reading Conversations in Color: The Coretta Scott King Awards Celebrate 50 Years of Excellence
By written by Lisa-Jane E. May 29, 2019 2
Many things go missing – overdue books, keys, socks in the dryer – but none of those can compare with the gravity of when a person simply disappears. Approximately 90,000 people are… continue reading The Mystery of Missing Persons
By written by Violet L. April 16, 2019 2
The Free Library was fortunate to recently receive a donation of books by Polish authors that were translated into English, along with books in Polish for both adults and children. The books were… continue reading Book Donation to Recognize and Celebrate Polish Literature
By written by Paul A. March 26, 2019 1
It's no secret... the Free Library is thrilled to partner with Philadelphia's beloved film screening series, The Secret Cinema , now in its 27th year. In celebration of our current… continue reading The Secret Cinema Presents: Philadelphia: The Changing City
By written by Laura S. March 19, 2019
Even if you’ve never read Mary Shelley ’s groundbreaking novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus , you’ve certainly heard of the stiched-together monster the teenage mother… continue reading Immersive Multimedia Experience Breathes New Life into the Frankenstein Mythos
By written by Violet L. February 21, 2019
On a cold winter day 125 years ago, only two hours from here in West Orange, New Jersey, Thomas Edison completed construction on the Black Maria , (pronounced… continue reading Masterpieces of Silent Film at the Free Library
By written by Violet L. January 31, 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