Central Library's 75th Anniversary Collection

The Central Library, on Philadelphia's beautiful Benjamin Franklin Parkway, was dedicated on June 2, 1927. Seventy-five years later, it is a dynamic, evolving destination where the world is at your fingertips and you can travel anywhere in time or place through books and multiple electronic media. Learn more about this collection. For advanced searching filters for this collection, please use the link "Advanced."

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Cornerstone laying ceremony of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, January 24, 1923
Excavation of the site of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia with steam shovel and horse carts, June 1, 1918
Groundbreaking ceremony for the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, May 12, 1917
Front elevation drawing of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, ca. 1911-1912
Women gathered under sign reading "Saved for Service Christ in Phila Phila for Christ" at evangelist Billy Sunday's temporary tabernacle, erected by "Happy" Joe Spiece on the site of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia
Branch number one of the Philadelphia Public Library, Wagner Free Institute of Science, 17th and Montgomery Streets in North Philadelphia, opened on October 15, 1892
Nearing completion of the limestone exterior of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, July 20, 1923.
Completion of the exterior of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, April 1, 1925.
Exterior of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, at the stage of carving the architectural ornamentation, March 1, 1924.
Bookstacks during construction of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, 1926.
Construction in the Music Room of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, now the Education, Philosophy, and Religion Department, June 23, 1926.
Construction in the Government Publications Room of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia. June 22. 1926
Construction in the Periodical Room of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia. now the Popular Library. June 22. 1926
Construction of the steel frame of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia. December 7. 1922
Construction in the West Special Reading Room of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia. now the Newspaper Room. June 18. 1926
Laying of the granite base and limestone exterior of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia. March 17. 1923
Construction of the foundation of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia. October 6. 1921
Horace Trumbauer and Julian Abele
Dutch edition of the first plan for Philadelphia, devised by William Penn and Thomas Holme in 1682 and printed in Amsterdam in 1684.
Plan of the basement floor of the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia, late 1911 version.