Past Events

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Past Events

Tuesday, 5/3/16
Exhibit/Display

Philadelphia is a city of scientific innovation and artistic expression, with communities bound together by ties of civic mindedness and public service. Throughout their 300-plus-year history Philadelphians have pioneered fields ranging from medicine to music. HSP’s latest document display explores the contributions of educator Helen Bailey, artist Paul Robeson, author Edgar Allan Poe, legislator Crystal Bird Fauset, and more. Philadelphia Luminaries includes photographs, artwork, manuscripts, printed materials, and ephemera from HSP’s collection of over 21 million items: 

Wednesday, 4/27/16
Lecture/Panel Discussion

On April 27, join HSP and author Cokie Roberts to discuss her new book, Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868, as she explores the wives, sisters, and female friends of the men leading America into, and through, the Civil War.

As a result of the conflict, these “belles” of Washington society blossomed into suffragists, journalists, social activists, and philanthropists, engaging with the issues of the day on their own terms and transforming a sleepy Southern city into a place of power and action.

Thursday, 4/14/16
Teacher Workshop

This spring, HSP is partnering with the Drexel University College of Medicine Archives to explore medical practices throughout our history with a focus on women physicians’ struggles to gain acceptance. Join this workshop to uncover primary sources documenting the history of women in medicine as well as the medical practices of doctors from the Revolutionary War through World War I.

Wednesday, 4/6/16
Teacher Workshop

A Program for College Faculty and High School Teachers

Thursday, 3/31/16
Lecture/Panel Discussion

Considering Music in a Changing Church

John Fryer – disguised as Dr. Anonymous – urged doctors not to treat gays and lesbians as "sick."  But there was another man behind that mask: a devoted choir and organ master. In this program, we explore what church music meant to Fryer and how it evolves as society and culture change.  

Wednesday, 3/23/16
Lecture/Panel Discussion

From their disparate backgrounds, Philadelphia physicians S. Weir Mitchell, William W. Keen, and George R. Morehouse assembled one of the most unusual and important temporary hospital wards during the last year of the Civil War at Turner’s Lane in Philadelphia. The rehabilitative care afforded to 160 soldiers at Turner’s Lane, many of whom had been wounded at Gettysburg, provided an unparalleled opportunity to study diseases and wounds of the nerves, particularly peripheral nerve injuries.

Friday, 3/18/16
Special Event

Whether you are new to genealogy or a seasoned researcher, find your story at HSP this spring with Family History Days.

On March 18 & 19, HSP is bringing together genealogy and family history professionals from around the world for the mid-Atlantic’s largest genealogy festival, featuring two days of presentations and workshops.

Thursday, 3/17/16
Exhibit/Display

Over the past year, HSP’s Digital Services staff created several new databases for genealogists and family historians, making previously-inaccessible information available online for researchers. The display will include collection materials featured in the new databases. 

Wednesday, 3/9/16
Lecture/Panel Discussion

On March 2, 1916, the Philadelphia Orchestra performed the U.S. premiere of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8, also known as "The Symphony of a Thousand." The Orchestra - and Philadelphia - would never be the same.

Thursday, 3/3/16
Lecture/Panel Discussion

Music has been used both as a vehicle for reform and repression during the pursuits of American ethnic and racial justice. Using historical sheet music, broadsides from local theaters, and musical recordings & performances, HSP explores the various ways Philadelphia popular culture has depicted American ethnic groups throughout the past two centuries with Sights & Sounds of our Multiethnic Past.

Friday, 2/26/16
Special Event

Get loud in the library this February with Swingin' at the Society as HSP transforms from a shushed library into a raucous dance hall. Dance the night away as the sounds of Jazz Age America fill HSP's halls with tunes from the Philadelphia-based band Bitters & Rye

Thursday, 2/18/16
Lecture/Panel Discussion

Philadelphia has an extraordinarily rich and important musical history. From the late eighteenth century, when it was the political and cultural capital of the American colonies, to the present, the city has nurtured numerous ground breaking musical styles and artists and been at the forefront of some of the world’s most significant musical developments. Music historian Jack McCarthy explores some of the highlights of Philadelphia music over the course of the city’s 330+ year history.

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