The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Mr. Rementer’s South Philly Pear Orchard

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I was recently contacted by James Rementer, a descendent of a South Philadelphia family that owned a pear orchard on Irish Tract Lane for more than a century before it was covered with landfill in the late 1800s. Though long gone, Irish…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

The Mourner’s Gift (1837)

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Connie King writes: Much as we send sympathy cards today, Americans gave small volumes of consolation literature to people who were in mourning during the early decades of the 19th century. In recent years, the Library Company has been able…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Things that Make You Go “Hmmm”

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When I first began working at the Library Company more than a decade ago, one of the first Print Department treasures I handled was the silhouette attributed to Raphaelle Peale showing the noted African American silhouettist Moses Williams.…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Library Company Collections on Flickr

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I’m an intern at the Library Company, working here for the first two weeks of January in the Print Department, doing various tasks relating to the Library Company’s collections of lithographs, drawings, cartoons, photographs, and other…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Six Degrees of Shellenberger

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Do you remember the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon?" I’ll bet you do, and I’ll bet you did not always need six steps to trace a relationship to this Philly native. I often make similar connections between historical figures in my work…
Four rare books in need of boxing.

The Ubiquitous Corrugated Clamshell Box – An Anniversary

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Not many people realize that the corrugated clamshell box (as shown above) was actually developed here at the Library Company. As many of you know, these boxes are very useful in rare book libraries because they are an efficient way to protect…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

James Rush and the Siamese Twins

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Recently, I was preparing a display of materials for a visitor who had a particular interest in Shakespeare.  Library Company benefactor James Rush (1786-1869), son of Declaration of Independence signer and famed doctor Benjamin Rush (1746-1813),…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Traipsing Through the Woods of Tacony

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Researcher Joseph Jones recently approached us looking for images of several estates once located in the present-day Tacony section of Northeast Philadelphia.  We were able to locate an image of the Lardner family farmhouse, shedding…
Sampler book laid out to show unique folding pattern.

Large Pages into Small Spaces

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The three conservators in the McLean Conservation Department (Jennifer Rosner, Andrea Krupp, and Alice Austin) are all active members of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers.  On November 5 and 6, 2011, they hosted a…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

A Bond by Any Other Name….

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“What a striking street scene!” was my first thought on seeing the Philadelphia Traction Company bond sent to me on approval from the New England ephemera dealer George LeBarre Galleries. Given my interests as a print curator, I hardly…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

“Ireland, America, and the Worlds of Mathew Carey”

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A conference sponsored by The McNeil Center for Early American Studies, The Library Company of Philadelphia, the Program in Early American Economy and Society, and the University of Pennsylvania Libraries The first half of the Mathew…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Auction Success

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I just returned from bidding on a few lots at a sale at Freeman’s Auction, and my heart is still pounding. The adrenaline really gets going when there is bidding happening on the floor, on the phones, and on the internet and you don’t…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

LCP Collections on Loan

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We recently had a few items that were on loan to other institutions returned to us and it got me thinking about where else people can see Library Company collections outside of our building. If anyone is going to be in New York City, be sure…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

“Technology Versus Art”

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Join us on Wednesday, March 23 at 6:00 p.m. for “Technology Versus Art: The Early Daguerreotype’s Confounding Status in Philadelphia, 1839-1845" Sarah Gillespie, current William H. Helfand American Visual Culture Fellow at the Library…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

“Revisiting Rural Cemeteries”

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Join us on Wednesday, March 16th, 1:00 - 5:45 p.m. for a Symposium Sponsored by Library Company of Philadelphia, the Laurel Hill Cemetery Company, and the Program in Historic Preservation, University of Pennsylvania In the three decades prior…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Stewardship Program

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Become a Steward of the collections of the Library Company and sponsor your own piece of history! Through our Stewardship Program, you can support the purchase of interesting and important rare books, pamphlets, prints, and photographs.…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

In-Service Day 2-4-11

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The Library Company has scheduled an in-service day for staff on Friday, February 4, 2011. Consequently, the Library Company reading rooms will be closed to all researchers except current fellows. The McNeil Center program in the Logan…