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).

Carey Conference Part Two at Trinity College

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The Dublin half of the two-part “Ireland, America, and the Worlds of Mathew Carey” conference co-sponsored by the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Program in Early American Economy and Society,…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

International Photography Curators Visit LCP

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About twenty-five members of Oracle, an international group of photographic curators, visited the Library Company on November 8. Oracle’s annual meeting had been held in Blue Bell, a Philadelphia suburb, the week before, and attendees…
Two examples of papier-mâché bindings laid out in an exhibition case, 2010. Jennifer Rosner, Chief of Conservation.

The Art of the Library Company

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The inspiring talents of a number of Library Company staff members are on display at the entrance to the Reading Room through mid-February.  The "Art of the Library Company" exhibition presents a sample of recent work by six current staff…
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).

On-line Exhibition Celebrates 40 Years of the Print Department

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On September 13, 1971, Stephanie Munsing began work as the Library Company’s first Curator of Prints and Photographs. The library had been collecting graphics for a long time and Ms. Munsing’s appointment was public recognition of the…
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).

Two Emmys for “A Taste of History”

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For “A Taste of History,” the television series that explores America’s culinary roots, City Tavern Chef Walter Staib immerses viewers in the dishes and cooking techniques of the nation’s founders as a way into the historical context.…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Capital Improvements: LCP Generates Heat!

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This fall, the Library Company is making an investment in high-efficiency heating and humidification equipment that will save an estimated $40,000 to $50,000 annually and help ensure environmental stability for our priceless collections. When…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Shareholder Spotlight: Betty Shellenberger, Share No. 568

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Betty Shellenberger, age 90, remembers bi-weekly trips downtown with her mother and father to visit the Library Company in our previous Frank Furness-designed home at Juniper and Locust streets. At the time the Library Company still functioned…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Poulsons and Peales at the Library by Carol Soltis

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(October 17, 2011)   Audio Download (MP3) - Program Adobe PDF Document - Slides Carol Soltis, Library Company Trustee and Curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Center for American Art, will discuss the work of the artist James…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Staff News

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This past summer, Digitization Technician Concetta Barbera embarked on a Practicum project at the Library Company as part of her Library and Information Science master’s degree in Archives at Drexel University. During the 120 hours required…
The Philadelphia Wagon Manufactured by Rech-Marbaker Co. Girard Ave & 8th St. Philadelphia Pa. ([Philadelphia], 1913).

Audio Tour of ““Building a City of the Dead: The Creation and Expansion of Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery” by Curator Aaron Wunsch

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Laurel Hill Cemetery is among the most celebrated – and most densely populated – swaths of Greater Philadelphia. Beneath seventy-eight acres of lawn, trees, and monuments lie some 70,000 bodies – a sprawling and silent subdivision that…