Familiar phrases such as “City of Brotherly Love” and “Workshop of the World” have described Philadelphia’s history as well as its aspirations for the present and future. Slogans such as these are frequently used, but what role do the ideas they represent play in our history and civic life? These are the questions that we open for discussion with “Phrasing Philadelphia,” our new series of Greater Philadelphia Roundtable programs. Registration is now open for the first four programs. Don’t miss this opportunity to help us continue to build public participation in The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia project. For more information and to register, simply click on the events calendar. Teachers, this year we offer the opportunity to earn Act 48 credits by attending these programs.
Blog Category: Blog, page 13
William Penn Foundation Grant
We are pleased to announce that The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia will enhance its digital platform with a two-year, $81,040 grant awarded by the William Penn Foundation to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (MARCH) at Rutgers–Camden, the Encyclopedia’s institutional home. The grant will allow us to add photo galleries of material artifacts; place-mapping; new text about Philadelphia’s history; links between history and the news; and more. We look forward to working with our civic partners as well as the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University in developing these new features.
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, works to close the achievement gap for low-income children, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. With assets of nearly $2 billion, the Foundation distributes approximately $80 million in grants annually. Learn more about the Foundation at www.williampennfoundation.org.
Working Group:
Philadelphia, the Nation, and the World
Invitation to graduate students and other interested scholars: The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, based at Rutgers-Camden, is forming a working group to do original research into Philadelphia’s connections with other regions of the United States and the world. You can help us enhance the Encyclopedia with these topics and break new ground – and perhaps find a thesis, dissertation, or book topic in the process. We anticipate a meeting early in the spring and research during the summer. Modest compensation is available for accepted essays, which will be peer-reviewed.
Let us know if you are interested! Send an email with a brief description of your interests and qualifications to Charlene Mires, cmires@camden.rutgers.edu.
Guidelines for Writers: https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/about/guidelines-for-writers/
Your chance to see new exhibits at the Philadelphia History Museum!
Our next program in the Greater Philadelphia Roundtable series, “City of Neighborhoods, City of Homes,” will take place at the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent – a great chance to see the new exhibits there prior to the program. Make sure to register in advance for the program at https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/events. Here’s a preview of the museum’s new offerings:
The Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent recently reopened, in part, as a preview to the museum’s full reopening this summer. A three-year renovation has upgraded the pre-Civil War structure (the original home of the Franklin Institute) adding new galleries and two currently opened exhibitions with more to come this summer.
Start in the orientation gallery where City Stories: An Introduction to Philadelphia welcomes visitors in a multi-layered exhibition featuring almost 30 artifacts that help illustrate Philadelphia’s transition from the “greene country towne” founded by William Penn to the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed to the Workshop of the World and the World Champion Phillies. City Stories features an original media presentation with contemporary Philadelphians sharing their feelings on the city of neighborhoods.
Philadelphia Voices: The Community History Gallery serves as a preview space for the five additional galleries to be unveiled this summer. Celebrated artifacts displayed here, including Joe Frazier’s boxing gloves, George Washington’s pocket watch, and a Passmore Williamson family portrait, provide a further glimpse into the Museum’s extensive collection.
The Philadelphia History Museum: 15 South 7th Street
http://www.philadelphiahistory.org
Free and open to the public Wednesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.