Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia

A storied English aristocratic family, living in a palatial home that was once an abbey, struggles to maintain their household in the face of 20th century financial realities.

On April 23rd and 24th, 1928, this PBS plotline unfolded in the sales rooms of Sotheby and Company, London, as 172 items, largely from the collection of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, came on the block. Known as the Wizard Earl for his keen interest in alchemy and penchant for scientific inquiry, his library reflected his curiosity and intellect, with works on language and classical literature, the art of war, medicine and anatomy, mathematics and alchemy, and narratives of colonial conquest. The Rare Book Department is home to several extraordinary items purchased from the sale.

Join us tomorrow, August 7, to hear about those items and the circumstances that brought them to the Free Library!

Events: The Library of the Wizard Earl - Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Rare Book Department A storied English aristocratic family, living in a palatial home that was once an abbey, struggles to maintain their household in the face of 20th century financial realities. On April 23rd and 24th 1928, this PBS plotline unfolded in the sales rooms of Sotheby and Company, London, as 172 items, lar...

https://designtraveler.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/the-bunny-that-saved-the-sheep/

The Bunny that Saved the Sheep Hill Top, Beatrix Potter FarmsteadNear Sawrey, Ambleside, United KingdomSeptember 2023 Beatrix Potter Drawn to NatureMorgan Library, New YorkJune 2024 Rare Book DepartmentPhiladelphia Free LibraryM…

Join us for a screening of The Automat followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Lisa Hurwitz.

Featuring photographs from the Free Library of Philadelphia's Print and Picture Collection and filmed locally, The Automat premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival and was nominated for four 2022 Critics Choice Awards. The film tells the 100-year story of the iconic restaurant chain Horn & Hardart.

Free and open to the public, this event does not require registration. It will be held on the Fourth Floor of the Parkway Central Library, and Horn & Hardart Automat Coffee and pastries will be served.

This program is part of We Are What We Eat, the latest exhibition from the Free Library's Special Collections.

Events: Join us for a screening of The Automat followed by a QA with the filmmaker, Lisa Hurwitz. Featuring photographs from the Free Library of Philadelphias Print and Picture Collection and filmed locally, The Automat premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival and was nominated for four 2022 Critics Ch...

How Black is sweet cornbread? Do WE put marshmallows on sweet potato casserole?

"Sugar Don't Go On Grits: An Archival Look at The Great Migration's Effect on How We Eat" will be a conversational space dedicated to retracing the divergent pathways of the African American culinary tradition.

Join us for this virtual webinar on Thu, July 25, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/137485

This event is produced jointly by the Special Collections Division, Literature Department, and the Culinary Literacy Center of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and is part of "We Are What We Eat," the latest exhibition from the Free Library's Special Collections. Visit freelibrary.org/eat to learn more and find related events.

Events: Sugar Don't Go On Grits: An Archival Look at The Great Migration's Effect on How We Eat How Black is sweet cornbread? Do WE put marshmallows on sweet potato casserole? Sugar Dont Go On Grits: An Archival Look at The Great Migrations Effect on How We Eat will be a conversational space dedicated to retracing the divergent pathways of the African American culinary tradition. Leaning on ar...

We're one month into our exhibition "We Are What We Eat," so we're starting a new feature: Cookbook of the Week! First up is "The Romance of Tuna" selected on the name alone. We can't help but giggle every time we take this out.

Canned tuna was introduced in the U.S. in 1904. By the time this promotional pamphlet for White Star Tuna was published in the early 1930s, tuna had earned its place on American tables. "The Romance of Tuna" includes a history of the company and tuna fishing as well recipes for dishes like Molded Tuna Salad.

Let us know if you make any of these recipes!

Have you wanted to "meet" the Free Library's First Folio of Shakespeare but just haven't had the chance? Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 1st, 6.30-7.30pm for an open-house-style event where we'll have the Folio on display as well as other works related to Shakespeare and John Milton (this was his book, after all).

This event and the evening hours to take in our exhibition and other cases are in honor of the Rare Book Department turning 75 this year.

https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/136890

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/books/aaron-lansky-yiddish-book-center.html

He Rescued 1.5 Million Yiddish Books. Now He Will Have Time to Read Some. Aaron Lansky spent a lifetime building the Yiddish Book Center, one of the country’s leading Jewish cultural institutions. He’s ready to hand over the reins.

Celebrating the Rare Book Department’s 75th Anniversary this evening with extending hours until 8:00 p.m. Or attend The History of the Elkins Library starting at 6:30 p.m. No reservations required for this free program.
See you all this evening!

Events: Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Rare Book Department: The History of The Elkins Library. Upon his death in 1947, William McIntire Elkins gave his personal library to the Free Library of Philadelphia. The gift was not just his collection of books the actual room from his estate was installed in the Parkway Central building, and it took two years to complete this monumental task. Who was....

Happy Groundhog Day! Seen here is a 1935 advertisement for the Grundsow [Groundhog in Pennsylvania German] Lodge meeting, which was held at a Masonic Lodge in Allentown. Henry S. Borneman was a member of this lodge, and the Free Library owns the collection of Pennyslvania German Fraktur, manuscripts and imprints that once belonged to him. Visit us on Wednesday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m. to learn more about Pennsylvania German History, Mr. Borneman, and his wonderful collection!
https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/132325

You never know what you'll find. Here is an original illustration given to Frederick Gardner, one of our collectors, by H.A. Rey. He and his wife Margret Rey were best known for creating Curious George. Like many others, I read Curious George as a child, and to my children. But it wasn't until later that I learned the Reys were German Jews who managed to flee N**i occupied Paris in August 1940 with a only a few of their possessions, which included their Curious George illustrated manuscript.

https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/132295

Events: Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Rare Book Department: The Rare Book Department From 1949 to Now. Lets celebrate the Rare Book Department! Well discuss how and why the department came to exist, how it functions now, and view materials from our vast array of collections. 2024 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Rare Book Department. To celebrate this anniversary, the Rare Book Department will offer...

Rare Books Celebrates 75 Years!

Blog: The Rare Book Department's 75th Anniversary Event Series 2024 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Since its inception in 1949, Rare Books has prided itself on providing a warm and welcoming…

The Temple of Knowledge Ronald Clark’s father was custodian of a branch of the New York Public Library at a time when caretakers, along with their families, lived in the buildings. ...

Don't forget to watch, “Making Shakespeare – The First Folio” which will air tonight (November 17) as part of PBS Great Performances. It features a segment on the Free Library of Philadelphia's First Folio focusing on the connection to John Milton, part of which was filmed here in the Rare Book Department.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/making-shakespeare-first-folio/15130/?fbclid=IwAR1h8c_uNsWaS6jg-9sYwLIZJjabpnvnqpz46H1X5e_B4QVNAt3tqqth6b8

Here's an interesting book I stumbled upon. It was owned by Jacob Solas-Cohen (1838-1927), a famous Philadelphian Physician with Sephardic roots dating back to the Spanish expulsion. His bookplate shows the the priestly hand blessing used by Cohenites (and by Spock on Star Trek.) "Curiositates inaudit, sive, Select observationes de variis superstitionibus ... "was written by Oriental occultist Jacques Gaffarel in the 17th century. He believed Hebrew letters could be interpreted from the constellations.

The Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia owns Charles Dickens' pet bird Grip that inspired Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven (which we also own), which in turn inspired The Simpsons to create this amazing animated version of it https://youtu.be/bLiXjaPqSyY?si=sbFyXaouq_nit9iW

In celebration of the Jewish new year we present a Rosh Hashanah prayer book in our collection, printed on September 4, 1553 (15 Elul 5313 of the Hebrew Year) in the Italian town of Ferrara, by Abraham Usque. Usque came from a Portuguese Converso family. He reverted to his Jewish identity after fleeing the Inquisition to the town of Ferrara, a town which encouraged Jews to live freely. Wishful thinking could lead one to believe that this copy belonged to Abraham Usque, since the blue stamp on the top right bears the initials "D.P." on the top right, which are the initials of Christian name, Duarte Pinel. But blue stamps like these did not appear before the 18th century or so, years after the printing of this book. Only five days after its printing the Pope at the time ordered the burning of all Hebrew books in the Italian Papal States. This one survived, and will soon be on display in the Rare Book Department for all to view.

Shakesepare in the news! Florida’s secondary school administrators grapple with how best to teach Shakespeare to students in compliance with recently passed Florida legislation, prohibiting the use of teaching materials that contain s*xual content or that can foster discussion about s*x or s*xual orientation. Stop by and view the Free Library’s very rare Shakespeare folio currently on display. Here's a digital copy if you prefer.https://media.freelibrary.org/assets/digital/items/shk00001_001/shk00001.pdf Or learn more about this folio. http://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/feature/first-folio/ Did I mention it was probably John Milton’s (1608–1674) personal copy?

The pineapple, along with the hammock, to***co and the canoe, among other things, were introduced to Europeans, following Columbus' voyages, in 1535 in Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés’s (1478-1557) book, La Historia general de las Indias. The Free Library’s copy is particularly rare because it is signed by Oviedo himself.

Exactly 350 years ago to this day, on July 27, 1673 in Toulouse, France, Antonios Sauvage received his Baccalaureate Degree in Civil Law, a life changing event.

Supporting our Muslim brothers and sister at the Riyaadah 2023
https://allevents.in/mobile/amp-event.php?event_id=10000527454750357

Critterposting and Beatrix Potter. Come check out the Free Library's collection!

Beatrix Potter, the unlikely hero of the anti-hustle culture movement Welcome to critterposting, the very cute, very cottagecore, and (somewhat) radical antidote to American life.

And now for a quick word on snails. A part of Florida is under attack by snails. These intriguing creatures also have a history in Europe, and were occasionally depicted in medieval manuscripts. Visit the Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia and view these medieval mollusks in person!
https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/4549

African Snails in Florida:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/20/us/giant-african-land-snails-quarantine-broward-county-florida/index.html
Snails in Medieval Manuscripts:
https://theconversation.com/why-medieval-manuscripts-are-full-of-doodles-of-snail-fights-206255

Digital Collections: Gospel Lectionary Gospel Lectionary

The Free Library welcomes Rare Book School's weeklong Introduction to Islamicate Manuscripts Class taught by Drs. Marianna Shreve Simpson and Kelly Tuttle.

https://jewishamericanheritage.org/events/uncovering-jewish-collections-23/

JAHM 2023: Uncovering Jewish Collections Join us for a fascinating conversation on uncovering world-class Jewish collections at public libraries across America. Featuring four leading experts in the field, the conversation will explore Jewish collections at New York Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library, and the Free Library of Philad...

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and visit the Rare Book Department! Shown here is a printed power of attorney form, signed and notarized in a town near Puebla on April 29, 1567. The printed sheet is attributed to Juan Pablos who produced the first book printed in the Americas in 1539 in Mexico City. The first printing press in the Americas arrived in Mexico City from Spain in 1539 and was used to produce legal forms as well as books like the one shown here. Powers of attorney (cartas de poder), were printed with blank space to be filled in and signed. They begin with the words “Sepan cuantos esta carta vieren como yo…” which can be translated as “Let it all be known…”

In the Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia lives a Sephardic Jewish Bible written in Portugal in 1497, the year the Jews were expelled from Portugal, following their Expulsion from Spain in 1492. On May 24, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. Joseph Shemtov, a librarian in the Rare Book Department, will talk about this book, its history and significance, and its connection to Philadelphia. Joining him will be experts in the field of Jewish books who will talk about their collections at the Los Angeles Public Library and New York Public Library. This remote Zoom presentation is organized by the Weitzman National Museum of Jewish History in celebration of American Jewish History Month. The event is free but registration is required.
https://theweitzman.org/events/uncovering-jewish-collections-23/

Currently on display is Heinrich Otto's (1733-1799) Geistlicher Irragarten, printed in Ephrata, PA in 1785. Translated in English as a "spiritual maze" this popular and frequently reprinted image functioned as a spiritual game for Pennsylvania Germans. Come check it out!

This 1770 cookery book in the Rare Book Department was checked out by a Philadelphian in 1974!