Blogs

HSP's technical services archivist since 2007.

This Author's Posts

Martha Carey Thomas served as president of which local college?

Question of the Week
10/1/12
19th century, 20th century, Bryn Mawr College, Education, Martha Carey Thomas, Women
You must be a historian, right?

Recently, I was called down to the library to assist with a particular patron who had a question about a collection I had processed. During our conversation, he asked me about being an archivist at HSP. What fun it must be, he posited, to roam the stacks looking at various historic wonders of the greater Philadelphia area! I told him that it certainly was an interesting job, but that my days, alas, were not filled with treasure-hunting, but rather a seemingly never-ending variety of duties that, on any given day, may or may not involve finding fun historic stuff.

Fondly, Pennsylvania
9/27/12
archival work, archivist, historian, historical research, research help
Which Philadelphia drinking establishment was once also known as the Merchants' Coffee House?

Question of the Week
9/23/12
18th century, Industry, Merchants' Coffee House, The City Tavern
Who represented Pennsylvania in the Committee of Detail in 1787?

Question of the Week
9/16/12
18th century, Government and civics, James Wilson, U.S. Constitution
Who built Sweetbriar Mansion in 1797?

Question of the Week
9/9/12
18th century, 19th century, Arts and Culture, Politics, Samuel Breck, Sweetbriar Mansion
What island is Fort Delaware located on?

Question of the Week
9/2/12
Fort Delaware, Military conflict, Pea Patch Island
The Philadelphia branch of NOW was formed by which two individuals?

Question of the Week
8/26/12
20th century, Civil Rights, Ernesta Drinker Ballard, National Organization for Women, Wilma Scott Heide, Women
League Island before the Navy Yard

When William Penn established Philadelphia in 1682, he and his settlers no doubt sailed around several islands in the southern part of the Delaware River. Today a few islands still exist in this region, such as Petty's Island and Pea Patch Island, the site of Fort Delaware. But this expansive waterway between southern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey also once included several islands where the Delaware and Schuylkill River met – Mud Island, Little Mud Island, Hog Island, and League Island. Located just off League Island were once sandbars known as the Horseshoe Shoals. 

Fondly, Pennsylvania
8/22/12
19th century, Delaware River, Industry, Islands, League Island, Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Navy Yard
In what year was the Philadelphia Orchestra founded?

Question of the Week
8/19/12
20th century, Arts and Culture, Eugene Ormandy, Leopold Stokowski, Philadelphia Orchestra
HSP's Newest Blog: Roots and Branches

A couple months ago, HSP lauched a new blog, Roots and Branches, to help highlight HSP's genealogy and family history resources. I just wrote a post for the blog on a  new collection we receivedly received, the Vauclain family papers and genealogical research materials (Collection 3666).

Fondly, Pennsylvania
8/15/12
blogs, Genealogy, Roots and Branches, Vauclain family