Philadelphia is a city of scientific innovation and artistic expression, with communities bound together by ties of civic mindedness and public service. Throughout their 300-plus-year history Philadelphians have pioneered fields ranging from medicine to music. HSP’s latest document display explores the contributions of educator Helen Bailey, artist Paul Robeson, author Edgar Allan Poe, legislator Crystal Bird Fauset, and more. Philadelphia Luminaries includes photographs, artwork, manuscripts, printed materials, and ephemera from HSP’s collection of over 21 million items: 

• Portraits of physician Benjamin Rush and Civil Rights activist Octavius Catto
• Manuscripts of Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography
• Musical scores and color charts from inventor/musician Mary Greenewalt
• And much more.

HSP's document displays are free and open to the public during regular business hours.