The Philadelphia Public History Truck (PPHT) is a mobile museum devoted to telling the story of Philadelphia considering all of its parts from library records to oral histories, from old crumbling sidewalks to refurbished loft apartments, from death records to new babies on the block.  The PPHT community curatorial experience involves entire neighborhoods in gathering, planning, and designing each exhibit, making it possible to connect all people to the process of museums.  PPHT’s current curatorial focus is on neighborhood exhibits with the intention to increase local civic engagement and connect Philadelphia communities.

PPHT’s newly-acquired “A Touch of Philly” (lovingly being shared with PPHT by East Kensington Neighbors Association President Jeff Carpineta) truck will traverse the city and bring people together in history exchanges and storytelling block parties to birth exhibits in tandem with historical research by young, local historians.  In other words, this project is a fusion of archival research, oral history, and material culture study.