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Our latest document display, Rails to Rockets, commemorates two milestone anniversaries: the creation of a transcontinental railroad (150 years ago on May 10, 1869) and the Apollo moon walk (50 years ago on July 20, 1969). While today we may feel like the world is changing quickly in ways often beyond our imaginations, in the 1860s and 1960s, monumental developments in travel and exploration prompted similar sentiments.
See rare books, documents, images, and other historical materials that provide greater insight into how these events connected us, moved us, and broadened our horizons.
Can't-miss highlights:
- Autographs from Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first two people to walk on the Moon
- A handwritten letter from famed Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei
- Watercolor paintings of some of the earliest locomotive engines used in the Philadelphia area
Plan Your Visit
The document display is free and open to the public through June 7 during our regular library hours.