Free Library of Philadelphia Newspapers & Microfilm Center

06/06/2026

One of the many stories highlighted in Emily Sneff's "When the Declaration of Independence Was News" discusses the care Jonas Phillips took to get a copy of the Declaration to family in Amsterdam only to have it confiscated along the way -- Dr. Sneff is featured in this article about how the 250 year old document made its way back to Philadelphia:

The copy of the Declaration of Independence Jonas Phillips mailed to his relative Gumpel in July 1776 represents one of the 26 surviving original broadsides of the founding document.

06/02/2026

Come up to the Newspaper and Microfilm room on the 2nd floor this Thursday, the 4th of June (from 2-4 PM) as we continue our celebration of with a look at the month of July throughout the years! This Thursday, we'll present July 1886 Philadelphia Evening Call and the Philadelphia Times.

05/27/2026

Join us this Friday, May 29th at 10: 00 a.m. in Room 131 as for another installment of The Missing, in which we explore the story of a missing person case­-from the first article to today. Original news articles, retrieved from databases and microfilm, will be presented in a timeline format. After the presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session, including tips on investigative research using the library’s resources.

This week we will look at the case of Ray Gricar, a PA district attorney who went missing in April of 2005.

(Unrelated photo shows two men discussing the disappearance of a friend in Ardmore, Oklahoma in 1957.)

05/27/2026

Come to the Newspaper and Microfilm room on the 2nd floor where we are featuring our latest installation on the 1926 Sesquicentennial!

05/15/2026

July 1876, the US was a place of contrasts. While papers spread the news of Custer's Last Stand on the Montana plains, Philadelphia was the center of a great Centennial Exposition featuring all the modern marvels of the day. Come and experience the news for yourself this Thursday, May 21st, 2026 as we'll present both the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin and the Philadelphia Inquirer July 1876 on microfilm from 2-4 PM upstairs in Room 214.

05/14/2026

Join us next Thursday, May 21st, for our monthly City Planning discussion group. We are continuing a discussion series centered on topics related to Philadelphia history, connecting local history with city planning and development. This month, participate in a thoughtful, guided discussion about the The Zipper over I-95 and Delaware Ave/Columbus Blvd/Penn's Landing.

The group meets from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Heim Center, Room 131/132.

The image is of the conceptual design of the overcap park was featured in the June 25th, 2019 edition of the Inquirer.

05/05/2026

Join us Thursday afternoon, May 7th, 2026 in room 214, from 2-4 PM; we'll present weekly editions of the July 1876 Manayunk Sentinel and the Philadelphia Record. **Fun Fact: the Philadelphia Record was the first paper in Philly to adopt the use of the Linotype press.**

05/05/2026

Join the Military History Club this Thursday from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Heim Center, Room 131/132. This month's discussion will cover the attempts to restore peace and the tensions in Philadelphia between the Continental Congress, the people and the colonial authorities.

Image: Washington Reviewing His Troops at Valley Forge by William T. Trego

04/21/2026

Join us tomorrow, April 22nd at 11:00 AM in Room 131, as we host George Anastasia. Anastasia is a veteran journalist who spent more than 30 years covering organized crime for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He’ll provide a behind-the-scenes look at his career, offer insights into the challenges facing today’s journalists, and share crime stories told with the unique perspective only he can deliver.

04/10/2026

Join us one week from today, April 17th, for another installment of our series The Missing, in which we explore the story of a missing person case­-from the first article to today. Original news articles, retrieved from databases and microfilm, will be presented in a timeline format. After the presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session, including tips on investigative research using the library’s resources.

We will be examining the 2005 disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone. Their disappearance remains one of the Philadelphia region’s most baffling missing persons cases.

Location: Room 131
Time: 10:00 AM

(The photo is from an unrelated New York Times article from January 11th, 1984 about a missing divinity student. Credit: Jim Wilson.)