The Rosenbach

The Rosenbach Where 400,000 works of literature, history, and fine + decorative art come together. Come explore!

The Rosenbach offers exhibits, programs, and tours showcasing rare books, manuscripts, and art. We seek to inspire curiosity, inquiry, and creativity by engaging broad audiences in exhibitions, programs, and research based on our remarkable and expanding collections.

On September 1, 1773, Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was published in London, England...
09/01/2026

On September 1, 1773, Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was published in London, England. Wheatley’s collection was the first volume of poetry by an African-American poet to be published.

"ARISE, my soul, on wings enraptur’d, rise
To praise the monarch of the earth and skies,
Whose goodness and beneficence appear
As round its centre moves the rolling year,
Or when the morning glows with rosy charms,
Or the sun slumbers in the ocean’s arms:
Of light divine be a rich portion lent
To guide my soul, and favour my intent.
Celestial muse, my arduous flight sustain
And raise my mind to a seraphic strain!"

Image: Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784). Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Rosenbach Museum & Library. A 786po.

Photo credit:

On August 31, 1837, shortly after noon, 215 members of Harvard University’s distinguished Phi Beta Kappa Society gathere...
08/31/2026

On August 31, 1837, shortly after noon, 215 members of Harvard University’s distinguished Phi Beta Kappa Society gathered at the First Parish Meetinghouse near Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They had come to hear 34-year-old Ralph Waldo Emerson deliver the society’s annual address. Although Emerson’s speech, titled “The American Scholar,” lasted only 75 minutes, its influence was immediate and lasting. Building on his belief that Americans should look inward rather than rely on European ideals, Emerson called on American scholars to embrace original and independent thinking. He encouraged them to trust their own intuition and judgment as they sought knowledge, truth, and a distinctly American identity.

Image: Victor David Brenner (1871-1924). Circular bronze plaque with bust-length portrait of Emerson. Rosenbach Museum & Library. 2005.0332.003.

King Charles II Orders John Milton's Books Burned!In August 1660, King Charles II ordered the burning of books by poet a...
08/30/2026

King Charles II Orders John Milton's Books Burned!

In August 1660, King Charles II ordered the burning of books by poet and political writer John Milton. Milton's writings had fiercely criticized the monarchy and championed freedom of the press.

Milton was arrested and fined, but soon released. Nearly blind, he turned away from politics and toward poetry, eventually writing Paradise Lost.

A fascinating twist of history: the man whose words a king tried to silence would go on to create one of the greatest epics in the English language.

Image: John Milton (1608-1674). The poetical works of John Milton...Rosenbach Museum & Library. FP .P596 832m v.1-3.

How can we correct the historical record to recognize the significant contributions of women in the book trade? Alice Mi...
08/28/2026

How can we correct the historical record to recognize the significant contributions of women in the book trade?

Alice Millard was an antiquarian bookseller who moved in similar circles to our founder, Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach. Professor Michèle V. Cloonan visited the Rosenbach in 2022 to do research and learn more about Millard’s life and career. Click the link in bio to read our regular blogpost, Notes from the Reading Room, and learn more about Professor Cloonan’s recent publication, Becoming Alice Millard: Bookseller and Tastemaker.

Image courtesy of Huntington Library, Manuscript Collections, mssMillard papers

At The Rosenbach, we shared something special with Tim Curry: a deep love of literature and the enduring power of a grea...
08/27/2026

At The Rosenbach, we shared something special with Tim Curry: a deep love of literature and the enduring power of a great story.

Curry was not only an unforgettable actor and performer—he was also a remarkable voice for literature. He narrated beloved works including Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Through his distinctive voice and extraordinary gift for storytelling, he brought the words of many of our favorite authors to life for generations of listeners.

Curry once described audiobook narration as being “the voice in someone’s ear”, a meaningful connection between storyteller, story, and listener. It feels especially fitting as we remember a life devoted to bringing stories to life.

We will always be grateful for the stories he left with us.

This week marks the birth of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Originally released without an author's name (though ...
08/26/2026

This week marks the birth of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Originally released without an author's name (though dedicated to her father, William Godwin), it featured a preface written by her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, which led early readers to mistakenly attribute the book to him.

The 1818 text would reveal hard-hitting and politically charged aspects of Mary Shelley's writing, as well as her unflinching wit and strong female voice. The later edition (1831) shows the compelling forcefulness of Shelley’s prose after 13 more years of experience. Still, it is widely believed that the first edition was much closer to her original vision.

Have you read Frankenstein? If so, which version? Let us know in the comments below.

Image: Mary Shelley (1797-1851). Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. 1818. Rosenbach Museum & Library. EL3 .S5449fr 818.

Celebrating Dolly Parton today. She was a lifelong champion of books, reading, and the power of literacy. Through her g...
08/25/2026

Celebrating Dolly Parton today. She was a lifelong champion of books, reading, and the power of literacy. Through her generosity and commitment to putting books into the hands of children, Dolly has helped inspire generations of young readers to dream bigger, learn more, and imagine what’s possible. Thank you, Dolly, for reminding us that a book can open a world of possibilities.

Jean Rhys, born on this day in 1890, was a groundbreaking writer whose life and work crossed continents and cultures. Bo...
08/24/2026

Jean Rhys, born on this day in 1890, was a groundbreaking writer whose life and work crossed continents and cultures. Born Ella Gwendolen Rees Williams in Dominica, she moved to England as a teenager, an experience that deeply shaped her writing and her sense of displacement and belonging.

Rhys drew on her own experiences of loneliness, identity, gender, and life as an outsider in her novels. Her best-known work, Wide Sargasso Sea, published in 1966 after years of obscurity, reimagines the story of Bertha Mason from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and established Rhys as an important voice in 20th-century literature.

Discover more about this and other incredible literary connections at the Rosenbach Museum & Library. Plan your visit today.

Image: Jean Rhys (1890-1979). Wide Sargasso Sea. Rosenbach Museum & Library. EL4 .R479w 967

08/22/2026

Interested in taking a piece of "Dear John" home before the exhibition closes? Artist-in-Residence John Wind dropped by to tell us a little more about the featured silhouette bookends available for purchase in the gift shop.

These one-of-a-kind, beautiful statement pieces are made from the historic bookshelves (1909) from his home, previously John Frederick Lewis’ library on Delancey Place. These bookends would look great framing your personal collection or as stand-alone art!

Single bookends are $250, or buy a set of two for $400.

Come visit the Rosenbach Museum & Library and take home a piece of Philadelphia history.

08/21/2026

A little Friday flat-file glamour.

Spending the day giving our broadsides the careful home they deserve. They are sorted, sleeved, labeled, and tucked away for their next outing.

Paper ephemera, but make it organized.

Visit www.rosenbach.com to learn more about what's in our files.

Address

2008-2010 Delancey Place
Philadelphia, PA
19103

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 5pm
Wednesday 12pm - 8pm
Thursday 12pm - 8pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 6pm
Sunday 12pm - 6pm

Telephone

+12157321600

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