An illustrated lecture by Peter Woodall
June 12, 2024 6 pm
If you were trying to sum up Philadelphia’s history as the “Workshop of the World” in 63 objects, which ones would you choose? That was the challenge Pete Woodall took on when he created a poster showcasing our city’s industrial history as a thank you gift for Hidden City’s annual fund drive.
Capturing the diversity of manufactures Philadelphia was famous for wasn’t easy but Pete managed to squeeze in everything from a humble brick to a massive battleship, from the work of the most skilled artisans to the products of mass production, from virtually anonymous firms to the companies that made Philadelphia famous.
Pete will talk about what he chose and why, as well as the history behind many of the objects. There are no right answers here, of course, so lively debate will be strongly encouraged.
Pete Woodall is the co-founder of the Hidden City Daily website, and is currently the organization’s project director. He is also the co-author of Philadelphia: Finding the Hidden City, (Temple University Press, 2017).
Peter is a former newspaper reporter with the Biloxi Sun Herald and Sacramento Bee. He is the co-founder of the Hidden City Daily, and is currently the organization’s project director. He is also the photographer for Extant, the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia’s magazine. Peter is the co-author of Philadelphia: Finding the Hidden City, (Temple University Press, 2017).
Free and Open to Everyone
The meeting room will open at 5:30, the talk will begin at 6:00
For those who can’t make the meeting, the program will be live-streamed. Here is the link to register for the streaming.
A video of the presentation will appear later on the Free Library’s Facebook page. An account is not needed to access the video.
Location: Parkway Central Free Library, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia
Enter the Heim Center classroom at the back of the library on Wood Street.
There is metered parking around the library building and a paid parking lot behind the library with an entrance off Callowhill Street.
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