Exhibits at HSP
Step into the past and explore the countless stories in our collection with curated exhibits at HSP.
Exhibits are open to both researchers and the public. They can be viewed free of charge anytime during library open hours.
Current Exhibit
"To Provide a Naval Armament:" U.S. Navy & Marine Corps History, 1775 – 1958
On view October 8, 2025 to January 9, 2026
In Collaboration with Homecoming 250 ​​​​​​​
Philadelphia gave birth to the U.S. Navy twice—first in 1775 and again in 1794. The later Navy reflected the young nation: ships designed by Quakers, built in shipyards along the East Coast with wood harvested by enslaved people, led by white officers, and crewed by a diverse mix of nationalities, ethnicities, and religions. The Marines of both eras laid the foundation for one of the world's elite fighting forces.​​
​While prominent Philadelphians appear in naval history, the story also lives in the letters and journals of sailors, surgeons, and shipyard workers. In partnership with Homecoming 250, "To Provide a Naval Armament:" U.S. Navy & Marine Corps History, 1775–1958 explores the Navy and Marine Corps through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s collections, tracing their evolution from the American Revolution to the early Cold War, all while remaining anchored in Philadelphia.
​Support for this exhibit comes from Hannah Lowell Henderson.
Upcoming Exhibits
Changing Faces of Independence: Pennsylvania in the 1800s
On view January 22, 2026 - April 24, 2025​​
Changing Faces of Independence: Pennsylvania in the 1900s
On view October 1, 2026 - January 8, 2027
How has the make-up of who is an American changed since the American Revolution? How have the people in that changing face of America continuously re-invigorated and re-asserted the founding ideals of the country? By examining the documents left by our ancestors in the time leading to America’s 100th and 200th birthdays, these two displays will ask those questions of their descendants.
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The Changing Faces of Independence: Pennsylvania in the 1800s
By the time of the nation’s Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia in 1876, enormous waves of German and Irish immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, and significant migrations of free and enslaved people of African descent moved from the South on the Underground Railroad and following Emancipation during and after the Civil War. What do the records of their lives suggest about how they saw their roles as Americans and as newly arrived Pennsylvanians?​
​The Changing Faces of Independence: Pennsylvania in the 1900s
From 1890 until 1917, America welcomed 15 million new immigrants to its shores; nearly 15% of the population identified as foreign born in the 1910 census. In Pennsylvania, this meant large populations of Italians and Eastern Europeans called Pennsylvania home by the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1926. Following World War II and significant changes to immigration policy, communities of Asians Americans populated Pennsylvania metropoles by the time of the Bicentennial. What do the records of their lives suggest about how they saw their roles as Americans and as newly arrived Pennsylvanians?
The Changing Faces of Independence program is made possible through a grant from the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, a fund of the National Philanthropic Trust. Additional ​support for these exhibits and related programming is provided by the Lily Foundation.
Previous Exhibits
2025 marked the 250th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society (PAS), one of the nation’s earliest organizations dedicated to ending slavery and advancing racial justice. HSP, which holds the papers of the PAS, commemorated this milestone with a series of exhibits and programs highlighting the Society’s legacy and ongoing relevance.
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In May 2025, we honored the PAS with our Heritage Award in recognition of 250 years of advocacy on behalf of Black Americans. See all the 2025 activities here.
Free, As One: Black Worldmaking in the Pennsylvania Abolition Society Papers
On view February 6, 2025 - May 23, 2025
In Collaboration with the 1838 Black Metropolis​​
Free, As One: Black Worldmaking in the Pennsylvania Abolition Society Papers highlights themes of Black self-determination and leadership from the 1770s onward in the abolition movement of the Mid-Atlantic region.
​Using | Doing | Teaching Black History
See Program
Keynote: Nell Irvin Painter
​Support for this exhibit comes from The Haverford Trust Company and the Pennsylvania Abolition Society Endowment Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation.
Voices of the Community: Local Black Preservation ​​
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​On view June 12, 2025 - September 26, 2025​
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Support for this exhibit comes from The Haverford Trust Company and the Pennsylvania Abolition Society Endowment Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation.
Voices of the Community: Local Black Preservation explored the history, migration, and preservation of African American communities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Lawnside, New Jersey. Curated by community historians and activists, this exhibit used archival documents such as personal papers, photographs, musical scores, and ephemera to highlight strategies Black individuals and communities utilize to preserve their heritage.
2024 marked the 200th anniversary of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania! Since HSP’s founding in 1824, we have collected and preserved an astonishing array of documents that bring the people of the past into conversation with us today. As part of our anniversary celebration, HSP teamed up with partners to develop collaborative programming and joint exhibits based on the strategic themes of our collection.