Library Company of Philadelphia Blog: September 2009

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Exhibition Opening and Daguerreotype Lecture by Keith Davis

Exhibition Opening: Catching A Shadow

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Reception at 5:30 p.m., program at 6:00

Keith F. Davis, Curator of Photography at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, in Kansas City, and author of numerous books including The Origins of American Photography: From Daguerreotype to Dry-Plate, 1839-1885, will speak about the remarkable achievement of the world’s first successful photographic process – the daguerreotype – and Philadelphia’s vital role in the history of early photography in America. This event is presented by the Visual Culture Program at the Library Company (VCP@LCP).

This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, call 215-546-3181 or email lpropst@librarycompany.org.

The Library Company of Philadelphia

The Library Company of Philadelphia is an independent research library specializing in American history and culture from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Open to the public free of charge, the Library Company houses an extensive collection of rare books, manuscripts, broadsides, ephemera, prints, photographs, and works of art. Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin, the Library Company is America's oldest cultural institution and served as the Library of Congress from the Revolutionary War to 1800. The Library Company was the largest public library in America until the Civil War.

The mission of the Library Company is to preserve, interpret, make available, and augment the valuable materials in our care. We serve a diverse constituency throughout Philadelphia and internationally, offering comprehensive reader services, an internationally renowned fellowship program, online catalogs, and regular exhibitions and public programs.