February 16, 2026
Provided Courtesy/Library of Congress
Lithograph of an advertisement depicting the Tatham & Brothers factory complex located at 608 Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia, August 1847.
The Science History Institute will explore Philadelphia’s industrial roots during its March First Friday on March 6, unveiling a new exhibition titled “Philadelphia: Workshop of the World.”
The free event runs from 5-7 p.m. at 315 Chestnut St. and looks back at the era when factories lined the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers and powered the city’s growth, helping Philadelphia truly live up to its nickname as the “workshop of the world.” From the 1800s through the 1920s, ships, yarn, paints and other goods were produced here in massive quantities.
The exhibition is part of the Institute’s “A Closer Read” series and features works originally published by pioneering companies that helped make the city an industrial powerhouse. Visitors can browse the display, take part in hands-on collection activities and get a closer look at materials that trace Philadelphia’s manufacturing legacy.
A curator’s talk by Caroline Meehan, a librarian at the Institute’s Othmer Library of Chemical History, will begin at 6 p.m. on the mezzanine level and will be followed by a light reception. The Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Industrial Archaeology also will be on-site to share information about its work preserving historic factories, bridges and other industrial sites across the region.
Ahead of the main event, the Institute will offer a behind-the-scenes tour of the Othmer Library from 4-4:45 p.m. Space is limited for the tour. Registration is requested for the evening’s programming.
First Fridays at the Science History Institute are free and open to the public.
Friday, March 6 from 5-7 p.m.
Science History Institute
315 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Free to attend
Registration requested
This content was generated by PhillyVoice Media Events, not by the editorial staff.
