Global Philadelphia explores the Wagner Free Institute for the National Historic Landmark tour series
The Global Philadelphia Association visited the Wagner Free Institute for the third excursion in our National Historic Landmark (NHL) site tour series. This NHL site is located in North Philadelphia at 17th and Montgomery, near the Temple University campus. The Institute has offered free science education since its founding in 1855, and its exhibit halls and historical structure demonstrate a rare look into educational practices and findings from the 19th century on.
Our group was welcomed by Susan Glassman, the Director of Wagner Free Library, for a brief lecture and a tour of their large collection of artifacts in the realm of natural sciences, such as geology, mineralogy, paleontology, and life sciences. The site also has an extensive library archive of 17th to 20th-century print archives of topics including: natural and physical sciences, education, medicine, archaeology and anthropology, pseudo-sciences, instrument building, and engineering.
The lecture portion of the event covered the history of the Free Institute and, of course, the founder himself, William Wagner (1796-1885). It was interesting to learn about the various connections that the Institute had around the city at a time, now very historic, of innovation and industry emerging in Philadelphia. Some of the notable connections include Steven Girard of Girard College, Eastern State Penitentiary, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the design team behind City Hall.
We also learned about the educational components of the Institute. The faculty, made up of esteemed scientists and explorers of their day, taught a selection of free night classes offered to common working individuals, including women, which was progressive at the time. These mainly consisted of natural sciences courses, but also offered elocution courses to assist in public speaking. The Wagner continues this legacy by continuing to offer adult courses that can be found on their website.
The Wagner Free Institute is an amazing example of the innovation and public infrastructure that defines Philadelphia. This city has always been known to be a leader in science and education, both in its founding and present day. The Wagner is a perfect example of the era of Philadelphia where public good and scientific discovery walked hand in hand to create the city we know today.
Attendees: David Brownlee, Paul Steinke, Cornelia Swinton, Judith Robinson, Susan Glassman, Jeff Duncan, Kristen Duncan, Micheal Norris
