American Philosophical Society

During a long weekend in late May and early June, I visited Philadelphia, PA to see historic sites and watch a professional track & field meet. Within Independence National Historical Park was the American Philosophical Society. This pair of red brick buildings stood near Independence Hall and was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1743. Since then, the organization has amassed a collection of artifacts mostly out of the public eye except for a small gallery space in Philosophical Hall, which has operated a museum-type space since 1789. The Georgian style buildings have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1965.

The exhibit during my visit was called Philadelphia: The Revolutionary City and featured household objects, print materials, and other artifacts from the time period. While the materials were decently interesting, I had seen many similar objects in other museums, and often a more impressive variation elsewhere. A tall clock missing its metal finials stood sadly behind plexiglass, while a brightly colored pocket book likely belonging to a late 18^th century man was on loan from nearby Wyck: Historic House, Garden, and Farm. A handkerchief printed with a caricature of George Washington on a horse, a carved gunpowder horn, a Hebrew almanac, and an old map of the city were other highlights in the small collection.

The most interesting artifact of the American Philosophical Society is not longer in the collection and yet appears on materials in the makeshift gift shop. A mastodon skeleton, then called an American Incognitum, was discovered in New York during 1801. Now defunct Philadelphia Museum director Charles Willson Peale oversaw the excavation of the bones before bringing them back to Philadelphia. Peale and his son, portrait artist Rembrandt Peale, built the skeleton mostly correctly except for the tusks, which they pointed upward instead of inward to make the animal look scarier. The skeleton may have encouraged family friend Thomas Jefferson to make the Louisiana Purchase along with sending the expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to see what else was out there. After the death of Charles Peale in 1827, the bones were passed around until they ended up at Hessische Landesmuseum [Hessian State Museum]. While these were borrowed by the Smithsonian in 2020-2021, the skeleton typically stands in the entrance of the paleontology section.

The museum portion of American Philosophical Society is free and open to the public on Thursday through Sunday, plus Wednesday in July, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Donations are accepted at the desk. The exhibit has a capacity of forty visitors but is unlikely to have that many at a time, and the space felt crowded with only ten to fifteen visitors because of how cases were placed in the room. Lighting in the space was dim, making signs difficult to read. Due to the steep steps at both entrances, a lift and elevator are available to provide access for those using a wheelchair or with limited mobility. No bathrooms are on this site, so go at the Visitor Center ahead of time. Fortunately, the gallery should not take more than ten minutes. I was underwhelmed by the experience but found the young staff members extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Unless you want to see something specific in the exhibit, I would pass on this venue.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 4/10

Accessibility: 7/10