This episode of It’s History! features the Johnstown Heritage Discovery Center. The center houses many features including an exhibit on immigration to the area, a children’s museum, and a gallery on the areas steel industry. Watch with us as we explore the rich history of Johnstown depicted from the many points of views of its […]
“God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen”
Carrying to the plate baseball’s heaviest and loudest bat as well as the burden of being the club’s first African American superstar, Allen found both hits and controversy with ease and regularity as he established himself as the premier individualist in a game that prided itself on conformity. As one of his managers observed, “I […]
Independence Seaport Museum: U.S.S. Olympia
Join It’s History! as we tour the former U.S. Navy cruiser U.S.S. Olympia. The ship served as Commodore George Dewey’s flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War in 1898. It was also used for anti-submarine escort duties during WWI. The U.S.S Olympia is a National Historic Landmark and is operated by […]
PA Books, “Hannah Mary Tabbs and the Disembodied Torso”
Shortly after a dismembered torso was discovered by a pond outside Philadelphia in 1887, investigators homed in on two suspects: Hannah Mary Tabbs, a married, working-class, black woman, and George Wilson, a former neighbor whom Tabbs implicated after her arrest. As details surrounding the shocking case emerged, both the crime and ensuing trial-which spanned several […]
Independence Seaport Museum: Patriots and Pirates
Located along the Philadelphia waterfront, the Independence Seaport Museum houses a variety of art, artifacts, and other items relating to the maritime history of the Port of Philadelphia and the Greater Delaware River Valley. Come along with It’s History! as we tour the museum’s latest permanent exhibit, “Patriots and Pirates,” which tells the story of […]
PA Books, “Lou Tullio: A Real Erie Guy”
“Lou Tullio: A Real Erie Guy” showcases the gritty underbelly of city government in a mid-sized Rust Belt manufacturing town. Cory Vaillancourt tells the story of Tullio’s life, his six terms as mayor of Erie, and the key political players from the 1950s through the 1980s who lived and worked alongside the man who left […]
PA Books “Lazaretto: A Novel”
Isolated on an island where two rivers meet, the Lazaretto quarantine hospital is the first stop for immigrants who wish to begin new lives in Philadelphia. The Lazaretto’s black live-in staff forge a strong social community, and when one of them receives permission to get married on the island the mood is one of celebration, […]
“Field Guide to Birds of Pennsylvania”
“Field Guide to Birds of Pennsylvania” includes over 252 species birders are most likely to see in the commonwealth. Illustrated with over 400 crisp color photographs, it includes clearly written descriptions along with tips of where and when to see birds by an expert birder. George Armistead is the events coordinator for the American Birding […]
PA Books: “Christmas in Pennsylvania”
Originally published in 1959 and written by one of the seminal figures in American folklife studies, this classic work examines the folk origins of Christmas in the Keystone State. Composed of interviews and contemporary newspaper reports, it records holiday traditions from the eighteenth century through the early twentieth century, including mummers, Christ-Kindel and Kriss Kringle, […]
Museum of Indian Culture
Founded in 1980, the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown displays art and artifacts of Native American peoples from throughout the Western Hemisphere. The museum’s exhibits include stone tool collections, beadwork, ceramics, basketry, and weapons. Join It’s History! as we tour Pennsylvania’s oldest museum dedicated exclusively to Native American culture. Order this episode on the […]