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Tuesday 12pm - 5pm Wednesday 12pm - 8pm Thursday 12pm - 8pm Friday 12pm - 5pm Saturday 12pm - 6pm Sunday 12pm - 6pm

The Rosenbach

Where 400,000 works of literature, history, and fine + decorative art come together. Come explore!

The Rosenbach offers exhibits, programs, and tours showcasing rare books, manuscripts, and art. We seek to inspire curiosity, inquiry, and creativity by engaging broad audiences in exhibitions, programs, and research based on our remarkable and expanding collections.

09/06/2026

We believe great literature is meant to spark more than discussion. It should spark debate, laughter, existential dread, and extremely questionable hypotheticals.

Come for the books. Stay for the conversations. Find your community.

Learn more at www.rosenbach.org.

09/04/2026

"After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited."

Etch this infamous text from the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States onto the side of a high-quality double rocks glass, and you've got yourself a cheeky gift for the whiskey lover in your life. These rocks glasses come in a double set with the 21st Amendment, which repealed the Prohibition policy when it was ratified in 1933.

Irish whiskey more your speed? We also have rocks glasses emblazoned with the map of Dublin! Swing by the Rosenbach this week and get a head start on your holiday shopping.

Prohibition Rocks Glasses (set of 2) -- $36

Map of Dublin Rocks Glass -- $20

09/02/2026

Are you ready for a new fall sport?

Skip the sidelines and go explore fascinating rare books, manuscripts, and literary treasures. Make the Rosenbach your new fall destination.

Plan your visit today at www.rosenbach.org.

Game on.

09/01/2026

On September 1, 1773, Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was published in London, England. Wheatley’s collection was the first volume of poetry by an African-American poet to be published.

"ARISE, my soul, on wings enraptur’d, rise
To praise the monarch of the earth and skies,
Whose goodness and beneficence appear
As round its centre moves the rolling year,
Or when the morning glows with rosy charms,
Or the sun slumbers in the ocean’s arms:
Of light divine be a rich portion lent
To guide my soul, and favour my intent.
Celestial muse, my arduous flight sustain
And raise my mind to a seraphic strain!"

Image: Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784). Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Rosenbach Museum & Library. A 786po.

Photo credit:

08/31/2026

On August 31, 1837, shortly after noon, 215 members of Harvard University’s distinguished Phi Beta Kappa Society gathered at the First Parish Meetinghouse near Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They had come to hear 34-year-old Ralph Waldo Emerson deliver the society’s annual address. Although Emerson’s speech, titled “The American Scholar,” lasted only 75 minutes, its influence was immediate and lasting. Building on his belief that Americans should look inward rather than rely on European ideals, Emerson called on American scholars to embrace original and independent thinking. He encouraged them to trust their own intuition and judgment as they sought knowledge, truth, and a distinctly American identity.

Image: Victor David Brenner (1871-1924). Circular bronze plaque with bust-length portrait of Emerson. Rosenbach Museum & Library. 2005.0332.003.

08/30/2026

King Charles II Orders John Milton's Books Burned!

In August 1660, King Charles II ordered the burning of books by poet and political writer John Milton. Milton's writings had fiercely criticized the monarchy and championed freedom of the press.

Milton was arrested and fined, but soon released. Nearly blind, he turned away from politics and toward poetry, eventually writing Paradise Lost.

A fascinating twist of history: the man whose words a king tried to silence would go on to create one of the greatest epics in the English language.

Image: John Milton (1608-1674). The poetical works of John Milton...Rosenbach Museum & Library. FP .P596 832m v.1-3.

08/28/2026

How can we correct the historical record to recognize the significant contributions of women in the book trade?

Alice Millard was an antiquarian bookseller who moved in similar circles to our founder, Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach. Professor Michèle V. Cloonan visited the Rosenbach in 2022 to do research and learn more about Millard’s life and career. Click the link in bio to read our regular blogpost, Notes from the Reading Room, and learn more about Professor Cloonan’s recent publication, Becoming Alice Millard: Bookseller and Tastemaker.

Image courtesy of Huntington Library, Manuscript Collections, mssMillard papers

08/27/2026

At The Rosenbach, we shared something special with Tim Curry: a deep love of literature and the enduring power of a great story.

Curry was not only an unforgettable actor and performer—he was also a remarkable voice for literature. He narrated beloved works including Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Through his distinctive voice and extraordinary gift for storytelling, he brought the words of many of our favorite authors to life for generations of listeners.

Curry once described audiobook narration as being “the voice in someone’s ear”, a meaningful connection between storyteller, story, and listener. It feels especially fitting as we remember a life devoted to bringing stories to life.

We will always be grateful for the stories he left with us.

08/26/2026

This week marks the birth of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Originally released without an author's name (though dedicated to her father, William Godwin), it featured a preface written by her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, which led early readers to mistakenly attribute the book to him.

The 1818 text would reveal hard-hitting and politically charged aspects of Mary Shelley's writing, as well as her unflinching wit and strong female voice. The later edition (1831) shows the compelling forcefulness of Shelley’s prose after 13 more years of experience. Still, it is widely believed that the first edition was much closer to her original vision.

Have you read Frankenstein? If so, which version? Let us know in the comments below.

Image: Mary Shelley (1797-1851). Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. 1818. Rosenbach Museum & Library. EL3 .S5449fr 818.

08/25/2026

Celebrating Dolly Parton today. She was a lifelong champion of books, reading, and the power of literacy. Through her generosity and commitment to putting books into the hands of children, Dolly has helped inspire generations of young readers to dream bigger, learn more, and imagine what’s possible. Thank you, Dolly, for reminding us that a book can open a world of possibilities.

Address

2008-2010 Delancey Place
Philadelphia, PA
19103

Opening Hours

Tuesday	12pm - 5pm
Wednesday	12pm - 8pm
Thursday	12pm - 8pm
Friday	12pm - 5pm
Saturday	12pm - 6pm
Sunday	12pm - 6pm

Telephone

+12157321600

Website

http://www.rosenbach.org/, https://lnk.bio/therosenbach

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