Philadelphia’s blue collar past is stepping back into the spotlight this spring, as the Science History Institute rolls out its mini exhibition "Philadelphia: Workshop of the World" during First Friday on March 6, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m. The free evening program will feature a curator talk, hands on collection activities and a behind the scenes look at the Othmer Library.
What to Expect at First Friday
The new mini exhibition is part of the institute’s A Closer Read series and pulls together trade literature, lithographs and company publications that map the factories and riverfront industries that once drove the city’s economy. Caroline Meehan, a librarian with the Othmer Library, is slated to give a curator talk on the mezzanine at 6 p.m., and advance registration for the evening is requested, according to the Science History Institute.
Before the talk, the institute plans a behind the scenes Othmer Library tour from 4 to 4:45 p.m. Space is limited, and the First Fridays series is free and open to the public, as reported by PhillyVoice. Visitors can also expect hands on object handling in the museum galleries and a light reception on the mezzanine.
Who’s Showing Up and What They Will Sell
The Philadelphia chapter of the Society for Industrial Archaeology will be on hand to talk preservation and sell two themed guidebooks that tie directly into the exhibition, per the event listing on Eventbrite. Their tables aim to connect the paper trail on display to actual sites and structures scattered around the city.
A Neighborhood Shaped by Industry
The show’s focus on trade ephemera and company publications doubles as a crash course in how Philadelphia picked up the nickname "Workshop of the World," a label that by the early 20th century reflected a huge range of manufacturing across the city. Manufacturing employment hit its high point in the mid 20th century, with about 359,000 jobs in 1953, then collapsed over the decades that followed, reshaping neighborhoods and the local economy, according to the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia.
Plan Your Visit
First Friday programs at the institute require advance registration, and the event page notes that attendees receive a 10 percent discount at nearby National Mechanics and that the Othmer Library tour has limited capacity, according to the Science History Institute. The program takes place at the Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut St., and the evening wraps up at 7 p.m.
For more details or to register, check out the listing on Eventbrite or visit the Science History Institute’s event page. The compact show is designed to link what you see in the museum cases to the factories and waterfront that once helped build the city.
