Pennsylvania in Watercolor: Revisiting Nick Ruggieri’s Bicentennial Series

Posted by on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania in Watercolor: Revisiting Nick Ruggieri’s Bicentennial Series   In 1971, the Harrisburg Patriot-News commissioned local artist and newspaperman Nick Ruggieri (1908–96) to create a series of paintings depicting Pennsylvania scenes—both historic and contemporary — across all 67 counties. The project was intended to be the capital city newspaper’s contribution to the upcoming Bicentennial, a national celebration in which the Keystone State was expected...
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Hanauer Rosenberg Residence

Posted by on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off on Hanauer Rosenberg Residence Nestled in Pittsburgh’s Deutschtown neighborhood, an unassuming rowhouse was once the home of Pauline Hanauer Rosenberg (1863–1940), a leader of Progressive Era reform movements and founding member of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), the first nationwide Jewish women’s organization. Rosenberg was born into a German Jewish family in Allegheny City (now part of Pittsburgh). She and her...
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Tun Tavern, Birthplace of the U.S. Marines

Posted by on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off on Tun Tavern, Birthplace of the U.S. Marines The Tun Tavern in Philadelphia is best known as the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps, but its legacy extends far beyond military history. In its prime, the tavern served as a social and political hub, hosting early meetings of several prominent organizations that still exist today. Its influence on civic and fraternal life in Colonial America is a reminder of how essential taverns...
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Benedict Arnold’s Daybook

Posted by on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off on Benedict Arnold’s Daybook Gen. Benedict Arnold’s 1778–79 daybook is one of the most intriguing documents of the Revolutionary era held in the collection of the Pennsylvania State Archives (Record Group 4.15). In its pages, Arnold kept a record of receipts and expenditures during his military campaigns in the American Revolutionary War and his tenure as military governor of Philadelphia. Arnold was one of the most...
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Editor’s Letter

Posted by on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off on Editor’s Letter What comes to mind when you think of Pennsylvania? The features in this edition spotlight perspectives on commonwealth culture through a painter’s scenic landscapes, a sculptor’s three-dimensional portraits of historical and folkloric figures, the state animal, and a popular food product. In the early 1970s, artist Nick Ruggieri was commissioned by the Harrisburg Patriot-News to select a...
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From the Executive Director

Posted by on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off on From the Executive Director We are thrilled to be sharing some PHMC news with you: We are embarking on a major renovation of The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Our Midcentury Modern masterpiece is a wonderful home for telling Pennsylvania’s story, but after serving Pennsylvanians for 60 years, it has some elements that no longer meet the needs of the modern visitor or, to be honest, the needs of our collections. This $55...
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Getting Pennsylvania on Speaking Terms

Posted by on Sep 8, 2025 in | Comments Off on Getting Pennsylvania on Speaking Terms Following Alexander Graham Bell’s famous exhibition of the telephone at the Centennial Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia, a sprawling telephone network would soon connect people in every corner of the United States. The telephone quickly became a popular communication tool among merchants and business owners who valued its instantaneous nature, such as John Wanamaker, who first installed...
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Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Summer 2025

Posted by on Sep 8, 2025 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Summer 2025 Topics in the Summer 2025 Newsletter: PHF to Launch Podcast Series Summer Events on the Pennsylvania Trails of History Jacobs Joins PHF Board Summer-2025-PHF-Newsletter...
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1st Pennsylvania Regiment Flag and Banners of Liberty

Posted by on Sep 8, 2025 in | Comments Off on 1st Pennsylvania Regiment Flag and Banners of Liberty One of the most significant objects in the collection of The State Museum of Pennsylvania is currently being featured in Banners of Liberty, a special exhibition of rare and original Revolutionary War–era flags at the Museum of the American Revolution (MOAR) in Philadelphia. The 40-by-54-inch silk flag belonged to the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line between 1776 and 1783. Over...
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Bark Peelers’ Festival 50

Posted by on Sep 8, 2025 in | Comments Off on Bark Peelers’ Festival 50 The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum’s Bark Peelers’ Festival event celebrates its 50th occurrence in July 2025. Referred to as the “Bark Peelers’ Convention” from its inception in 1974 through the 2014 iteration, the festival is the museum’s largest and most well-known yearly special event. Attendance has fluctuated over the years, from a high of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people during the 1980s...
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