Philadelphia: Workshop of the World

Opens March 6, 2026
Museum Mezzanine

Part of our A Closer Read series, Philadelphia: Workshop of the World examines the city’s industrial past and the neighborhoods that sustained and were shaped by it. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Philadelphia earned the nickname “workshop of the world” for its scale, innovation, and diversity of its manufacturing economy. Factories across the city produced paints, soaps, machinery, building materials, chemicals, and countless other goods that supplied national and international markets.

Philadelphia’s industries helped drive American economic growth while profoundly influencing the social, cultural, and physical landscapes of its neighborhoods. This exhibition invites visitors to take a closer look at the companies that defined the city’s industrial era and to consider the lasting imprint of that legacy today. The works on display were all published in Philadelphia by companies that originated in the city, including Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co., National Lead Works, Delaware River Chemical Works, United Gas Improvement Company, Philadelphia Drying Machinery Company, and others.

Philadelphia: Workshop of the World was curated by Caroline Meehan, a librarian in the Science History Institute’s Othmer Library of Chemical History.

Exhibition Opening

Join us for an opening celebration on Friday, March 6 during our March First Friday. Guests can enjoy handling collection activities in our museum, a curator’s talk, and a light reception. Registration is requested for this free event.

About A Closer Read: Stories from Our Library Shelves

A Closer Read is a series of exhibitions featuring materials from the Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Library of Chemical History. On display on the mezzanine level of the Science History Institute Museum, these exhibitions use rare books, archival materials, and modern books and journals to share new stories from the history of science.

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Featured image: Aerial View of Rohm and Hass Plant in Bridesburg, view of the chemical manufacturing company located in Philadelphia’s Bridesburg neighborhood along the Delaware River in the Northeast section of the city.