Cordelia Frances Biddle: Finding Inspiration in the

People and Places of Philadelphia 

Imagine taking a stroll in 19th century Philadelphia, walking along the slick grey cobblestones lit only by feeble, flickering gaslights. Brick buildings line the streets and the sounds of horses and carriages surround you.  This is the world of Martha Beale, a 19th century fictional character and it is also the world of her creator Cordelia Frances Biddle, local author. 

Ms. Biddle, whose family was among the earliest residents of our city, is a native Philadelphian and a long-time resident of Society Hill.  Her books (The Conjurer, Deception's Daughter and Without Fear), feature Martha Beale, a member of a prominent Philadelphia family, and are inspired by her Biddle and Drexel ancestors.  Ms. Biddle, who writes about a time when poverty, vast wealth, murder, spiritualism, etc. lived side by side in what was known as the "Athens of America", is haunted by the history of Philadelphia that surrounds her every day on her walks through her neighborhood.

The Friends of Independence invites you to join us as we welcome Cordelia Frances Biddle as our December Speaker.  Come discover the world of Martha Beale and the fascinating research that went into creating this storyline.  Ms. Biddle will present how she researched 19th century Philadelphia through the vast sources of information available to the public, as well as her own private research into members of her family.

Participants are welcome to bring their copies of Ms. Biddle's books for her to sign after the program.

Time: 7:00 to 8:00 PM      

Where: Second Bank of the United States

            420 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106

 Cost: Members $7.00, General Public $12.00

*Seating is limited. 

Advance Registration is required*                       

To learn more and to register, Click Here 

James N. Green: Early American Book Stores

Mr. Green is curator of the Library Company's exhibition Benjamin Franklin, Writer and Printer, author of Books and Printing in the Age of Franklin and co-author of Benjamin Franklin, Writer and Printer. 

Now that book stores are disappearing from our world at a rapid clip, replaced by box stores and online retailers that sell books as a sideline, Mr. Green will speak about early American book stores.  Where were they? Who ran them? What kinds of books did they have? How did the booksellers get them? What was it like to buy a book?  This talk answers these questions by looking at Benjamin Franklin's book shop, which was not the first one in America, but - for a while - the biggest and the best. 

Date: Thursday, January 19, 2012

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Second Bank of the United States, 420 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Cost: FINHP Members $7.00

           General Public $12.00

*Seating is limited. 

 Advance Registration is required*                        

To learn more and to register, Click Here