Patrick Coad, patentee of the galvanic battery, and interesting miscellaneous items

I am almost finished processing a small collection, Patrick Coad Family Papers (MC 37). An online finding aid will soon be available. Patrick Coad (1783-1872), an Irish immigrant who settled in Philadelphia, was the first American patentee of a graduated galvanic battery with insulated poles. Coad was a noted teacher and lecturer of medicine

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Jane and Marianne Campbell: Catholic Feminists

I recently completed processing and creating a finding aid-available online- for the collection, Martin-Campbell-Furlong Family Papers, 1795-1963 (MC 90)  . Before moving on to another project, I wanted to bring attention to two more family members who are documented within this collection, Sarah Jane Campbell (1844-1928) and her sister Marianne Campbell (1840-1913).

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1832 Cholera Outbreak in Philadelphia and Duffy’s Cut

Lately, there has been a fair amount of news coverage (“Fates Of Irish Workers Sealed In Mass Grave”, “Pennsylvania Ghost Story Leads to Murder Mystery”, "CNN Visits Penn Museum to Follow Story of "Duffy's Cut" Excavations in Malvern, PA") about the mystery surrounding “Duffy’s Cut,” a stretch of land in

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A Philadelphia Artist

I’m currently processing the Campbell- Martin- Furlong Papers, a collection of papers that documents these three interrelated Catholic families as well as other related families such as the Kennedys and Jenkins.  Most of items are family correspondence, though some business and estate materials are also included. One member of the

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