Blog
Rockland Mansion’s 200th Anniversary (Fairmount Park)
The Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Foundation presents:Villa Living Lecture 11:30am/3:30pm $30/Ticket215-235-2345 Rockland MansionEast Fairmount Park3810 Mount Pleasant DrivePhiladelphia, PA 19121$30/Ticket215-235-2345 When was the last time you googled yourself on the web? In an age where ... Read More
A Museum of Early American Tools…AITA-Farm-Style!
A recent article in The Inquirer ("They Dig Garden Tools" - 11/20/09) featured Harold Sweetman, Director of The Jenkins Arboretum, who is also a collector of "horticultural antiques." Stated more ... Read More
Farm Graveyard Secrets - Unearthed!
I will concede that this is a bit late for Halloween or Día de los Muertos...However, this spooky history tidbit is, nonetheless, intriguing!A locally published tome "If Walls Could Speak," ... Read More
NO PASSING ZONE: Can America Slowwwww Dowwwn During Lean Times?
For as long as I can remember, industrial and economic efficiency was synonymous with speed. Fast food, fast cash, Disney FastPass, Instant Savings, Instant Rebate, Quick Oats?, Minute Rice? Frankly, the list ... Read More
Classic Cocktails with ROOT & History - Alfa’s Erik Boardman
Erik Boardman, bartender at Alfa Restaurant and Bar (located on the 1700 block of Walnut St.) recently showcased three original cocktails all featuring ROOT. Based on classic drinks, Erik adds ... Read More
The PA Dutch Inspired Midatlantic - Opened
Daniel Stern's long awaited opening of Midatlantic, finally arrived yesterday. The Science Center at 3711 Market Street (Ground Level) is now the home for " a focus on reinterpreting the ... Read More
Olden Days Are Here Again: Woodstove 101
Over the past two weeks, temperatures have dropped well into the 30's at night! Luckily, I have welcomed a new tenant into my home...a refurbished Vermont Castings "Vigilant" Woodstove! She's a ... Read More
CULTURE TAX: Frankly, My Dear Pennsylvania…WTF?!
Last week, The New York Times reported an enraging tidbit in the Arts section. Hold onto your knickers, all ye citizens of The Keystone State... A provision in the newly-agreed-upon state ... Read More
Charles Hires: The Man, The Myth, The Creator of Root Beer
"Root beer ... has been my favorite since childhood. I've since swilled many different brands and none can come close to my Aunt Mary's recipe. Her luscious homemade concoction, served ... Read More
Wallpaper Straight out of the 18th and 19th Centuries
Google "wallpaper" and you're bound to turn up more than 100 million results--most of them undoubtedly offering desktop wallpapers or hocking legit wallpapers, but ones produced cheaply, by machine, and ... Read More
KEEP NH FOREST UNDEVELOPED: Art In The Age Helps To Protect The Gilman Forest
New Hampshire is one of the most unique states in the union in that it has one of the highest percentages of undeveloped forest (85%, topped only by Maine at ... Read More
The maple trees are blushing red everywhere you look. Mornings and evenings are chilly and crisp. And so we celebrate the advent of autumn in New England with warm mulled ... Read More
Attention All Mixologists, Bartenders, Fans of Edgar Allan Poe
We are seeking mixologists to create a cocktail inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. So grab your copy of "The Tell-Tale Heart" and a bottle of ROOT and ... Read More
ROOT Recipe of the Week: The Govenor’s Garden
Colonial New England was known for its love of gardens. The first governor of Massachusettes Bay Colony planted a garden on Conant's Island in Boston and it was coined "The ... Read More
FARMERS MARKET FINDS: Mint Tea and Mini Shoofly Pie!
While we can't all be as fortunate as Robin, all hope is not lost. We can still enjoy farm-fresh veggies, even in the city. It's still open-air market season after ... Read More
The G20 Summit and ROOT Hit Pittsburgh!
Pittsburgh may forever be known as The Steel City, but who says that’s necessarily a bad thing? Steel is strong, persevering, and a foundation for many great structures—just like Pittsburgh ... Read More
ROOT and Gettysburg: PA’s Next Power Couple
Not since Philadelphia's favorite Ben Franklin impersonator, Ralph Archibald, wed Betsy Ross impersonator Linda Wilde has the fair state of Pennsylvania witnessed the marriage of such a historical power couple. That's ... Read More
ROOT Cocktail of the Week: Ginger ROOT Sling
The ROOT Competition at Silk City brought together 14 talented baretenders, with a few of them shining over the rest. The top 4 recipes the took the judges for a ... Read More
If a rich history is an indicator of authenticity and originality, then, much like ROOT, The Church Brew Works has a tale worth many a retelling. Before emerging as one of ... Read More
Only YOU Can Save Civil War History in Philadelphia!
CIVIL WAR MUSEUM SOUNDS ALARM ON LEAVING PHILA & TWO WEEKS NOTICE: CIVIL WAR ARTIFACTS MAY LEAVE PHILLY These were the headlines of 2 disturbing articles published in the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday. THE ... Read More
Sound in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Professor David Suisman drew quite a crowd to the store Tuesday night for his lecture on sound in the age of mechanical reproduction. While listeners sipped ROOT cocktails, Dr. Suisman ... Read More
DEATH’S SCYTHE: A Tribute to Farm Tools, Old and New
Another change that I am slowly easing into, is that over the course of the day, excluding any meetings with maintenance/repair people, I don't say very much out loud. My ... Read More
Daniel Stern To Tackle Pennsylvania Dutch Cuisine
As former executive chef at Le Bec Fin and chef/owner of Gayle, Daniel Stern's already seen his share of success in the city of brotherly love. Now he's making headlines ... Read More
“A Titan Courage”: The Steel Will of New Hampshire Women
This is a portrait of Katherine Sleeper Walden. Much has been written in local history on this Founding Mother. -------------------------------------------------- On Katherine Sleeper Walden from The Tamworth Narrative, 1958... Tamworth village has its ... Read More
WORKSHOP OF THE WORLD—A Selective Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Philadelphia
The Philadelphia of To-Day, The World's Greatest Workshop: America's largest ... Read More
Unbroken Home: Coal-Minin’ Life Inside A Bottle
If I could save time in a bottle...I'll tell you what I'd like to do... I'd save every beautiful landscape 'til eternity passed me away. Such, also, was the thought process of ... Read More
Famous Happenings in New Hampshire
I've been consuming reading material on the history of Tamworth, NH with the same ferocity that I approached an ice cream sundae earlier this evening... In the case of the reading, ... Read More
Art in the Age’s ROOT is now available in PA liquor stores and fine drinking establishments! The first truly authentic American liqueur since the pre-Prohibition era, ROOT is a certified organic ... Read More
Alright, I need to begin with an admission. While sitting in the Thomas Paine panel discussion last Monday, what most struck me was how little I knew—and, actually, still do ... Read More
A Relevant Summer Reading List thus far: Look To The Mountain by LeGrand Cannon, Jr. Summer Cottages In The White Mountains by Bryant F. Tolles, Jr. Great Hill Farm is featured in here... Country ... Read More
Selections from “The Tamworth Narrative” by Marjory Gane Harkness
AN AMAZING FIND! Via an antique bookshop in Minnesota, I tracked down my own copy of this anecdotal/historical tome about my future hometown, penned in 1958. Favorite excerpts follow... ---------------------- INTRODUCTION A ... Read More
"Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages ... Read More
The Times, They Are A-Changin’: A Letter, A Departure, A Farm in New Hampshire
Dear Reader and Friend, On May 20, 2009, I left the city of Philadelphia with an overstuffed backpack and a violin, headed for greener pastures...literally. Because on July 1, 2009, I will ... Read More
An Exciting 2 Weeks, According To My Slingshot Planner
Monday, May 11: Pullman Strike begins, first revolutionary strike on continental European model (1894), Salvador Dali born (1904) Tuesday, May 12: Lusty Lady workers take over operations at theater (2003) Wednesday, May ... Read More
New Documentary In The Works: Michael Pollan’s “The Botany of Desire”
Thanks to this awesome event, I am now the bearer of great news! Two nights ago, in a small theater in San Francisco's Mission neighborhood, Michael Pollan, bestselling author and ... Read More
Law & Order…& History: Sam Waterston Celebrates St. Peter’s 250th Anniversary!
The diction may seem clichéd...but I will be loud & proud, and make this statement, regardless...HISTORY IS ALIVE IN PHILADELPHIA!Seriously. We live in "The Cradle Of Liberty," and should be ... Read More
INTERVIEW: Michael Grady Robertson of Queens County Farm Museum!
all images from queensfarm.org Last month, The New York Times featured the work of Michael Grady Robertson, the Agricultural Director at Queens County Farm Museum. Historically, the 47-acre farm has remained ... Read More
INTERVIEW: Dr. Brent Ridge & Josh Kilmer-Purcell, The Farmers of Beekman 1802
(all images from Beekman1802.com) SHOPPING LIST: - Luscious goat milk soaps - Seeds for bountiful (and Presidential) harvests - Hand-woven linens - Sagacious gardening tips - Anecdotes of the trials & joys of farm life --------------------------------------------- All of ... Read More
Beekman 1802 & Art In The Age: The Seeds of Democracy
We are veritably tickled over the arrival of new products from Beekman 1802, especially our new shipment (read: future harvest) of flower and vegetable seeds! All of the Beekman 1802 products ... Read More
HIDDENCITY PHILADELPHIA FESTIVAL! May 30 - June 28
After living in/on/around/near Philadelphia for over 10 years, I thought I'd seen just about everything. WRONG. Starting May 30, the HIDDENCITY Philadelphia Festival will shed light on our city's best unknown historical ... Read More
ESSENTIAL MANIFESTO: The New Typography, Jan Tschichold
Two years ago, one of my most awesome and favorite design professors instructed me to get my hands on a copy of this tiny volume as fast as I possibly ... Read More
A Common Canvas: Pennsylvania’s New Deal Post Office Murals
The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg presents a very important, extremely timely exhibition entitled, "A Common Canvas: Pennsylvania's New Deal Post Office Murals." The exhibition features a collection of photographs, ... Read More
Oh, For The Love of Gluttony! The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book
Maestro Martino of Como is known as the world's first "celebrity chef" and considered by some to be The Father of Italian Cooking. He lived and cooked in the 15th ... Read More
PA Schwenkfelder Heritage & Relics: A Brief History
Sincere apologies, as this report has been inordinately long in coming, but worth the wait, I feel. So without further ado... A Brief History of The Schwenkfelders in Pennsylvania (Aptly elucidated by ... Read More
Abe Lincoln Gets His Chance: “Especially For Children of The ‘Middle’ Years”
This oddly colored and whimsically illustrated tome arrived on my doorstep last weekend, declaring its presence with a note - wishing me a Happy Abe Lincoln's Birthday! Delight ensued. Originally published ... Read More
Happy 200th, Lincoln! The Rosenbach Museum & Library Launches 21st Century Abe!
Two hundred years ago in a one-room log cabin in southeast Kentucky, a baby boy was born. His parents were not formally educated and made a living by working ... Read More
INTERVIEW: Slap Jack Candy Proprietress, Mary Jane Chavez!
Whether it was childhood memories or the need for a sugar fix, we just HAD to get our hands on some of Mrs. Benner's Own Made Slapjack Candy here at ... Read More
One Fine Winter’s Day in Pennsylvania…..
On Monday, January 19, what started off as a romantic drive through rural Pennsylvania became none other than Old Man Winter at its best. Robin and I agreed to venture ... Read More
Taxation for (Artistic) Creation: Benjamin, Roosevelt, & Obama
Walter Benjamin wrote his critical essay "The Work of Art In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction" (1936) at the height of The Great Depression in America. Though German by birth ... Read More
The Franklin Fountain: History, Antiques & Delectable Confections…Just Around The Corner!
Brothers Ryan and Eric Berley serve far more than beverages at the magical Franklin Fountain in Old City. Pennsylvania history experts, rare antique purveyors, and delightful intellectuals - The proprietors ... Read More
The Making of THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN QUILT: Part II
The eagerly awaited quilt from Norma Grasse comes to fruition... The Building of a Snug Little Home... Happy Birthday, Abe!!! Preserving the aura in fine art and craft! ---------- This is just the top design ... Read More
The Making of The ABRAHAM LINCOLN QUILT: Part I
Norma Grasse, a "Quiltie Lady" from the Variable Star Quilters group of PA, is hard at work on an extremely special project for Art In The Age... An Abraham Lincoln Quilt ... Read More
Last week, I spotted a Lincoln rug hanging in the window of S. Nucho Rugs, right on my street! I snapped this photo with my phone. Later, I investigated further and ... Read More
INTERVIEW: Historian Dr. David Contosta on Lincoln…and Darwin?!
In anticipation of our February Exhibition commemorating the bi-centennial of Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, I have been doing a fair deal of research on The Man, The Martyr, The Legend, and ... Read More
Harsh times call for harsh measures, but (to some Philadelphians) perhaps none so disheartening as the announcement that The City of Philadelphia would not provide funding for city services or ... Read More
