Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia (AKMP) is happy to be a Participating Partner in National History Day Philadelphia! We are able to help students prepare for National History Day in a variety of ways. At AKMP students have the opportunity to inspect objects from the collection of over 100,000 artifacts relating to Philadelphia history under the supervision of Senior Curator Jeffrey Ray or Registrar Susan Drinan as well as by visiting museum exhibitions. In addition, students may access the AKMP Computer Learning Lab to conduct research or work on their National History Day projects.
For more information about National History Day Philadelphia and Related Events, visit
www.ushistory.org/nhdphilly
Conducting Student Research
- AKMP will waive admission and research fees for students participating in National History Day.
- Appointments are available 3-5 P.M., Monday through Friday. Students need to call at least one day in advance to schedule an appointment.
- In most cases, students will be able to photograph objects.
- To make an appointment, contact Jennifer Bowers at 215.685.4832 or jennifer.bowers@atwaterkentmuseum.org.
Use of AKMP Computer Learning Lab
- The AKMP Computer Learning Lab is available by appointment on weekdays, 3-5 P.M. and Saturdays 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.
- Student participants must be accompanied by a National History Day mentor.
- To schedule the AKMP Computer Learning Lab contact Jennifer Bowers at jennifer.bowers@atwaterkentmuseum.org or 215.685.4832.
Suggested National History Day Topics
Atwater Kent: Communicating through Radio
Resources: Students may research how American culture was communicated through the radio by looking at original Atwater Kent radios and advertisements.
Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia Printer
Resources: Students may look at an example of a lead cutter and a composing stick, books Benjamin Franklin printed, moveable type, and money.
Communication between rural southern New Jersey Towns and Philadelphia in the 19th and 20th centuries
Resources: By viewing the exhibition
Small Towns, Black Lives, students may use photographs and oral histories to examine the connections between southern New Jersey towns and Philadelphia. Exhibition lesson offers information on how to analyze a photograph and how to conduct an oral history interview.
International Communication through Trade: Philadelphia, the Nation's Maritime Center in the 18th and 19th Centuries
Resources: Students may examine Philadelphia's interaction with other colonies and other parts of the world through ship manifests, bills of lading, and export objects.
John Wanamaker and the Rise of Modern Merchandising
Resources: Students may examine John Wannamaker's innovations in marketing through his store catalogues.
N.W. Ayer: Advertising Pioneer
Resources: Using examples of N.W. Ayer's advertisements, students may look at examples of how American advertising has changed over time.
Norman Rockwell: Communicating an Image of America
Resources: Students may examine
Saturday Evening Post covers to identify the messages that he communicated about life in America. Currently, covers from the 1950s are on display.
Pennsylvania Railroads and Commuter Lines: Express Communication on Rails
Resources: Students may research how the Pennsylvania Railroad and Commuter Lines improved communication through examination of maps, schedules, photographs, tickets, tokens, and ads.
The Philadelphia Centennial Exposition: Communicating with the World
Resources: Students may assess Philadelphia's message to the world at the Centennial Exposition through examination of images from
Harper's Weekly and
Leslie's Illustrated magazines.
Telling the Masses: Broadsides and Posters
Resources: Students may research the use of broadsides and posters by examining World War I and World War II propaganda posters.
Store Chat: Corporate Communication
Resources: Students may research how corporations communicated with their employees by examining Strawbridge and Clothier's Store Chat, an employee newsletter from the 1930s to the 1990s.
