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Roger Turner of the Science History Institute at the HSF

The Historical Society of Frankford (HSF) today invites the public to hear Roger Turner, curator of instruments and artifacts at the Science History Institute of Philadelphia, speak at its monthly meeting on April 14, 2026, at 7:30 PM. The doors open at
7:00 PM.

His topic will be “Weird, Wonderful, Playful and Profound: Treasures of the Science
History Institute”. The venue is the HSF library/museum, located at 1507 Orthodox St,
Philadelphia. The event is free and open to the public, and parking is available across Orthodox
Street at the Frankford Friends School. Light refreshments will be served.

The Science History Institute is a free museum in Old City Philadelphia with some fascinating stuff.
This talk explores surprising stories behind a few remarkable things from the collections. Why did
Beatrix Potter draw mice around a Bunsen burner dreaming of toasted cheese? What can we learn
about the history of plastic from a washed-up Lego dragon, an ESPN producer’s vuvuzela, and a
song by Shel Silverstein? Added together, these stories illustrate some of the ways that science and
technology have created the world we live in today.

Roger Turner is the curator of instruments and artifacts at the Science History Institute in
Philadelphia, USA. He studies the role of science in our daily lives, from chemistry labs to pollution
control to weather forecasting. Among his recent exhibits are “How to Read a Plastic Bag,” and
“Astroturf: Field of Contention.” His favorite scientific instrument is a spectrometer that has a label
warning users about its “emotional crisis detector”.

 

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Susan Couvreur

Susan Couvreur

Susan M. Couvreur, age 80, of Phila., PA, passed away on March 5th at Nazareth hospital. She was born in Baltimore, MD to Frederick William Mengers and Elizabeth Tickner where she grew up alongside siblings Mary Katherine Mengers (d.2021) and Frederick Marshall Mengers (d. 2022). She attended Towson High School and Maryland Institute College of Art before moving to Philadelphia in the 1970s.

She had a more than 30 year long career as an exceptional fine art picture framer and upon retirement in 2020 she devoted much of her time to The Historical Society of Frankford where she served on the Board of Directors as Museum Chair.

She is survived by her daughter, Vanessa Couvreur and niece, Heather Barnes.

Celebration of life gathering will be May 30th at The Historical Society of Frankford. See their website at this link for exact time/details.

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It Only Takes a Minute

IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE

I’m reaching out to all “the Young folks of today,” gather around and listen to what I have to say.
It only takes a minute for you to go astray. It only takes a minute, and you may not be here today.
Sometimes you may not realize, but it only takes “ONE” mistake to take you away. So, listen to what I have to say.
Educate yourself in a godly way, with the knowledge that no one can take away.
Wisdom has a way of telling you when to back up, and when to embrace.
It only takes a minute, so listen to what I have to say – It only takes a minute, for you to go astray.

By Lenny Jaynes

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Threads of History Community Arts Project

The Historical Society of Frankford (HSF) is pleased to host Mural Arts Philadelphia and the Tacony
LAB Community Art Center Northeast 250: Threads of History community arts project on Tuesday,
March 31 at 6:00 PM at the Society’s library/museum at 1507 Orthodox St, Philadelphia.

This project, part of the City’s US Semiquincentennial celebrations, will shine spotlights at several
venues on the history of Northeast Philadelphia and the many small organizations that keep that
history alive. Using the US flag as the organizing principle and creative inspiration, hands-on
artmaking activities at each event will engage communities with the idea of individual expression in
flags. Participants will have an opportunity to create an artwork to keep.

The Frankford event will also feature an exhibit of artifacts and documents from the HSF collection
related to Betsy Ross, the woman often portrayed as the creator of the flag, and her relatives in
Northeast Philly who preserved and promoted her life story, as well as a short presentation.

This event is free and open to the public. Off street parking will be available across Orthodox Street
at the Frankford Friends School. Light refreshments will be available.

About the Historical Society of Frankford:
Founded in 1905, the Historical Society of Frankford preserves and interprets the history of
Northeast Philadelphia through its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs.