CONTACT: Jeff Bundy
215.351.2381
WHYY EXPERIENCE SEGMENTS SHINE SPOTLIGHT ON DELAWARE
VALLEY CULTURAL TREASURES
WHYY TV12’s Experience series, an ongoing collection of video postcards that explore
the Delaware Valley’s diverse arts and culture community announces nine new segments,
set to join the on-air Experience rotation throughout WHYY’s broadcast schedule over
the next four months. These segments, which are also available to watch or download as
a vodcast on www.whyy.org, explore the story of slavery at George Washington’s
Philadelphia residence; visit South Philadelphia’s Rick Iannacone to learn about guitar
playing and the use of “stomp box” effects pedals; consider how architect Louis I. Kahn
was inspired by rowhouse chimneys; learn about “the city’s first cultural institution,” the
Library Company of Philadelphia and what makes special collections special; consider
how the site of Philadelphia’s World’s Fair in 1876 is being planned anew as the
Centennial District; and a re-enactment of Philadelphia’s only Revolutionary War battle
at Cliveden.
Each one-to-three minute Experience segments gives viewers an insider’s
perspective into the stories that make the Delaware Valley a world-class center for the
cultural arts. To watch or download Experience segments online, visit www.whyy.org.
Select segments are also available through Comcast’s ON DEMAND.
Experience was made possible by The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The
Arthur Judson Foundation and the Dietrich Foundation and PECO.
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WHYY is what a diverse community has in common. Through TV, FM and other
communications series, WHYY makes our region a better place, connecting each of us to
the world’s richest ideas and all of us to each other.
WHYY Experience – Segment Descriptions and Airdates
February 15 – 25:
The President’s House
When George and Martha Washington lived in Philadelphia theirs was the biggest house
in town. To manage this first presidential mansion, they brought several enslaved
Africans from Virginia. How is Independence National Historical Park interpreting this
chapter of a history long buried?
February 26 – March 11:
Making Music with a “Stomp Box”
South Philadelphia’s Rick Iannacone has played guitar for a generation, often
accompanying legends in rock and jazz. He created a unique sound by mastering a
special-effects pedal nick-named the “stomp box.”
March 12 – March 25:
The Chimneys that inspired Kahn
Philadelphia’s Louis I. Kahn, one of the most influential American architects of the 20th
century, drew upon everyday scenes for his inspiration. WHYY’s Ken Finkel recalls an
unforgettable walk with Kahn on 10th Street.
March 26 – April 8:
Philadelphia’s First Cultural Institution
More than 275 years ago, the young Benjamin Franklin recognized the importance of
books. By starting the Library Company of Philadelphia, Franklin and others created a
collection that provided access to many more books than any one person could afford to
own. Today, this research institution provides access to the story of the nation.
April 9 – April 22:
Where the Books Are
Scholars from around the nation and from around the world come to Philadelphia –
because that is where the books are. This region is home to more than twenty research
libraries, the oldest of which is the Library Company of Philadelphia. At the 275-yearold Library Company, American history and culture is documented and illustrated by the
real thing, the accessible artifact.
April 23 – May 6:
Very Special Collections
In research libraries, such as the Library Company of Philadelphia, visitors and staff
develop a unique brand of interaction. Which artifact will best answer a researcher’s
question? Will it be a book, a periodical, or a newspaper? Librarians and curators serve
as guides through the collections.
May 7 – May 20:
A Centennial District
In 1876, when Philadelphia hosted the nation’s 100th birthday, a World’s Fair temporarily
transformed West Fairmount Park. Today, planners and architects envision another
transformation, this time embracing the city’s past and its future in a district weaving
connections between identity, institutions, open space, and community.
May 21 – June 3:
The Centennial Exhibition
One hundred years after the start of the American Revolution, Philadelphia threw a huge
theme party. Millions came to witness and celebrate the Industrial Revolution on
temporary display at the World’s Fair that transformed West Fairmount Park.
June 4 – June 17:
Battle of Germantown
Germantown’s Cliveden, a National Trust Historic Site, is open to the public from April
through December. The highlight of the year, every October, is the re-enactment of
Philadelphia’s only Revolutionary War battle. Dedicated participants re-create the battle
exactly where it originally took place on October 4, 1777.