Weeknights at the Wagner
An evening lecture series, Weeknights at the Wagner invites experts into our Victorian lecture hall to speak on a wide range of science, history of science, and history subjects. Talks are held on weekday evenings during the school year and the museum is open until the talk begins. All talks are followed by a lively Q&A with the speaker.
Weeknights at the Wagner:
Ordering the Cosmos—Charles Willson Peale and The Philadelphia Museum
Thursday, 6/11/26 from 6 - 7:30pm
Naturalist and historian Robert McCracken Peck discusses how the opening of Charles Willson Peale’s Philadelphia Museum transformed American art, science, and culture in the post-revolutionary era.
Four Questions with Judith Schaechter
“Spirituality to me might be a word for the intersection of meaningfulness and beauty.”
PAST EVENTS
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In Conversation with Judith Schaecter: Art, Science, and the "Super/Natural"
Thursday December 11, 2025
Acclaimed stained glass artist Judith Schaechter will discuss her immersive installation "Super/Natural"—a luminous, three-tiered cosmos rendered in glass. The work draws on her residency at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, incorporating insights from biophilic design and the rich history of women’s contributions to botanical art. Through the lens of her own work, she will consider where the disciplines of art and science intersect, where they diverge, and whether true objectivity is even possible in a world observed from within one's own mind.
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A Flood of Pictures: Photography Deepens the Waters
Thursday, September 25, 2025
In a contemporary society completely saturated with visual art, advertising, and other media, it is difficult to imagine pictures as a novel way of communicating. At this talk, Dr. Michael Leja will take us back to the formative period of this cultural transformation in the U.S.—three decades before the Civil War—when pictures began to permeate everyday life. Dr. Leja will discuss the emerging technologies that enabled this cultural shift, with a focus on photography.
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Landscapes of Enslavement in the Chesapeake and Caribbean with Jillian Galle, PhD
Thursday April 24, 2025
As an archaeologist, Jillian Galle studies how thousands of small artifacts, from ceramics and fish bone to tobacco pipes and glass trade beads, can reveal previously hidden patterns in human behavior. In this talk, Galle will discuss the ways she combines archaeological and archival data to model how women and men navigated enslavement in constantly changing social and physical environments.
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The Transparent Eye of Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Conversation with James Marcus and Robert Sullivan
Thursday March 14, 2024
In his latest book, Glad to the Brink of Fear: A Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Marcus explores the complex life of philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), known as the leader of the Transcendentalist movement. He will be joined by author and essayist Robert Sullivan for a sweeping conversation that explores the many facets of Emerson, beginning with his early interest in science to his evolution as an abolitionist, activist, and one of the most influential thinkers of 19th century America.
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Building for Books—Philadelphia’s Libraries with Michael J. Lewis
Thursday June 8, 2023
The Quakers who founded Philadelphia believed in universal literacy and were great creators of libraries. Quakers also believed that knowledge should be useful, and gave their libraries a pragmatic character unlike those of any other American city. This talk explores how Philadelphia’s library buildings expressed these values, functionally as well as symbolically.
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Beyond Linnaeus: Pennsylvania Paleontology and the Surprising Power of a (Biological) Name with Dr. Jason Downs
Thursday February 9, 2023
In 1735, Carl Linnaeus established the foundation for what has become the most enduring system of biological naming. However, his rank-based organizational system – kingdom, phylum, class -- is rooted in pre-evolutionary thinking. In this talk, Dr. Jason Downs will explore the specific ways in which a more modern naming practice can reshape our understanding of the history of life.
