Main content

Archer family account books and notebooks, 1797-1851 (inclusive)

Extent:

0.2 linear feet (1 box)

Abstract:

This collection (1797-1851) contains notebooks kept by three members of the Archer family, a prominent and politically active family of medical doctors based in Harford County, Maryland. The first file contains John Archer Jr.'s notes on materia medica lectures delivered by Benjamin Barton and given at the University of Pennsylvania in 1797 and 1798. A commonplace book (1830-1832) maintained by Henry Wilson Archer, which contains excerpts mostly from history books and poems is the second file. Also included in the collection is an account book (1841-1851) wherein the wheat purchases of Robert Harris Archer were recorded.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Main content

Holden Furber papers, 1898-1992 (inclusive)

Extent:

1.75 linear feet (5 boxes and oversized folder)

Abstract:

Holden Furber (1903-1993) was a professor of South Asian studies at the University of Pennsylvania from 1948 to 1973. His papers include his correspondence to his family while traveling; records relating to his education from grammar school to graduate school; his writings; his research; and his professional papers, largely as a professor.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Main content

Benjamin Rush lecture notes, 1783-1810, undated (inclusive)

Extent:

4.2 linear feet (5 boxes)

Abstract:

The Benjamin Rush lecture notes consist of 34 notebooks kept by medical students at the University of Pennsylvania, which record the content of academic lectures delivered by Dr. Benjamin Rush (1745-1813). Rush, a socially and politically prominent physician who lived and practiced in Philadelphia, served as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine from 1769 to 1813. The handwritten lecture notes in this collection (recorded between 1783 and 1810) present the era's conventional medical wisdom on the causes, symptoms and cures of a range of diseases and disorders.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Main content

Vanuxem family papers, 1762-1832 (inclusive)

Extent:

9 boxes

Abstract:

The Vanuxem family was a prominent Pennsylvania family of French origin. The family was largely involved in the shipping industry and agriculture; but one descendent was a well-known geologist in the United States. This collection documents the history of the Vanuxem and Peirce families and their business operations in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Main content

Thomas Waldman research collection on Nadar, 1972-2018 (inclusive)

Extent:

1.5 linear feet (2 boxes)

Abstract:

Thomas G. Waldman (1938-2018) was a scholar of the history of Medieval France and an associate professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania. He envisioned a book and exhibit on photographer Felix Nadar's autograph album, called "Nadar and His World," that would bring together the subjects of Nadar's photographs, their autographs, and biographical sketches. While the project was not completed, Waldman's research is available through this collection.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Main content

John Haviland papers, 1806-1868 (inclusive)

Extent:

4 linear feet (26 volumes)

Abstract:

John Haviland (1792-1852) was an architect who lived and worked in Philadelphia. He is known for his design of prisons, especially the Eastern State Penitentiary, as well as churches and other public buildings. This collection consists of 26 bound volumes which document the architectural career of John Haviland and includes estimates for projects and supplies, articles of agreement, financial records, correspondence, and biographical and family-related material.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Main content

Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture records, 1785-1982 (inclusive)

Extent:

103 boxes

Abstract:

The collection is divided into three major series: I. 18th and 19th century records, II. 20th century records, and III. John M. Okie papers. The first comprises correspondence, administrative records, and ephemera; the second, correspondence, committee records, financial records, proceedings, memorabilia, and collected agricultural material; the third consists of the papers of Okie, who served as assistant secretary of the Society from 1922 to 1928: he was responsible for the publication of Memoirs VI, a history of the P.S.P.A.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Main content

Early Soviet posters, circa 1920s-1930s (inclusive)

Extent:

0.2 linear feet (3 oversized folders)

Abstract:

This collection contains 48 color posters documenting Soviet propaganda during the 1920s and 1930s. The Communist party aimed to erase religion, Czarism, and capitalism, and replace them with a new way of life. It also condemned drinking and promoted a healthier diet and exercise. About a third of the posters focus on the raising of children, targeting mothers and promoting physically and ideologically healthy parenting and child care of the future generation of Soviet citizens.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Main content

Theodore Dreiser papers, circa 1890-1965 (bulk dates 1897-1955) (inclusive) 1897-1955 (bulk)

Extent:

244 linear feet (503 boxes)

Abstract:

Contains 22 series, including correspondence (118 boxes); legal matters (7 boxes); writings (260 boxes), comprising books, essays, short stories, poems, plays, screenplays, radio scripts, addresses, lectures, interviews, introductions, and prefaces; journals edited by Dreiser (6 boxes); notes (9 boxes); diaries (5 boxes); biographical material (1 box); memorabilia (41 boxes), comprising scrapbooks, photographs (many of which are available online), art work, promotional material, postcards, and miscellanea; financial records (5 boxes); clippings (23 boxes); works by others (12 boxes); and oversize materials (2 boxes). Also includes materials regarding various family members: brother Paul Dresser (8 boxes of correspondence, sheet music and lyric sheets, clippings and memorabilia, and two plays written by Dresser); second wife Helen Dreiser (4 boxes of diaries and other writings); and niece Vera Dreiser (2 boxes of correspondence).

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Main content

Harvey Finkle photographs, 1968-2021 (inclusive)

Extent:

58.33 linear feet (137 boxes) and 221 gigabytes

Abstract:

Harvey Finkle (born March 28, 1934) is a self-taught documentary photographer who has documented the social, economic, cultural, and political issues in the city of Philadelphia and across the globe. Finkle's work largely focuses on marginalized communities, including low income and homeless families, homeless veterans, refugees, immigrants, and the disabled, to name only a few. This collection, dating from 1968 to 2019, contains a majority of Finkle's five-decade-long oeuvre, in various formats including prints, contact sheets, negatives, slides, research, interview transcripts, and publications. As a whole, this collection provides documentation of activism in Philadelphia and focuses on social injustices in the city, the country, and the world.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]