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Holocaust survivor's photograph album, 1946-1948 (inclusive)

Extent:
.1 linear feet (1 volume)
Abstract:
This photograph album, created by an unknown woman, gives insight into the life of a Holocaust survivor in displaced person camps and her immigration to Israel in the late 1940s. This collection consists of thirty-six photographs taken between the years of 1946 and 1948, including photographs which are both candid and posed.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Archives at the Library of the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies [Contact Us]

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George C. Vaillant Director's Office Records, 1928-1947 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.0 linear feet
Abstract:
George Clapp Vaillant was born in Boston, Massachusetts and educated at Noble and Greenough School and Phillips Academy. Vaillant attended Harvard University where he was a lackluster student until he discovered archaeology. Vaillant worked on the cliff-houses in northeastern Arizona and dug at Pecos, New Mexico while an undergraduate. In graduate school, Vaillant worked with George A. Reisner in Egypt. Under the direction of the Carnegie Foundation and Sylvanus Morley, he dug at Chichen Itza in 1926. Following his time in Mexico with Morley, Vaillant was appointed assistant curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, in charge of archaeological activities in Mexico. This employment lasted until 1941 when he was appointed Director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. The George C. Vaillant Administrative records are contained in five archival boxes and consist mostly of correspondence with some administrative records and personal files.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Froelich Rainey Director's Office records, 1947-1977 (inclusive)

Extent:
25.6 linear feet
Abstract:
Rainey was appointed Director of the University Museum in 1947 and maintained the position until his retirement in 1976. He also served as a Professor of Anthropology at the University. Among his many accomplishments as Director, Rainey is responsible for the institution of Expedition Magazine. He developed and hosted the television show "What in the World?" which ran either locally or nationally for a total of fifteen years. In 1964, he served as a contributor to the show "Sunday" on NBC reporting the "archaeology news." The Froelich Rainey Administrative records consist of sixty-four archival boxes of correspondence divided into two series; alphabetical and chronological. The majority of the letters are in the alphabetical files with the chronological files reflecting the time from February 1968 to November 1969.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Robert H. Dyson Director's Office records, 1982-1994 (inclusive)

Extent:
15.2 linear feet
Abstract:
Robert H. Dyson, a native of York, PA waa educated in the public schools of Forrest Hills, N.Y. and the Collegiate Institute in Ontario, Canada before enrolling at Harvard University. He graduated from Harvard Magna cum laude with a B.A. in 1950 and completed his Ph.D. there in 1966, specializing in Near Eastern Archaeology. Dyson came to the University of Pennsylvania in 1954 as an Associate in the Anthropology Department and an Assistant in the Near East Section of the University Museum. In 1982, Dyson succeeded Martin Biddle as Director of the Penn Museum. He maintained this position until 1994. The Robert H. Dyson Administrative Records consist of thirty-eight archival boxes of material organized into four series, Alphabetical Correspondence, Chronological Records, Personnel Records and Allocation Records.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Education Department records, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 1919-2002 (inclusive)

Extent:
23.0 cubic feet (20 records cartons, 8 index card boxes, 4 archival boxes, 10 oversize folders)
Abstract:
The Education Department was responsible for organizing and administering many of the Penn Museum's public outreach and educational programs between 1921 and 2010. The department was also responsible for maintaining the Penn Museum's film collection from the 1920s to 1987 and for administering the sale of books and objects for children between 1930 and 1972. Holdings span from 1919 to 2002 and include a wide variety of materials created by the department's staff including, but not limited to: administrative reports, correspondence, inventories, press clippings, press releases, information packets, teaching aids, and radio scripts.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Records of the Registrar's Office, 1893-1981 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.2 linear feet
Abstract:
From the earliest days the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania kept records of the artifacts donated and acquired through expeditions. This was originally the responsibility of the curator in each section and resulted in huge, hand-written registers of the collections. In 1929, the system was transferred to a centralized numerical card catalogue under the supervision of Geraldine M. Bruckner the Museum's first Registrar. The responsibilities of the Registrar included insurance, shipping and loans as well as numbering and describing collections. The records of the Office of the Registrar fill seven archival boxes and one card file. The materials did not have an innate order when processed but like documents were filed together in processing and the series describe the major duties of the office. The condition of the materials is fair to good with some flaking of paper due to age and storage problems. Series for the Office of the Registrar include correspondence, insurance,...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Helen E. Fernald papers, 1921-1935 (bulk) 1921-1937 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.8 linear feet
Abstract:
Helen E. Fernald was employed at The University Museum from 1921-1935 as the head of the Educational Department from 1921-25, was the Assistant Curator of Far Eastern Art from 1925-30, and the Curator from 1930-35. Fernald’s first trip abroad for the museum was in the summer of 1928 to study in the museums and private collections of Far Eastern art in Paris and at the British Museum in London. Her second trip was from June – December of 1929 to Japan, Korea, and China to study collections or conduct scientific researches. Her trips were a success, having brought back many artifacts from the Far East such as bronzes, sculptures, porcelains, etc. The Helen E. Fernald papers consist of eleven folders in two archival boxes of correspondence.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Traveling Exhibits, 1983-2001 (inclusive)

Extent:
11.0 cubic feet
Abstract:
The Penn Museum is a renowned center for archaeological exploration, teaching and display of artifacts from around the world. Since 1887, scholars and explorers have dedicated their lives to interpreting cultures from many areas. As a part of its mission the museum is also a sponsor of cultural, educational and social programs to bring exhibits of interest to audiences in the United States and around the world. In 1985, the museum inagurated a Traveling Exhibitions Program under the auspices of the Museum Services Division in an effort to expose the collections of the museum to a wider national and international audience. The Traveling Exhibits collection is composed of exhibition records from the inception of the program through the early 2000s. There are records from fifteen exhibitions plus the administrative and financial records of Kathryn Grabowski held in twelve archival cartons.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Henry Usher Hall Sierra Leone Expedition Records, 1936-1940 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.8 linear feet
Abstract:
Henry Usher Hall was an American anthropologist who joined his first expedition in 1914. He traveled down the Yenisee River to the Kara Sea in Siberia with Polish anthropologist Maria Antonina Czaplicka. They were accompanied by ornithologist Maud Doria Haviland and artist Dora Curtis. He served as curator of the General Ethnology section of the Penn Museum from 1915 to 1935. He was responsible for the establishment of the African section at the Museum. Following his retirement from the Penn Museum, Hall conducted research on the continent of Africa in Sierra Leone into the Sherbro people. On his return from Sierra Leone, Hall published The Sherbro of Sierra Leone in 1938.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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American Section, 1898-1960 (bulk) 1826-1995 (inclusive)

Extent:
16.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The American Section was one of the first to evolve during the early development of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The University Archaeological Association established in 1887 and later, the American Exploration Society, established in 1892, exhibited several small collections in College Hall before the building campaign for the museum began. Charles Abbott was the first curator of the section succeeded by Henry C. Mercer and then Stewart Culin who was also named Director in 1899. Each succeeding curator was responsible for adding collections, many of them representing their own expeditions in the United States, Alaska, Mexico, Central America and South America. Records in the files are dated from 1826 through the 1980s. The transfer of materials to the Archives took place piecemeal and without a central organization. The current re-processing placed the files into three series, Deaccessions and Loans, Collectors and Collections and Exhibits.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Louis Shotridge Collection, 1905-1937 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.0 linear foot
Abstract:
The papers of Louis Shotridge are one of the most extensive groups in the Arctic research collections of the University of Pennsylvania Museum Archives. Shotridge, a Tlingit Indian, was intermittently employed by the museum to make ethnographic collections of Northwest Coast materials between 1903 and 1912. The archives has papers concerning his original research, arranged topically, manuscripts for articles published in The Museum Journal, oral histories, Tlingit language notes, and general ethnographic notes on the Tlingit and other Northwest Coast groups.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Harriet Newell Wardle American Section records, 1929-1955 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.2 linear feet
Abstract:
Harriet Newell Wardle came to the University Museum as a volunteer after resigning her position at the Academy of Natural Sciences. She was named assistant curator in the American Section in 1931. Wardle’s work at the Museum centered on the material culture of the South American Indian tribes particularly the double cloth weaving technique and square pile hats of Peru and textiles from the Uhle expedition. The Wardle curatorial papers consist of three boxes of records. Much of the collection is devoted to correspondence, filed in several categories, alphabetically, by area of the American Section, specific object related and those letters pertaining to textiles. Numerous notes taken as a part of her extensive research on Peruvian textiles are a large portion of the research section along with general research notes. Wardle's research notes include texts for 1940s era radio broadcasts on American Indian tribes. Several of Wardle's research papers, mostly unpublished outside of the...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Carl W. Bishop papers, 1914-1918 (bulk) 1914-1922 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.8 linear foot
Abstract:
Carl W. Bishop, the first assistant curator of Oriental Art at the University Museum, was a vital force in the advanced knowledge of the Far East for the University Museum. Before Bishops excavations to the Far East, the Chinese collection started modestly in 1913, with acquisition of small bronzes and some porcelain pieces. Bishop set out to explore other museum’s exhibits on China as well as acquire artifacts from Ancient China. Due to the political turmoil in China during Bishop’s active years and a lack of funds, the expeditions were not always successful. During the second of the two trips Bishop took to the Far East from 1917-1918, he did conduct archeological reconnaissance, but no excavation was undertaken. The Carl W. Bishop papers consist of ten folders in two archival boxes of correspondence mostly to George Byron Gordan, journals, and photographs.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Sara Yorke Stevenson Egyptian Section records, 1890-1907 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.8 linear foot (the egyptian section sara yorke stevenson records consist of two archival boxes of correspondence, collection information and financial records.)
Abstract:
Sara Yorke Stevenson, the first curator of the Egyptian section of the Free Museum of Science and Art, was a vital force in the creation and success of the museum. Along with William Pepper, Stevenson worked tirelessly through the Department of Archaeology and Paleontology and the American Exploration Society to gain subscriptions, build the Museum and acquire a collection of antiquities. In addition to being the first curator of the Egyptian Section, Stevenson was the Secretary of the Board of Managers and of the American Exploration Society. She served as President of the Board from 1904 to 1905. While Stevenson was performing the dual role of Secretary of the Board of Managers and Curator, the museum relied on the London-based Egypt Exploration Fund to provide a share of the findings of archaeologist W.M. Flinders Petrie to the museum. Stevenson cultivated a relationship with Flinders Petrie and well connected Egyptians such as Yacoub Artin Pasha. Mrs Stevenson traveled to Egypt...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Stephen B. Luce Mediterranean Section records, 1915-1920 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.04 linear foot
Abstract:
Stephen B. Luce was a graduate of Harvard College, class of 1909. He completed his Ph.D. in 1913 also at Harvard. In addition to his curatorship at Penn, Luce was an Assistant Director at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens in 1928 and 1930. He was affiliated with the Fogg Museum at Harvard in the 1930s and served as Editor in charge of the American Journal of Archaeology from 1938 to 1941. The Luce folders comprise two series. Series 1 includes general correspondence related to the museum and to his research and Series 2 includes correspondence with art dealers related to specific collections

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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William C. Farabee American Section records, 1912-1925 (bulk) 1912-1936 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.2 linear foot
Abstract:
William Curtis Farabee was a Harvard educated geneticist and ethnologist who served the Penn Museum as a researcher and curator. During his expeditions to South America, he detailed the cultural diversity of the Arawak and Carib peoples. Farabee's time as curator of the American Section of the museum resulted in five folders of correspondence and notes dating mostly from 1915 to 1925.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Clarence S. Fisher Memphis Expedition records, 1915-1923 (bulk) 1915-1969 (inclusive)

Extent:
7.0 linear foot
Abstract:
Clarence S. Fisher was born in Philadelphia in 1876 and attended the University of Pennsylvania, attaining a degree in architecture in 1897 but devoting his entire life to archaeology. His first archaeology field experience was as the architect for the initial Babylonian expedition to Nippur from 1898 to 1900. This was followed by a research fellowship in Babylonian archaeology at the University Museum. Fisher also gained experience as an assistant to Harvard Archaeologist, George Andrew Reisner in Egypt and Samaria. From Reisner, Fisher learned archaeological techniques and the methods of meticulous record keeping he would use in his later work. Fisher was appointed a curator of the Egyptian section of the University of Pennsylvania Museum by George B. Gordon in 1914. He spent the next nine years in the field collecting data in Dendereh, Giza, Memphis, and Dra Abu el-Naga. The Clarence S. Fisher Memphis excavation records consist of six archival boxes of correspondence, notes,...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Meydum, Egypt expedition records, 1929-1933 (inclusive)

Extent:
5.6 linear feet
Abstract:
Alan Rowe, born in Hornchurch, Essex, England in 1891, spent his life not only in his homeland but in Australia, Egypt, Palestine and Libya in pursuit of the study of Egyptology. He excavated with C.S. Fisher at Beth Shan and George Reisner at Giza before serving as Field Director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum Expedition to Meydum, Egypt. The Meydum, Egypt Expedition records consist of eight archival boxes of records plus photographs and plans housed separately. The object registers are placed with the oversized materials.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Nippur, Iraq expedition records, 1881-1900 (inclusive)

Extent:
20.0 linear feet
Abstract:
In 1887, the University of Pennsylvania agreed to sponsor an expedition to the Near East. The idea was conceived by Reverend John Punnett Peters, University of Pennsylvania Professor of Hebrew. Nippur was a pre-Biblical city-state located in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates, the area believed to be the "cradle of civilization." The museum conducted four expeditions between 1889 and 1898. The textual records for Nippur consist of 20 linear feet of files are arranged by Expedition (I, II, III, IV), as well as publications, maps and drawings. The documents for each expedition are separated according to type: Field Notes, Reports and Narratives, Correspondence, Financial Records.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Gibeon expedition records, 1956-1964 (inclusive)

Extent:
6.0 linear feet
Abstract:
James Pritchard, first Curator of Biblical Archaeology, Professor of Religious Thought, Associate Director (1967-1976), and Director (1976-1977) at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, conducted his primary fieldwork in three sites in the Near East. Of these, locating the site of Ancient Gibeon (El-Jib) in Jordan was perhaps Pritchard’s most notable accomplishment. He and his team conducted five seasons of fieldwork here, discovering three prominent architectural features: a tunnel, pool, and the city wall. The archival records for these excavations consist six linear feet of field notes, reports, a field diary, correspondence, object catalogues, drawings, photographs and a photographic catalogue, an annotated map, publication notes, and financial records.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Gournia, Crete expedition records, 1900-1917 (bulk) 1900-1933 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The textual records from the excavations of Gournia and the papers of Harriet Boyd Hawes consist of one linear foot of correspondence, financial records, field notes and drawings, drafts of lectures and materials for publication, and research notes. The records have been compiled from several sources, none of which contributed a significant original order. Sources of the records include the files of the American Exploration Society, the records of University of Pennsylvania Museum Mediterranean Section Curator Sara Yorke Stevenson, and the papers of Harriet Boyd Hawes, contributed to the Archives on two occasions (in 1973, by her son Alexander Hawes, and in 1993 by her daughter Mrs. Mary Allsebrook via researcher Dr. Vasso Fotou.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Marsa Matruh, Egypt excavation records, 1983-2003 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.2 linear feet
Abstract:
Marsa Matruh, on the northwest coast of Egypt, has been the site of trade and commerce among ancient seafarers since the late Bronze Age. The records here represent three seasons of excavation undertaken by the University of Pennsylvania in 1985, 1987, and 1989 under the directorship of Dr. Donald White, as well as several subsequent surveys and study seasons in 1990, 1995, and 1996. The initial excavations centered on an island in a lagoon to the east of the city known locally as Island of the Jew, or Desert Island, since known to archaeologists as Bates’s Island (Area I), in honor of archaeologist Oric Bates, who first excavated here in 1913-1914. The focus of these excavations has been the Bronze Age artifacts, although many finds from later periods were documented during analysis. Additional excavation was also conducted on the nearby shore at eight locations (Areas II-IX). The 1990 to 1996 surveys included analysis of locations along the adjacent coast to determine possible...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Zelia Nuttall papers, 1896-1897 (bulk) 1893-1903 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.0 linear foot
Abstract:
In 1896 the University of Pennsylvania Museum sponsored its first expedition to Russia. The Museum sent Zelia Nuttall (now remembered mainly for her work in the area of Mexican studies) as its representative on a trip to establish cordial relations and a system of exchanges and cooperation, and to obtain archaeological and ethnological specimens by gift or exchange. Nuttall traveled to Moscow, Kiev, Troitzkoi, Rostov, Nijni-Novgorod, and Riga. She also attended ceremonies for the coronation of Nicholas II and there acquired commemorative prints which she donated to the Museum and to Mrs. Hearst. The collection consists mainly of correspondence from Nuttall to William Pepper and Sara Yorke Stevenson, inventories of objects acquired, and images collected at the Pan-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition at Nijni-Novgorod (modern Gorki).

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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University Museum Expedition to Afghanistan, 1952-1955 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.4 linear feet
Abstract:
The University Museum Expedition to Afghanistan spent six months in 1953 excavating the Bactrian sites of Balkh and Kunduz. The expedition was helmed by Rodney S. Young (Curator of the Mediterranean Section), Schuyler Cammann (Associate Curator in the Oriental Section), and Dorothy Hannah Cox, with additional scouting and surveying work performed by Carlton Coon. Uncovering evidence of the area's pre-Buddhist historical record was this expedition's primary focus. The textual records of the expeditions to Balkh and Kunduz consist of .4 linear feet of correspondence, inventories, preliminary reports, published reports, excavation agreements, field notes, and images. The records have been compiled from two sources: the papers of Dr. Schuyler Cammann (contributed in 1992) and the records of the Asian Section Office at the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania, an ongoing contribution of records to the Archives over time. Because very similar records were found in both sets of source...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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Gregory L. Possehl Indus Civilization papers, 1980-1996 (bulk) 1965-2005 (inclusive)

Extent:
54.0 cubic feet (the collection consists of twelve records storage containers of correspondence, thirty-seven records storage containers of original notes and data, plus two file boxes of bibliographic cards and note cards. )
Abstract:
Gregory L. Possehl, known for his discoveries in India and Pakistan, was born in Tacoma, Washington in 1941 and studied at the University of Washington and the University of Chicago attaining his Ph.D.in anthropology from the latter in 1974. Possehl's field work in Pakistan and India explored the Harappan civilization who populated the Gujarat region of India including the sites of Rojdi, Oriyo Timbo, and Babar Kot from 2500 BC to 2000 BC. Possehl was funded for his work from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Possehl is also a noted professor at Penn in the Departments of Anthropology and Oriental Studies and a curator in the Asian section of the Penn Museum. He published award-winning books on the Harappan civilization and trained many future scholars in the field. The Gregory L. Possehl Indus Civilization papers are composed of twelve boxes of correspondence, a seven box visual archive of negatives, slides,...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

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General correspondence relating to Civil Works projects originating under the Wilmington and Philadelphia Engineers, 1907-1943 (bulk) 1871-1948 (inclusive)

Extent:
113.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Philadelphia District of the Army Corps of Engineers was established in 1866, to manage the water resources of the Delaware River Basin, and of the Atlantic Coast from the Manasquan Inlet of New Jersey to the southern boundary of Delaware. The “General correspondence relating to Civil Works projects originating under the Wilmington and Philadelphia Engineers” collection houses correspondence, blueprints, maps, bids, photographs and reports dating from 1871 to 1948 [bulk 1907-1943]. This collection relates to civil engineering projects in the Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey area, such as: dredging of rivers, creeks and harbors; flood control; removing wrecks; bridge building and maintenance; dam building and maintenance; and relocations of roads, cemeteries and railroad lines.

Held at: National Archives at Philadelphia [Contact Us]

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Hatfield and Hibernia Park records, 1743-1975 (inclusive)

Extent:
7.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The County of Chester owns the Hatfield and Hibernia estates, both of which played parts in the early iron industry in Pennsylvania. The families who lived on those estates (the Hatfields, Downings, Brookes and Swaynes, to name only a few) were involved with other ventures such as a general store and a convalescence home. The Hatfield and Hibernia Park records document the families, businesses, and property transfers of the families living in the Hatfield and Hibernia homes from the 1700s to the 1900s. Researchers interested in land and property records, iron works, 19th century general stores, and rest homes will find this collection to be extremely valuable.

Held at: Chester County Archives [Contact Us]

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Centennial Exhibition of 1876 records, 1871-1881 (inclusive)

Extent:
70.0 cubic feet
Abstract:
Following the end of the American Civil War, Americans began to prepare for the celebration of the nation's 100th birthday in 1876. Various citizens of Philadelphia proposed that this exhibition should be held in this city and a resolution to that effect was adopted by the Select and Common Councils in January 1870. The records of the United States Centennial Commission comprise two records groups at the Philadelphia City Archives. Record Group 230 contains the records of the United States Centennial Commission, and Record Group 231 contains the records of the Centennial Board of Finance. Together these comprise the City Archive’s holding on the Centennial Exhibition.

Held at: City of Philadelphia, Department of Records, City Archives [Contact Us]

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Fairmount Park Commission Index to Briefs of Title of Fairmount Park Properties, 1867-1962 (inclusive)

Extent:
25.0 map drawers
Abstract:
These are the briefs of titles which accompany many of the title papers assembled during the 1860s and 1870s. This was when the City of Philadelphia acquired most of the initial properties which comprised Fairmount Park. These briefs were prepared in order for the Fairmount Park Commission to be assured that a good and clean title was assumed by them. In most cases, the briefs cover the entire history of the property from the patent granted by William Penn or his commissioners until the acquisition by the Fairmount Park Commission. Generally, these files contain the various deeds by which the City of Philadelphia acquired property, not only for the main park system surrounding the Schuylkill River and the Wissahickon Creek, but also acquisitions for some of the smaller parks under the Fairmount Park Commission’s jurisdiction.

Held at: City of Philadelphia, Department of Records, City Archives [Contact Us]

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Pennsylvania Horticultural Society records, 1791-2006 (inclusive)

Extent:
22.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) was founded on November 24, 1827 by fifty-three prominent Philadelphians; among them Horace Binney, David Landreth Jr., William Davidson, George Pepper, Nicolas Biddle and Moses Brown. Emulating similar societies existing in England at the time, the men formed their Society to promote “a highly instructive and interesting science for the purpose of improving the growth of vegetables, plants, trees, fruits and flowers.” Since that time, the Society and its membership has fostered “…an appreciation of plants, acquiring scientific knowledge about them, disseminating horticultural information, and involving the public in gardening and beautifying the City of Philadelphia.” More recently, the Society has worked specifically to beautify the city and help realize William Penn’s founding vision for Philadelphia to be a “greene countrie towne.” This is a collection of administrative records from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The...(see more)

Held at: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society [Contact Us]

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John Wister lantern slide collection, 1930-1940 (inclusive)

Extent:
7.29 linear feet
Abstract:
John Casper Wister (1887-1982) devoted his life’s work to horticulture. He was a noted author, editor, speaker, organizer, hybridizer, designer, planter and all around flower lover. Wister was closely affiliated with numerous horticultural organizations including the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the American Rose Society, the John Bartram Association, the American Daffodil Society and the American Iris Society. He also served as director of Swarthmore College’s Arthur Hoytt Scott Horticultural Foundation and the Tyler Arboretum in Media, Pennsylvania. This collection contains lantern slides dating from 1930 to 1940 and consists of 220 slides in total. The first series consists of 109 slides of different gardeners from the Philadelphia area. The second series consists of 111 slides and depicts different flowers and gardens from around Philadelphia, the surrounding areas and Europe. This is a very rich collection that researchers interested in Philadelphia gardens or 1930s...(see more)

Held at: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society [Contact Us]

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United Political Action Committee of Chester County records, 1958-1996 (inclusive)

Extent:
10.0 boxes
Abstract:
“In 1966, several black civil rights workers decided to form a small organization whose purpose was to end racial discrimination in Chester County.” So began the United Political Action Committee of Chester County (UPAC). The founders included Charles A. Melton, Charles H. Butler, Norman W. Bond, Robert L. Wright, Willie Stokes, James Ward, Alston B. Meade, W.T.M. Johnson, Ernest Spriggs and Charles V. Hamilton. The records, 1958-1996, include biographical material on committee members and others associated with UPAC as well as correspondence, minutes, hand written notes, legal documents, newspaper clippings, news releases, memos, scrapbooks, programs and photographs of activities. Also in the collection are papers of Dr. W.T.M. Johnson. These include indexed compilations of his published letters as well as papers related to his time as a member of the faculty at Lincoln University.

Held at: Chester County Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Wagner Free Institute of Science Committee Reports, 1929-1981 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear feet
Abstract:
This collection contains the reports of the various committees of the Wagner Free Institute of Science, including the Committee on Museum, Committee on Library, Committee on Finance and Property, and Committee on Instruction. The reports provide insight into the day-to-day administrative operations and finances of the Wagner. While much of the information within the reports reference the “nuts and bolts” of the Institute, the Committee on Museum series, in particular, contains notable information pertaining to the history of the Wagner’s attendance and holdings, including specimen accessions, conservation, installation projects, maintenance, and changes in display.

Held at: Wagner Free Institute of Science [Contact Us]

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William Wagner lectures, 1815-1905 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.5 linear feet
Abstract:
William Wagner was a gentleman scientist and avid collector of natural history specimens. He founded the Wagner Free Institute of Science in 1855. This collection contains a series of scientific and general lectures written and delivered by William Wagner. The lectures are arranged by subject and center chiefly on conchology, geology and paleontology, and mineralogy and metallurgy; but also include lectures, for example, on education, agriculture and aesthetics.

Held at: Wagner Free Institute of Science [Contact Us]

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Westbrook Free Lectureship Records, 1912-1924 (bulk) 1910-1990 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.0 linear feet (2 containers)
Abstract:
Richard Brodhead Westbrook (1820-1899) was a Trustee of the Wagner Free Institute of Science from 1884 until his death in 1899. In his will, he established an endowment for the Richard B. Westbrook Free Lectureship as a means to encourage open discourse on scientific subjects, especially disputed questions in science and the theories of Evolution. This collection contains correspondence, announcements, syllabi, notes and newspaper clippings relating to the Westbrook Free Lectureship from its beginning in 1912 through 1990. The Lecture Records series is the most in depth. Full text is available for the 1918 lecture, and notes and synopses are present for other years.

Held at: Wagner Free Institute of Science [Contact Us]

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Weiss family of Weissport, Pennsylvania papers, 1777-1916 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.75 linear feet
Abstract:
The Weiss family was prominent in the coal business in eastern Pennsylvania during the late 1700s and 1800s. The Weiss family collection dates from 1777 to 1916 and documents, most fully, Jacob Weiss (1750-1839), Francis White (1773-1845), and Francis White (1819-1888). The papers include diaries, geological and surveying notebooks, maps and observations; personalia and biographical notes; transcribed documents, portraits, scrapbooks, business journals, daybooks, mercantile records and account books as well as correspondence of many members of the family.

Held at: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia [Contact Us]

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Benjamin Sharp papers and glass lantern slides, 1844-1893 (inclusive)

Extent:
5.0 boxes
Abstract:
Benjamin Sharp (1858-1915), a zoologist who was primarily affiliated with the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, attended Swarthmore College (1876) and earned a M.D. and Ph.D.from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked in the Caribbean, the Hawaiian Islands and in the Arctic, where he was in charge of zoology for Peary's first Arctic Expedition in 1891.

Held at: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia [Contact Us]

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