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Library Company of Philadelphia records, 1700-circa 2001, undated (inclusive) 1731-1881, undated (bulk)

Extent:

57.4 linear feet (; 39 boxes and 203 volumes)

Abstract:

The Library Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin and a group of like-minded Philadelphians as a subscription library supported by its shareholders. The Library Company quickly became the most important book resource for colonial Philadelphians. Its collecting policy was responsive to the needs of its intellectually alert and economically ambitious membership, so it also built a significant collection of pamphlets, prints, maps, ephemera, graphic arts materials, and even scientific equipment and other objects. By 1769, the Library Company had absorbed Philadelphia's Union Library Company, Association Library Company, and Amicable Library, and in 1792, it agreed to annex the Loganian Library as a separate-but-related entity. The Library Company Records collection documents the governance and activities of the Library Company over its long history. Records created up through 1881 are processed and described in this finding aid, including minutes from...(see more)

Held at: The Library Company of Philadelphia [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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Edward James Nolan documents and correspondence on the History of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1846-1915 (inclusive)

Extent:

234.0 items

Abstract:

Edward James Nolan (1846-1921) served as the librarian at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia from 1869 until his death. During his tenure as librarian, he performed research on and wrote the history of the Academy which was completed in 1909. This collection contains material collected by Nolan for his history, including transcriptions of early minutes, deeds, biographies, news clipppings, letters and reminiscences of colleagues.

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

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Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Board of Trustees records, 1976-1989 (bulk) 1925-1990 (inclusive)

Extent:

11.5 linear feet (12 containers)

Abstract:

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) is a natural history museum which was founded in 1812, “for the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences, and the advancement of useful learning.” The ANSP Board of Trustees, was established in 1925, as one of the institution’s primary administrative bodies. The Board of Trustees was charged with establishing financial policies, selecting the Academy President, assisting with fund raising and community relations, and serving as a board of review. This collection of Trustees records dating from 1925 to 1990 contains minutes and correspondence of various Board committees, policies and procedures, departmental activity reports, annual meetings and files from the President's office related to board matters.

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

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Crawford H. Greenewalt papers, 1951-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:

23.6 linear feet (40 containers)

Abstract:

Crawford Hallock Greenewalt (1902-1993) was a chemical engineer and the President of the DuPont Company from 1948 to 1962. He had a passion for the natural sciences, and combined his love of ornithology with photography. He was especially known for his high speed photographs of hummingbirds. His ornithological interests included bird songs, the radiance of hummingbird feathers and the evolution of shapes and sizes of birds in relation to their flight abilities. The Crawford H. Greenewalt papers document Greenewalt's personal study of ornithology, primarily his work on hummingbirds. The collection dates from 1951 to 1993 and consists primarily of photographs taken by Greenewalt, and technical data collected by Greenewalt. The images photographed by Greenewalt exist in many different formats throughout the collection, including prints, negatives, and slides. The technical data in this collection represents Greenewalt's research into the physiology of hummingbirds, and the development...(see more)

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

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President's Office and Administrative Records, 1874-2003, 1939-1993 (bulk) 1874-2003 (inclusive)

Extent:

82.6 linear feet (146 containers)

Abstract:

The oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas, the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia (ANSP) was founded in 1812 "for the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences, and the advancement of useful learning." Since the founding of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, there have been twenty-eight presidents and five acting presidents. From 1937 to 1995, there were four presidents and one acting president who left their administrations well documented: Charles M.B. Cadwalader (1937-1951), William M. Marvel (1971-1974), Milton H. Wahl (1974-1976), Thomas Peter Bennett (1976-1985) and Keith Stewart Thomson (1986-1995). In addition, several key staff members who worked closely with these presidents left a record of their influence and contributions. This collection contains papers kept by the Office of the President as well as some of the various divisions of the Academy overseen by the President from 1874 to 2003. The bulk of the...(see more)

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

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Horace G. Richards papers, 1928-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:

41.0 linear feet (77 containers)

Abstract:

Horace G. Richards (1906-1984) was a geologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia and an authority on the geologic formations of the Atlantic coastal plain. His research specialty focused on geology and paleontology of the Quaternary Period (approximately the past 1.8 million years), but his research interests also included Cenozoic mollusca, and marine Pleistocene geology and paleontology of the Atlantic coastal plain. Additionally, he studied climate change and coastal shorelines, which required extensive fieldwork, taking him all over the world. Richards was also an adjunct professor at two universities and frequently guest lectured at various institutions. The Horace G. Richards papers document various aspects of his professional career, from his graduate education at the University of Pennsylvania to his retirement from the multiple positions he held. Materials in this collection include: general business correspondence; photographs and slides from his field work...(see more)

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

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Alexander Kendrick papers, 1787-1994 (inclusive) 1930-1977 (bulk)

Extent:

11.51 linear feet (27 boxes)

Abstract:

Alexander Kendrick was a journalist, foreign correspondent, author, and radio and television reporter affiliated with The Public Ledger, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). He is best known for his reporting of international events in World War II and postwar years. The Alexander Kendrick papers comprise radio broadcast and television typescripts, correspondence, contracts, edited book typescripts, book research notes, clippings, long-playing records, and photographs.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Annenberg School for Communication Library Archives [Contact Us]

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American Foundation for Negro Affairs (AFNA) Records, 1967-2008 (inclusive) 1973-2007 (bulk)

Extent:

63.5 linear feet (71 boxes + 1 map folder)

Abstract:

Held at: Temple University Libraries: Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection [Contact Us]