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American Decorative Arts Department Records
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Held at: Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives [Contact Us]Philadelphia Museum of Art, PO Box 7646, Philadelphia, PA 19101-7646
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The American Decorative Arts Department was created (along with the American Art Department) during the Bicentennial. The records were created by Beatrice Garvan, American Art Associate Curator and Jack Lindsey, Curator of American Decorative Arts.
The records include exhibition files ("Three Centuries of American Art," "Arts of the Pennsylvania Germans," and "Federal Philadelphia," "Wordly Goods: The Arts of Pennsylvania, 1680-1758"), object files, correspondence, photographs, bibliographic records (on index cards), and information relating to various boards the curators served on. There are also drafts of catalogues, lecture notes,and articles written by the curators, as well as cassette and video tapes documenting events relating to the department.
These materials were arranged and described by Susan Anderson and Leslie O'Neill in 2011. Funded by a grant from The National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
- Publisher
- Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Susan Anderson and Leslie O'Neill
- Finding Aid Date
- ©2011
- Sponsor
- Funded by a grant from The National Historical Publications and Records Commission
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research. Access to institutional records less than 10 years old is at the discretion of the Archivist.
- Use Restrictions
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The American Decorative Arts Department Records are the physical property of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Archives. The Museum holds literary rights only for material created by Museum personnel or given to the Museum with such rights specifically assigned. For all other material, literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for obtaining permission from rights holders for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
To celebrate the bicentennial, the PMA opened the stunning exhibition, "Three Centuries of American Art," on April 11, 1976. On display were 550 objects from the Philadelphia area including paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, costumes, decorative arts, and architecture. Arranged chronologically in 50-year periods, the installation was designed by Venturi and Rauch, a Philadelphia architectural firm. The exhibition was organized by the Curator of American Art, Darrel Sewell, and was funded largely by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Atlantic Richfield Foundation, and the Provident National Bank. The majority of the records are comprised of object files. Other records include those related to administration and exhibition planning. The bulk of the files are from 1975, however much of the material is undated.
- American Art Department Records / II. Exhibitions and installations / C. "Three Centuries of American Art." April 11, 1976-October 10, 1976
The administrative and planning files contain records such as architectural planning files, the bibiliography for the exhibition, and a comprehensive list of loaned objects. The bulk of the records are not dated.
This sub-subseries consists of object files for the exhibition. Within the files are photographs, research material, notes, historical information, and descriptions of the individual object. The bulk of the files range in date from 1974-1975, and users should note that the original order of the records has been retained.
Arranged in original order.
"The Pennsylvania Germans: A Celebration of Their Arts, 1683-1850," was a magnificent exhibition curated by Beatrice B. Garvan, Associate Curator of American Art at the PMA, and Charles F. Hummel, Deputy Director for Collections at Winterthur Museum and Gardens, Delaware. Held from October 17, 1982 to January 9, 1983, the exhibition featured 333 objects that included furniture, paintings, ceramics, glass, textiles, costumes, glass, metalwork, and imprints. The objects reflected the diverse and creative backgrounds of the Pennsylvania Germans, perhaps more well known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. Organized around the exhibition's themes, a stunning catalogue, containing photographs and colorplates, was published. After closing in Philadelphia, the exhibition then traveled to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, followed by the M.H. de Young Museum in San Francisco, and the completed its tour at the Art Institute of Chicago. The majority of the records are related to the objects in the exhibition, and other records include those pertaining to the exhibition planning and administrative materials.
The administrative and planning files pertain to the exhibition themes, artist biographies and bibliographies, education, and exhibition planning and installation.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art published an exhibition catalogue for all institutions. Catalogue records include essay drafts, images and photographs, checklists, bibliographies, and historical information.
Records within this sub-subseries consist of detailed information regarding objects considered for loan. The files include notes, object descriptions, and photographs.
Object files were created for pieces included in the exhibition and material within each file includes bibliographies, historical data, photographs, and notes. There is also a comprehensive list by lender, as well as several individual object files.
Photographs of objects are found within this sub-subseries. The print size and format of the photographs vary by file.
As part of the national celebration of the bicentennial of the Constitution, the PMA opened the exhibition "Federal Philadelphia, 1785-1825: The Athens of the Western World" on July 5, 1987. The exhibition featured furniture, costumes, paintings, silver, and architectural elements, and was curated by Beatrice B. Garvan and Darrel Sewell. The records are largely comprised of photographs of the exhibition objects. The records also include a checklist of the exhibition and a scrapbook containing photographs, clippings, correspondence, and notes. The records range in date from 1985-1988, however, the object photographs are undated.
"As Pieces Here to Pieces Join: American Appliqué Quilts, 1800-1900" was an exhibition of nineteenth-century applique quilts, many of them were from the Philadelphia area. A number of the quilts were important works, and a quite a few had never been exhibited before. The exhibition was curated by Dilys E. Blum and Jack L. Lindsey. The records consist of lender information and drafts for the PMA bulletin regarding the exhibition.
"Community Fabric: African American Quilts and Folk Art" was an exhibition of quilts, drawings, carvings, and other decorative arts created from 1900 to 1980. The exhibition was held from February 13, 1994 - April 10, 1994. It was curated by Jack Lindsey and Dilys E. Blum, and was organized in collaboration with Dr. Maude Southwell Wahlman, professor of art and art history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The records are largely administrative in nature and include material such as correspondence, research notes, loans, press, and planning documentation. The bulk of the files are from 1993-1994.
"The Cadwalader Family: Art and Style in Early Philadelphia" was an exhibition of paintings, drawings, and objects from the John and Elizabeth Cadwalader collection. The exhibition was held from November 3, 1996 to February 2, 1997. In 1697, John Cadwalader, the family's founder, immigrated to Philadelphia from Wales and the family went on to become influential and philanthropic members of the Philadelphia community. Beginning in 1980, the PMA began acquiring pieces from the family's collection, and later added the Cadwalader Collection to its permanent collections. Included in the collection are portaits of the Cadwalader family by Charles Willson Peale. The records, ranging in date from 1995-1996, contain photographs of objects, loan information, and planning material.
"Self-Taught Artists of the 20th Century: An American Anthology" was a traveling exhibition that premiered at the PMA on March 10, 1998. Organized by the Museum of American Folk Art in New York, the exhibition featured paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations created by 31 American self-taught artists, including Grandma Moses, Thornton Dial, and Horace Pippin. The exhibition was curated by Ann Temkin, the Muriel and Philip Berman Curator of Twentieth-Century Art, Jack Lindsey, Curator of American Decorative Arts, Elsa Longhauser, Director of the Paley/Levy Galleries at Moore College of Art and Design, and Harald Szeemann Independent Curator at the Kunsthaus Zurich. The records consist of the Bonovitz lender file and correspondence related to the catalogue.
- American Art Department Records / II. Exhibitions and installations / V. "Self-Taught Artists of the 20th Century: An American Anthology." March 10, 1998-May 17, 1998
"Worldly Goods: The Arts of Pennsylvania, 1680-1758," was a magnificent exhibition that was held from October 10, 1999 to January 2, 2000. Within the exhibition were more than 350 pieces that included furniture, ceramics, silver, textiles, metalwork, prints, books, maps, and paintings that were either imported to or made in the colony. Curated by Jack Lindsey, curator of American Decorative Arts, the objects were arranged in room settings that displayed how the pieces would have been used at the time. Many of the objects featured were from private collections and had never been exhibited before. Other pieces were on loan from museums, galleries, libraries, and historical societies such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania Historical Society, and The Royal Library of Sweden. Created by skilled craftsmen, the objects reflected a time of prosperity and growth, as well as the settlers desire to possess both stylish imports and locally crafted goods. The records are divided into seven sub-subseries: Administrative and Planning files; Catalogue; Grants; Lenders; Object files; Research; and Multimedia and Oversized Material. Users will find that the exhibition was extensively documented, both before and during. The records for the exhibit are comprised of various types of materials, and while the majority of the files are printed and written documents, the records also include photographs, sketches, and audio and visual cassette tapes. The bulk of the files date from 1998 to 1999.
The records within this sub-subseries contain general planning material, as well as correspondence, press releases, and financial documentation. Also included are the records for The Arts of Pennsylvania Baroque symposium. The files date from 1997 to 2000.
The preparation for the exhibition's catalogue is documented within this sub-subseries. The records are arranged in original order and include drafts, research, correspondence, and photograph. The bulk of the material is undated.
Records are arranged in original order.
These records consist of general grant information as well as documentation for the Chipstone, J.P. Morgan, and National Endowment for the Arts grants.
These records consist primarily of correspondence with institutions and individuals approached for loans for the exhibition. The bulk of the material is from 1998 to 1999.
Object files, arranged by catalog number, were created for each object included in the exhibition. The files may contain object research, correspondence, images, photographs, and notes. The objects have been grouped by type and are divided into the following categories: case furniture; tables and stands; seating furniture; upholstered seating furniture; miscellaneous seating furniture; silver; base metals; glass; ceramics; textiles, clothing, and personal adornments; miscellaneous objects; paintings, drawings, and prints; manuscripts, maps, and printed works; and other. The files are almost entirely undated.
These records relate to topics and subjects for the exhibition and its catalogue. Files include notes and material on subjects such as architecture, furniture, religion, theory, and patronage. Users studying the arts and influences of the Pennsylvania Baroque may find these records beneficial to their research.
The final sub-subseries contains audio cassette tapes, VHS cassette tapes, and oversized floor plans of the exhibition.