Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia
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Franklin Institute
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The Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia in 2008.
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| Location: | 15 S. 7th St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates: | 39°57′1″N 75°9′9″W / 39.95028°N 75.1525°WCoordinates: 39°57′1″N 75°9′9″W / 39.95028°N 75.1525°W |
| Built: | 1825 |
| Architect: | John Haviland |
| Architectural style: | Greek Revival |
| Governing body: | Local |
| NRHP Reference#: | 79002319[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | August 1, 1979 |
The Philadelphia History Museum (also known as the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent) was founded in 1938 as Philadelphia's city history museum.
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[edit] Founding
The museum was established through the efforts of Philadelphia Mayor S. Davis Wilson, Frances Wistar, president of the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks, and A. Atwater Kent, radio pioneer and inventor. In 1938 Wilson and Wistar approached Kent to purchase the recently vacated Franklin Institute building and create a history museum for the City of Philadelphia. They were joined in their efforts by the president of the University of Pennsylvania, the director of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the president of the Franklin Institute. Kent agreed and purchased the building as a gift for the city with three conditions: It was to be dedicated to the history of Philadelphia; named for Kent; and be open to the public free of charge (in 1994, a City Ordinance allowed the museum to charge an admission fee.)[2]
After three years of renovations carried out by the Works Progress Administration, the Atwater Kent Museum was formally dedicated on April 19, 1941.[2]
[edit] Collection
Today, the Museum houses more than 80,000 objects related to Philadelphia and regional history, including an estimated 10,000 17th- to 20th-Century artifacts from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania art and artifact collection, 1700 Quaker-related items from Friends Historical Association Collection, and collections reflecting Philadelphia manufacturing, the 1876 Centennial Exposition, toys and miniatures, and radio broadcasting. The Museum operates as a city agency as part of Philadelphia's Department of Recreation.[2]
As of August 2011, the museum galleries are closed to the public for ongoing renovations. Originally scheduled to be completed in March, 2011, the museum's reopening is scheduled for Spring 2012.[3] At present, the museum is known as the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent.[2]
[edit] Historic building
The museum occupies architect John Haviland's landmark Greek Revival structure at 15 South 7th St., built in 1824-26 for the Franklin Institute. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1979.[1][2]
[edit] Notable facts
- The museum houses a collection of 321 The Saturday Evening Post covers illustrated by Norman Rockwell and published in Philadelphia by the Curtis Publishing company.[2]
- The museum's main gallery features the world's largest map of Philadelphia.[2]
[edit] External links
- Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia official website
- Virtual Tour of Philadelphia's stop at the Atwater Kent
- Philadelphia department of recreation
- Building listing, photograph, and drawings at the Historic American Buildings Survey
- Building listing, history, and images at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
[edit] References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ a b c d e f g Atwater Kent Museum. "AKMP History". (accessed December 5, 2007).
- ^ Philadelphia History Museum "Grand Reopening Spring 2012". (accessed August 12, 2011)
- Russell F. Weigley et al. Philadelphia: A 300 Year History. New York: W.W. Norton, 1982.
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