Details
Creator Library Company of Philadelphia.
Title Library Company of Philadelphia scrapbook [graphic].
Publisher PA. Philadelphia. 1920-1930
Date 1818-ca. 1934, bulk 1920-1930
Physical Description 1 scrapbook (16 photographic prints, 12 photomechanical prints, 9 items): gelatin silver, typescript, manuscript, letterpress; scrapbook 29 x 25 cm. (11.25 x 9.5 in.)
Description Scrapbook predominantly containing photographs of the interiors and exteriors of the buildings of the Library Company of Philadelphia at Fifth and Library streets (1792-1878) (p. 8, 10, 21a) and Juniper and Locust streets (1880-1940). Interior views show the main reading rooms (p. 27, 29, 30, 33-35), the women's reading room (p.31-32), and the Henry C. Lea Annex (member's reading room)(p.37) at the Juniper Street building. The images include shelves of books; reading tables and chairs; magazine racks; card catalogs; and paintings, photographs, manuscripts and busts and object d'arts on display. Also contains photographs and photomechanical reproductions of portraiture of early noted figures and donors to the Library Company and art and artifacts held by or associated with the repository. Additional content includes reference correspondence (1920 and 1924) between librarian George Abbot and overseas researchers studying Peter Collinson and an April 8, 1834 newspaper clipping reporting the Library Company's receipt of the book collection of the late James Cox "Artist and Bibliomaniac" accompanied by his autograph (John McAllister label pasted on verso).
Portraits depict Rev. Samuel Preston (1756-1834)(p. 12); optician Joseph Fisher (d. 1864) (p. 13); library director Dr. Thomas Parke (1749-1835) (p. 14); "library director 1825-1840" Benjamin R. Morgan (1765-1840) (p. 16); and Library Company purchasing agent Peter Collinson (1694-1768) (p. 17). Artifacts include the "Lion's Mouth" tin suggestion box (ca. 1850) (p. 21); the candle lantern from the entrance of the original library building (pre-1791) (p. 20); "old playing cards used as washers for Franklin's electrical machine" (1740s) (p. 22); William Penn's secretary desk (ca. 1680) (p. 23); John Penn's air pump case for electrical instruments (1738-1739) (p. 24); and the anti-slavery painting "Liberty Displaying the Arts and Sciences" given to the library by its artist Samuel Jennings in 1792 (p. 18-19). Photographic reproductions also depict prints from Birch's "Views of Philadelphia" (p. 25-26).
Notes Title supplied by cataloger.
Bookplate of the Library Company dated October 9, 1934 pasted on inside front cover.
Some contents identified from manuscript notes on rectos and versos of scrapbook pages.
Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Digitization made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom (PW-285234-22), 2023-2025.
Housed in phase box.
Select link below to access the website "Art & Artifacts. Discover the Library Company’s Art and Artifact Collection."
Biographical / historical note The Library Company of Philadelphia, America’s first successful lending library and oldest cultural institution, was founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin as a subscription library supported by its shareholders. Until the 1850s it was the largest public library in America. It was transformed into a research library in the 1950s.
Subject Library Company of Philadelphia -- History.
Library Company of Philadelphia -- People.
Library Company of Philadelphia -- Buildings.
Correspondence -- 1920-1930.
Typescripts -- 1920-1930.
Geographic subject Fifth Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) -- South -- 100 block.
Locust Street (Philadelphia, Pa.) -- 1300 block.
Genre Scrapbooks -- 1920-1940.
Gelatin silver prints -- 1920-1940.
Photomechanical prints -- 1920-1940.
Portraits -- 1920-1940.
Clippings -- 1830-1930.
Autographs -- 1810-1820.
Letterpress works -- 1810-1820.
Location Library Company of Philadelphia| Print Department| albums - Library [Uy8 7065.Q]
Accession number Uy8 7065.Q