Philadelphia Portrait Miniatures, 1760-1860 (2009)

The painter of miniatures has... even more than the painter in large... the satisfaction of knowing that he exerts his skill in behalf of the best feelings of our nature... [His] delicate and exquisitely touched work is dependent on... seemingly fragile materials... and [yet] will for years to come, raise sensations in the bosoms of those who gaze on them, which may rival any excited by the works of their brethren, that are displayed in gallery and hall... Read article • View PDF

Fore & Aft – Philadelphia Collects Maritime (2008)

Philadelphia owes its existence to the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers. Cradled between one river that led to the abundant western frontier of Pennsylvania and another that led to the oceans of the world, Philadelphia was born and flourished. It developed into the principal colonial port city and functioned as a nexus of exchange... Read article • View PDF

Phila. Empire Furniture: Bold, Brash, & Beautiful (2007)

From the 18th century urban centers of Northern Europe, a new-founded interest in the architecture of the cultures of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome began as early as 1750. By the late 18th and early 19th Century in both Europe and America, classically inspired architecture was complemented... Read article • View PDF

The Schuylkill Villas (2006)

A villa, by definition, is “a country estate; the rural or suburban residence of a wealthy person.” In Philadelphia, by the early 18th century, a prosperous merchant class had begun to emerge, gentlemen whose wealth afforded them a lifestyle that emulated their British forebears... Read article • View PDF

Vaulting Ambition: Gothic Revival in Phila, 1830-1860 (2005)

The Gothic style dominated the architecture of Europe between 1100 and about 1500 A.D. It was, basically, an architectural style, wherein the slender masonry of the walls and the vaults was embellished with lancet windows, moldings, paneling, tracery, ribs, leafage, crockets, and pinnacles... Read article • View PDF

Folk Art on Fire (2004)

Philadelphians living in the second half of the eighteenth century were accustomed to a life fraught with physical dangers. Infant mortality approached 30%. Skeletal injuries carried a high rate of amputation and, before anesthesia or antibiotics, a 25% risk of death. Yellow fever regularly killed hundreds of urban dwellers and drove survivors... Read article • View PDF

Patterns of Pride: Historical Blue Staffordshire (2003)

One of the most interesting categories of American antiques is historical Staffordshire china, produced exclusively by English potters from 1820 to 1850 in the district of Staffordshire, northwest of London, for the American trade... Read article • View PDF

This Glorious House - Stenton (2002)

Stenton, the country house of James Logan (1674-1751), is one of the finest historic house museums in the Philadelphia region. Administered by the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1899, it is celebrated for its distinguished architecture and collections. Learn more...

Needlework Treasures (2001)

The Philadelphia Museum of Art, from its beginnings during the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, has become a preeminent international arts institution, with impressive collections in a multiplicity of media. In honor of the Museum's 125th anniversary, the 2001 loan exhibition features rare and unusual American and European needlework. Learn more...

It's About Time (2000)

A Millennium is in essence a celebration of the passage of time, which has been calculated and recorded in a thousand ways in as many years. Within that period, we have come from natural means (sun, wind, sand, and water), to marvelous man-made mechanical devices, and back to elemental forces. Learn more...