Athenaeum of Philadelphia explained

Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Coordinates:39.9469°N -75.151°W
Location:219 S. 6th St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Architect:John Notman
Publictransit: SEPTA bus:
Embedded:
Embed:yes
Nrhp Type:nhl
Built:1845
Architecture:Italianate
Designated Nrhp Type:December 8, 1976[1]
Added:February 1, 1972
Refnum:72001144

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, located at 219 S. 6th Street between St. James Place and Locust Street in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a special collections library and museum founded in 1814. The Athenaeum's purpose, according to its organizational principles, is to collect materials "connected with the history and antiquities of America, and the useful arts, and generally to disseminate useful knowledge" for public benefit.[2]

The Athenaeum's collections include architecture and interior design history, particularly for the period 1800 to 1945. The institution focuses on the history of American architecture and building technology, and houses architectural archives of 180,000 drawings, over 350,000 photographs, and manuscript holdings of about 1,000 American architects.

Since 1950, the Athenaeum has sponsored the annual Athenaeum Literary Award for works of fiction and non-fiction.

Historic building

The building was designed in 1845 by architect John Notman in the Italianate style, and was one of the first buildings in the city to be built of brownstone, although it was originally planned to be faced in marble. Brownstone was used because it was cheaper. Notman's design was influenced by the work of the English architect Charles Barry.[3]

The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976, as one of the nation's first examples of a building with a palazzo-style facade, and for its historic importance as an educational institution.[4] It is presently a museum furnished with American fine and decorative arts from the first half of the 19th century.

On the right of the athenaeum is the house of Richardson Dilworth, the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1956 to 1962.

Integration with Penn Libraries

In 2019, the Athenaeum of Philadelphia entered into an agreement with the libraries of the University of Pennsylvania to integrate their two collections, giving borrowing privilege to each other's patrons and making the Athenaeum's collection, which is focused on architecture, the built environment, and the decorative arts, searchable in Penn's online catalog. [5]

Athenaeum Literary Award

The Athenaeum Literary Award is a literary award presented by Athenaeum of Philadelphia since 1950. It is awarded to authors who are "bona fide residents of Philadelphia or Pennsylvania living within a radius of 30 miles of City Hall".[6] Eligible works are of general fiction or non-fiction; technical, scientific, and juvenile books are not included. The award was established in 1950 by Charles Wharton Stork (1881–1971), who was a board member of the Athenaeum from 1919 until 1968.

RecipientsSource: Athenaeum Literary Award previous winners (1949–present)[7]

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

See also

References

Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Athenaeum . 2008-02-16. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service.
  2. https://www.philaathenaeum.org/mission.html "Mission and History"
  3. , p.51
  4. Web site: [{{NHLS url|id=72001144}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: the Athenaeum of Philadelphia ]. pdf . July 29, 1976 . Carolyn Pitts . National Park Service. and  
  5. News: Salisbury . Stephan . Penn Libraries and venerable Philadelphia Athenaeum form bookish alliance . 3 January 2024 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . 14 February 2019.
  6. https://www.philaathenaeum.org/literary.html Athenaeum Literary Award
  7. Web site: Athenaeum Literary Award previous winners (1949-present) . Athenaeum of Philadelphia . December 25, 2017 . May 22, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110522052022/https://www.philaathenaeum.org/literary.html . dead .

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