This document provides information about the Hidden Collections Processing Project. It is a 27-month project funded by CLIR to process approximately 200 hidden collections across 23 Philadelphia area repositories. The goal is to provide improved access to these collections by arranging, describing, and making them accessible online through a single access point. The document describes some of the collections that have been uncovered so far, including their topics and locations. It also provides examples of ongoing processing work, such as the Horace G. Richards papers at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
3. Project Goal
• Provide access to approximately 200 “hidden”
collec2ons across 23 Philadelphia area
repositories
– Process (arrange, describe and make accessible)
approximately 140 collec2ons across 19
Philadelphia area repositories.
– Create more thorough and more accessible guides
for approximately 80 collec2ons
• Create a single access point for these newly
revealed collec2ons … and hopefully more!
6. 74 “Unhidden” collec2ons at:
• Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
• Bryn Mawr College
• Chester County Historical Society
• College of Physicians of Philadelphia
• Drexel University Archives and Special
Collec2ons
• Drexel University College of Medicine Legacy
Center
• Free Library of Philadelphia
• Haverford College
• Independence Seaport Museum
• Library Company of Philadelphia
• Lutheran Theological Society
• Pennsylvania Hor2cultural Society
• Temple University Urban Archives
• Wagner Free Ins2tute of Science
From the Pollack collec2on of Ocean Liner
ephemera at Independence Seaport Museum
7. Topical Strengths
• The American Revolu2on
• Business and Commerce
• Colonial History
• Law, Poli2cs and
Government
• Military History
• Race and Ethnic History
• Religion
• Science
• Women’s History
From the Douglas and Dorothy Steere
• And many more! See
papers at Haverford College hap://clir.pacscl.org
10. Repository:
Academy of Natural Sciences,
Philadelphia
• Creator: Richards, Horace
Gardiner, 1906‐1984
• Title: Horace G. Richards
papers
• Date [inclusive]: 1928‐1984
• Extent: 41 linear feet
18. Lubin Manufacturing Company records
1895 ‐ Siegmund Lubin purchased first
projector
1896 ‐ Life Mo2on Pictures established
1899 ‐ Built first studio at 912 Arch St.
Circa 1900 ‐ Invented Cineograph
1908 ‐ Formed Mo2on Picture Patents
Co. with Thomas Edison
th
1910 – Built studio at 20 and Indiana
1914 – Fire and explosion at studio
1915 – Began closing studios
1916 – Company and assets were sold
19. Lubin Manufacturing Company records
Topics
Immigrant life
Early cinema and movie
produc2on
Philadelphia history
Mo2on picture actors and
actresses
Inven2ons
Highlights
Photographs
Bulle2ns
Ar2facts
Rarity of collec2on
21. The Family
• George Vaux, Sr.,
1832‐1915
• Mary Vaux Walcoa,
1860‐1940
• George Vaux, Jr.,
1863‐1927
• George Vaux, III,
1909‐1996
22. Ac;vi;es
• George Vaux, Sr.: President of Friends Historical Society, and an
unofficial correspondent for the Philadelphia Yearly Mee:ng and London Yearly
Mee:ng.
• George Vaux, Jr.: Appointed to the Board of Indian Commissioners in
1906 by Theodore Roosevelt. In 1913 he became the Commission's chairman, a
post he held un:l 1927.
• Mary Vaux WalcoD: Served as Secretary of the Smithsonian
Ins:tute from 1907 to 1927, when she was appointed to serve on the Board of
Indian Commissioners. In 1900, she became the first woman to climb Mt.
Stephens in Bri:sh Columbia, and was ac:ve in the Society of Women
Geographers.
• George Vaux, III: Treasurer of the Indian CommiSee of the
Philadelphia Yearly Mee:ng and Chairman of the Friends Historical
Commission. He was also involved in the preserva:on of Quaker buildings and
landmarks across the Philadelphia region.
26. Why I liked the collec2on
• Strong 2es to Philadelphia
– Member and President of
Academy of Natural Sciences
– Aaended and later taught at
the University of Pennsylvania
• Extensive correspondence
covering personal and
professional topics
• Publica2on process of
scien2fic works
– notes, research, drans,
sketches
28. The Morton papers complicated my
no2on of history.
It’s easy to dismiss
uncomfortable aspects
of our past if we don’t
examine them…but
history is supposed to
be messy!