Exhibits Department records

The Museum collections, initially displayed in the University Library in the Furness Building, were transferred to the new building in 1898. In the years that followed, the collections and the space available continued to grow and the Museum prepared both permanent and loan exhibits. The earliest Museum exhibits can be found in the records of the individual sections. An exhibit staff member was appointed in 1940; the staff remaining relatively small. Although exhibit catalogs date from 1892, few files were kept, and the photographic collections are often helpful in documenting past exhibitions. The files are arranged chronologically. Exhibit catalogs are filed separately (see Special Collections— Publications).

The Museum collections, initially displayed in the University Library in the Furness Building, were transferred to the new building in 1898. In the years that followed, the collections and the space available continued to grow and the Museum prepared both permanent and loan exhibits. The earliest Museum exhibits can be found in the records of the individual sections. An exhibit staff member was appointed in 1940; the staff remaining relatively small. Although exhibit catalogs date from 1892, few files were kept, and the photographic collections are often helpful in documenting past exhibitions. The files are arranged chronologically. Exhibit catalogs are filed separately (see Special Collections— Publications).

Most of the records were filed in archival boxes by the date of the exhibit without further processing. Additional folders were located with the unprocessed records in July 2014 and were merged with the original group. In processing, the administrative records and correspondence were separated from the plans, design and gallery labels and each placed in their own folder. Plans for gallery renovations make up a few folders in the collection.

The collection holds a group of visitor comments for three of the exhibits including the Egyptian Mummies. A highlight is one catalogue from the World's Columbian Exposition Exhibit in 1893. The temporary exhibits in this collection were designed prior to 1980 when John T. Murray became Exhibits Director.

Publication Information: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives, 7/14/2014

Finding Aid Author:

Use Restrictions:

Corporate Name(s)

• Wenner-Gren Foundation.

Personal Name(s)

• Addams, Charles, 1912-1988
• Crownover, David
• Crumbo, Woodrow Wilson (Woody), 1912-1989
• Culin, Stewart, 1858-1929
• Davis, Griffin J. (Griff), 1923-1993
• Evans, Merlyn, 1910-1973

Subject(s)

• Archaeological expeditions
• Archaeology--History
• Material culture
• Museum exhibits