Item sets

• Annual Exhibition photographs
  Photographs in this collection include study images of works of art submitted to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) or created by PAFA for research and documentation purposes. The collection also features installation photography from PAFA’s Annual Exhibitions, offering visual insight into how artworks were presented during these events. It’s important to note that not all artworks exhibited in PAFA’s Annual Exhibitions were photographed. The presence of an artwork in this digital collection simply indicates that it was among those documented through photography. Therefore, if your search returns no results, it does not necessarily mean the artist did not exhibit at PAFA—it only means that we do not have photographic documentation of their work in this collection.
• Annual Water Color and Miniature Exhibition catalogs
  In 1904 watercolors, prints, and drawings were segregated into a separate annual exhibition, which also featured the annual display of the Pennsylvania Society of Miniature Painters. Thus, from 1904 to 1953, the Academy mounted two annual exhibitions. In 1954 the Academy held only the 149th Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture; in 1955 only the special-format 150th Anniversary Exhibition took place; and in 1956 only the 151st Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture was held. From 1957 to 1969 the annual exhibition of painting and sculpture alternated with the annual exhibition of watercolors, prints, and drawings. The exhibitions devoted to painting and sculpture occurred in 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, and 1968.
• Annual Water Color and Miniature Exhibition photographs
  In 1904 watercolors, prints, and drawings were segregated into a separate annual exhibition, which also featured the annual display of the Pennsylvania Society of Miniature Painters. Thus, from 1904 to 1953, the Academy mounted two annual exhibitions. In 1954 the Academy held only the 149th Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture; in 1955 only the special-format 150th Anniversary Exhibition took place; and in 1956 only the 151st Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture was held. From 1957 to 1969 the annual exhibition of painting and sculpture alternated with the annual exhibition of watercolors, prints, and drawings. The exhibitions devoted to painting and sculpture occurred in 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, and 1968.
• Special Exhibition photographs
  Please note that the Archives has adopted a new strategy for providing access to our rich archival resources. Digitized and/or digital records get published by default and descriptive information will be added or corrected as we go.
• Morris Gallery photographs
  The Morris Gallery (named for Harrison S. Morris, the turn-of-the-century secretary/managing director) was created in 1978 as a venue for small exhibitions of Philadelphia-connected contemporary artists. Its location is a gallery (formerly a school studio) on the ground floor of the Furness-Hewitt building. After a series of part-time curators, the Academy hired a full-time head for the Morris Gallery program and for other contemporary exhibitions. Judith E. Stein held this position from 1983 until 1994. She was advised by the Morris Gallery Committee, consisting of board members, local artists, and Academy staff. In 1994 the gallery space was converted to a video and orientation theater, and Morris Gallery exhibitions were held in the main galleries for two years. The program resumed its exhibitions in the ground floor location in 1998. Subsequent Morris Gallery or Contemporary Art curators have widened the scope of this program and the Morris Gallery Committee has been discontinued.
• Peale House Gallery photographs (beta release)
  Peale House exhibitions took place in the Academy’s school buildings on Chestnut Street. These exhibitions are generally documented only by an invitation and a checklist. Photography of artworks and of the installations for this series is extensive. From 1964 to early March 1978, the series was run by the museum. Please note that the Archives has adopted a new strategy for providing access to our rich archival resources. Digitized and/or digital records get published by default and descriptive information will be added or corrected as we go.
• School Class photographs
  This collection features photographs taken during classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) while school was in session. Many images capture students working in studio settings alongside faculty and live models, offering a glimpse into the teaching and learning environment at PAFA. The photographs are presented in a variety of formats and document both formal instruction and candid moments of artistic practice. These images serve as a valuable resource for understanding PAFA’s educational traditions and studio culture.
• PAFA School Catalogs
  Digital reproductions of select school catalogs. The circulars detail the operations of the school and various policies. Much of the language in the circulars remained the same throughout the years, with edits largely coming from the instructor sections. Catalogs provided students and prospective students with details about programs, faculty, courses, scholarships, schedules, and the organizational structure of the school.
• Annual Student Exhibition and Graduation photographs
  Collection of photographs documenting the school's academic year end events: Annual Student Exhibition ("ASE") which includes students installing their works, Preview Party hosted by PAFA's Women's Board, prize ceremonies, student luncheon, graduation and commencement ceremony, public opening (after graduation), and alumni reunion party. Some years are more thoroughly documented while others are less.
• Cresson Awards photographs (beta release)
  Photographs of Cresson Award winners. Typically includes artwork, students, and group shots. Please note that the Archives has adopted a new strategy for providing access to our rich archival resources. Digitized records get published by default and descriptive information will be added or corrected as we go.
• Student Prizes photographs
  Fairly complete run of photographs documenting various student competition prizes and awards. Please note that the Archives has adopted a new strategy for providing access to our rich archival resources. Digitized and/or digital records get published by default and descriptive information will be added or corrected as we go.
• PAFA Press Releases
  This digitized collection consists of press releases issued by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) between 1930 and 2020. The materials document PAFA’s public communications over nine decades and detail the institution’s exhibitions, programs, acquisitions, educational initiatives, award/prize information, administrative developments, and other news. For digital and current press releases, please see https://www.pafa.org/news/press-releases All materials in this collection have been digitized to enhance access and support research. The digital files represent the original documents and may include variations in format, chronology, and language.
• John Rhoden papers
  The John Rhoden Papers offer a rich and multifaceted view into the life and legacy of the acclaimed African American sculptor John Rhoden. Spanning both his personal and professional experiences, the collection includes a wide array of materials such as manuscripts, photographs, photo negatives and slides, correspondence, and exhibition-related ephemera. These documents reflect Rhoden’s artistic journey, his international travels, and his contributions to the art world during the 20th century. A substantial portion of the collection has been digitized, making it accessible to researchers, students, and art enthusiasts alike. To gain a deeper understanding of the breadth and organization of the materials, we encourage you to consult the [Finding Aid], which provides detailed descriptions and contextual information about the contents.
• Chester Springs student registration cards
  Collection of student registration cards used by the School to record student name, registered address, dates of attendance, and payment of tuition and fees. Some cards include dormitory information and other distinctions such as veteran status or scholarship awardee. These cards provide often the only proof of a students attendance to Chester Springs.
• Edward Redfield drawings
  Small collection of student drawings by Edward Redfield created during his training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts circa 1887–1889. Features foundational academic exercises such as plaster cast and architectural ornament studies of leaves, hands, and feet—alongside advanced life drawing and nude figure studies. Reflects late 19th-century American art education, highlighting rigorous training in anatomy, tonal shading, and classical proportion under the influence of the Eakins-era PAFA curriculum.
• Blanche Dillaye drawings
  This collection comprises approximately 38 pencil sketches and one poem created by American artist Blanche Dillaye around the year 1928. The drawings capture a range of subjects including architectural landmarks, village scenes, coastal landscapes, and quiet streets across England and France. Locations such as Looe, Lelant, Dinan, Moret, and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne are featured, rendered with Dillaye’s characteristic attention to detail and atmospheric shading. The accompanying poem offers a lyrical complement to the visual works, reflecting the artist’s contemplative engagement with place and memory. Together, the collection provides a rich glimpse into Dillaye’s travels and artistic sensibility during the late 1920s.
• Edmund Stewardson Prize in Sculpture photographs
  The Edmund Stewardson Prize in Sculpture, in the amount of $500, is awarded during the school year. This is an annual prize, competed for by students of the Academy with pupils of other art schools. The subject for the competition is a full-length figure from life, in the round. A student receiving one Stewardson Award is ineligible to compete a second time. The Juror is a professional sculptors who has no official connection with the Academy nor with any other schools whose pupils may have taken part in the competition. The clay models offered in competition must be kept standing, in good condition, until otherwise ordered, and figures cast by the Academy become its property. (Awarded in early Spring semester.)
• Daniel Muller photographs
  The Daniel Müller Papers consist of a collection of 48 photographs of Müller’s sculptures, models posing, and of Müller himself. The photographs are distributed as follows: 28 sculptures of nudes (one of Müller’s 1912 Stewardson Prize winner); 5 busts; 5 fountains (including the Mermaid Fountain in plaster); 7 female models posing; 1 painting of a female nude; 1 of Daniel Müller standing with the Mermaid Fountain, and one of an unidentified man painting. For two images there are glass negatives.
• Alumni Gallery photographs
  Collection of photographs documenting exhibition opening receptions at PAFA's Alumni Gallery. All exhibitions documented were organized and managed by Patricia Ingersoll.
• Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts photographs (beta release)
  Photographs from FPAFA’s events. Please note that the Archives has adopted a new strategy for providing access to our rich archival resources. Digitized records get published by default and descriptive information will be added or corrected as we go.
• James Claghorn photographs
  Suite of five mounted photographs, by R. Newell and Son, of the interior of Claghorn's home on West Logan Square, showing his collection as it was displayed.
• Miscellaneous photographs; cartes-de-visite
  Group of 34 cartes-de-visite of European artists that have been found in or given to the Academy archives, but which are not related to the history of the Academy. The grouping was originally part of a bound album but most likely fell apart due to age.
• Rare Books and Special Collections
  The unique materials of the Rare Book and Special Collections are primarily large volumes, folios, and catalogs donated to PAFA since its founding in 1805. Catalog information is attached to facilitate discovery. There is no digital access to items in this collection. Users must request physical access to use collection, archives@pafa.org.
• Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Archival Finding Aids