Finding Aids

*You can search finding aids by title such as the name of PAFA departments, administrators, presidents, committees, artist, or medium to narrow your search. Please note that when you type in the search bar, the list will automatically update and filter your search term for an exact match.


  1. American Academy of the Fine Arts records (Columbianum)
  2. The Philadelphia Museum Company records (Peale’s Museum)
  3. Photographic Society of Philadelphia records
  4. Miscellaneous Art Organization ephemera collection
  5. Society of Artists of the United States records (Columbian Society of Artists)
  6. Artists’ Fund Society records
  7. James R. Lambdin Pamphlet collection
  8. Christian H. Wolff Pamphlet collection
  9. Mangel Gallery records
  10. Agnes Allen photographs
  11. Walter Anderson correspondence
  12. Joseph Amarotico papers
  13. John Cadwalader McCall book
  14. Henry Bisbing correspondence
  15. Jack Bookbinder interview transcript
  16. Lizzie Chapin papers
  17. Edward Coates correspondence
  18. James Claghorn photographs
  19. Augustus Heaton papers
  20. Sarah Langly Mendenhall correspondence
  21. Julian Levi photographs
  22. Mary Cassatt papers
  23. Dudley Huppler book, The Lesson
  24. Charles L. Fussell papers
  25. Charles Grafly unpublished manuscript
  26. Eliza Haldeman papers
  27. Henry McCarter register of paintings
  28. Louise Nevelson papers
  29. Violet Oakley papers
  30. Katharine Dunn Pagon papers
  31. Annie Perot papers
  32. Daniel Garber papers
  33. Joseph Harrison Jr. papers
  34. Sara Carle Johns papers
  35. Jessie Willcox Smith papers
  36. Daniel Muller photographs
  37. Walter Stuempfig papers
  38. Leroy Edward Wolfe papers
  39. Walter Reinsel correspondence
  40. Julius Rauzin correspondence
  41. Frederick H. Shelton’s research files on Adolph Ulrich Wertmuller
  42. Sartain Family papers
  43. John Franklin Garber papers
  44. Arthur B. Carles correspondence
  45. Hugh Breckenridge papers
  46. Emma Clara Peale papers
  47. Peter F. Rothermel receipt
  48. Robert Devlin Schwarz memorial service remarks
  49. Gilbert H. Smith papers
  50. Elisabeth Spalding papers
  51. Elizabeth Sparhawk Jones oral history transcript
  52. Thomas Sully correspondence
  53. Henry O. Tanner collection
  54. Robert Vonnoh correspondence
  55. Jeremy Wilson papers
  56. Ben Wolf interview transcript
  57. Edward R. Anshutz papers
  58. Thomas Pollock Anshutz papers
  59. Arthur B. Carles papers
  60. John Rhoden papers
  61. Jane Boyer scrapbooks
  62. Tara Tappert collection of Cecilia Beaux research materials
  63. David Brigham collection of research materials
  64. Alice Kent Stoddard photograph album
  65. Collection of research materials for American Originals: Vivian O. and Meyer P. Potamkin-Collectors of American Art
  66. Morris Blackburn papers
  67. Collection of Henry S. Drinker's research materials on Cecilia Beaux
  68. Cecilia Beaux collection
  69. William Carey book
  70. Rembrandt Peale books
  71. Harrison S. Morris papers
  72. Thomas Shields Clark letters and photographs
  73. Giuseppe Donato collection
  74. Birge Harrison photograph
  75. George Hollingsworth photograph
  76. Henry C. Gibson photographs
  77. Sophie Victor Greene photographs
  78. Sue Coe papers
  79. Bill Viola papers
  80. Daniel Webster correspondence
  81. Louise Ballinger correspondence
  82. John Lambert painted tile
  83. Harry Bertoia drawings
  84. George Harding papers
  85. Hyman Myers renoveation proejct files (Frank Furness building)
  86. Collection of Jessie Willcox Smith periodical illustrations
  87. Faculty and Academician photographs
  88. Artist photographs
  89. PAFA building photographs
  90. Annual Exhibition photographs
  91. Annual water color and miniature photographs
  92. Special Exhibition photographs
  93. Traveling Exhibitions photograph collection
  94. Permanent Collection
  95. Chester Springs photograph collection
  96. School classes photograph collection
  97. Annual Student Exhibition photographs
  98. Morris Gallery photograph collection
  99. Students Outside of Class Photographs
  100. Cresson Award photograph collection
  101. Visiting Artists Photographs
  102. FPAFA Photograph Collection
  103. Student Prizes photograph collection
  104. Women's Committee photographs
  105. Special Events photographs
  106. Artists Signature photograph collection
  107. Copy Photograph collection
  108. PAFA Employee and Administration photograph collection
  109. Peale House Gallery photograph collection
  110. Phillips Collection of Drawings photograph collection
  111. Miscellaneous Photographs collection carte de visite
  112. Sculpture conservation negatives
  113. Collection of Lantern Slides of the Museum’s Permanent artworks
  114. Student Exhibition photographs
  115. Hugh Breckenridge photographs
  116. Board of Directors (Trustees) records
  117. President of Board correspondence
  118. Collection of Biographical information on the Board Members
  119. Records of Ad-Hoc Committees
  120. Strategic Planning Committee minutes
  121. Development Committee minutes
  122. Executive Committee minutes
  123. Finance Committee minutes
  124. Committee on Instruction records
  125. Committee on Exhibitions records
  126. George Corliss secretary records
  127. John Douglas Woodward secretary records
  128. Harrison S. Morris secretary records
  129. John Trask secretary records
  130. John Andrew Myers secretary records
  131. Joseph Fraser Jr. secretary records
  132. William B. Stevens Jr. secretary records
  133. Thomas N. Armstrong III secretary records
  134. Richard J. Boyle secretary records
  135. Frank H. Goodyear, Jr. president records
  136. Dorothy Brown president records (missing)
  137. Gresham Riley president records
  138. Joshua C. Thompson president records
  139. Derek Gilman president records
  140. Edward Lewis president records
  141. Pennsylvania Academician records
  142. Frank H. Goodyear Jr. Curatorial records
  143. Linda Bantel Curatorial records
  144. Kathleen Foster Curatorial records
  145. Judith E. Stein Curatorial records for Horace Pippin Exhibition
  146. Jeanette M. Toohey Curatorial records
  147. Susan Danly Curatorial records
  148. Sylvia Yount Curatorial records
  149. Morris Gallery Curatorial records
  150. Lynn Marsden Curatorial records
  151. Robert Cozzolino Curatorial records (restricted)
  152. Peale House Gallery Coordinator records
  153. Special Exhibition Curatorial records
  154. Ruth Fine curatorial records for Procession: The Art of Norman Lewis (restricted)
  155. Alex Baker Curatorial records
  156. Julien Robson Curatorial records
  157. Linda Bantel Director records
  158. Daniel Rosenfeld Director records (restricted)
  159. Kim Sajet Deputy Director records (restricted)
  160. David Brigham Director records (restricted)
  161. Harry Philbrick Director records (restricted)
  162. Registrar records - Works on loan returned to owners
  163. Registrar records - Works no longer in collection
  164. Registrar records - Permanent collection
  165. Registrar Office records
  166. Registrar records – Exhibition files
  167. Annual Exhibition collection
  168. Annual Water Color and Miniature Exhibition collection
  169. Peale House Gallery records
  170. Miscellaneous Exhibition records
  171. Morris Gallery records
  172. Special Exhibition records
  173. Philadelphia Water Color Club Annual Exhibition (members only) records
  174. Museum Education records
  175. Museum Staff biographical records
  176. Curator of the School records
  177. Ephraim Weinberg Dean of the School records
  178. Frederick S. Osborne Dean of the School records
  179. Student records
  180. School records
  181. Chester Springs records
  182. PAFA Faculty records
  183. PAFA Library records
  184. PAFA Alumni Association records
  185. PAFA School Exhibition records
  186. Special Events records
  187. Finance records
  188. Development Office records
  189. Gifts and Bequest records
  190. Marketing Department records
  191. PAFA buildings records - Historic Landmark Building records
  192. Women’s Board records
  193. Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (FPAFA) records
  194. Museum Shop collection
  195. PAFA Artifact collection
  196. Alumni Gallery records
  197. Conservation Department records

New to archival research? Here are some useful terms to remember:

What is a finding aid?

A finding aid is a detailed catalog record of an archival collection and will include the collection identification number; creator; dates of the materials; subject headings; biographical notes; description of materials included; and an inventory of the contents of the collection. If a finding aid does not include an inventory, that means the collection has not been "processed" and is unavailable to the public.

What are collections?

"Collections" are 1. a group of materials with some unifying characteristic; or 2. materials assembled by a person, organization, or repository from a variety of sources.

What are record groups?

A "record group" can be considered a group of collections that share the same "provenance" (created by the same person or group of people). At PAFA, we use record groups to separate the collections of administrative departments such as Museum, School, Board of Directors, Committees, Student records, etc.

How are collections described?

Collections are described in finding aids. Some finding aids describe a collection in general, without an inventory or list of contents. Frequently, you will find a listing of series, sub-series, and folders. Some very detailed finding aids will list individual items.

Users should examine the "Abstract" and "Scope and Content note" sections in the finding aid to get a sense of the collection's usefulness to their research. The "Arrangement note" section also provides a look at the broader topics/subjects that make up the collection.

Agnes Allen photographs

John Rhoden papers

Walter Anderson correspondence

Joseph Amarotico papers

John Cadwalader McCall book

Henry Bisbing correspondence

Jack Bookbinder interview transcript

Lizzie Chapin papers

Edward Coates correspondence

James Claghorn photographs

Augustus Heaton papers

Sarah Langly Mendenhall correspondence

Julian Levi photographs

Mary Cassatt papers

Dudley Huppler book, The Lesson

Charles L. Fussell papers

Charles Grafly unpublished manuscript

Eliza Haldeman papers

Henry McCarter register of paintings

Louise Nevelson papers

Violet Oakley papers

Katharine Dunn Pagon papers

Annie Perot papers

Daniel Garber papers

Joseph Harrison Jr. papers

Sara Carle Johns papers

Jessie Willcox Smith papers

Daniel Muller photographs

Walter Stuempfig papers

Leroy Edward Wolfe papers

Walter Reinsel correspondence

Julius Rauzin correspondence

Frederick H. Shelton’s research files on Adolph Ulrich Wertmuller 

Sartain Family papers

John Franklin Garber papers

Arthur B. Carles correspondence

Hugh Breckenridge papers

Emma Clara Peale papers

Peter F. Rothermel receipt

Robert Devlin Schwarz memorial service remarks

Gilbert H. Smith papers

Elisabeth Spalding papers

Elizabeth Sparhawk Jones oral history transcript

Thomas Sully correspondence

Henry O. Tanner collection

Robert Vonnoh correspondence

Jeremy Wilson papers

Ben Wolf interview transcript

Edward R. Anshutz papers

Thomas Pollock Anshutz papers

Arthur B. Carles papers

Jane Boyer scrapbooks

Tara Tappert collection of Cecilia Beaux research materials

David Brigham collection of research materials

Alice Kent Stoddard photograph album

Collection of research materials for American Originals: Vivian O. and Meyer P. Potamkin-Collectors of American Art

Morris Blackburn papers

Collection of Henry S. Drinker's research materials on Cecilia Beaux

Cecilia Beaux collection

William Carey book

Rembrandt Peale books

Harrison S. Morris papers

Thomas Shields Clark letters and photographs

Giuseppe Donato collection

Birge Harrison photograph

George Hollingsworth photograph

Henry C. Gibson photographs

Sophie Victor Greene photographs

Sue Coe papers

Bill Viola papers

Daniel Webster correspondence

Louise Ballinger correspondence

John Lambert painted tile

Harry Bertoia drawings

George Harding papers

Hyman Myers renoveation proejct files (Frank Furness building)

Collection of Jessie Willcox Smith periodical illustrations

 
Management Board of Directors (Trustees) records
Management President of Board correspondence
Management Collection of Biographical information on Board Members
Management Records of Ad-Hoc Committees
Management Strategic Planning Committee minutes
Management Development Committee minutes
Management Executive Committee minutes
Management Finance Committee minutes
Management Committee on Instruction records
Management Committee on Exhibitions records
Management George Corliss secretary records
Management John Douglas Woodward secretary records
Management Harrison S. Morris secretary records
Management John Trask secretary records
Management John Andrew Myers secretary records
Management Joseph Fraser Jr. secretary records
Management William B. Stevens Jr. secretary records
Management Thomas N. Armstrong III secretary records
Management Richard J. Boyle secretary records
Management Frank H. Goodyear, Jr. president records
Management Edward Lewis president records
Management Pennsylvania Academician records
The Museum Frank H. Goodyear Jr. Curatorial records
The Museum Linda Bantel Curatorial records
The Museum Kathleen Foster Curatorial records
The Museum Judith E. Stein Curatorial records for Horace Pippin Exhibition
The Museum Jeanette M. Toohey Curatorial records
The Museum Susan Danly Curatorial records
The Museum Sylvia Yount Curatorial records
The Museum Morris Gallery Curatorial records
The Museum Lynn Marsden Curatorial records
The Museum Peale House Gallery Coordinator records
The Museum Special Exhibition Curatorial records
The Museum Alex Baker Curatorial records
The Museum Julien Robson Curatorial records
The Museum Linda Bantel Director records
The Museum Registrar records - Works on loan returned to owners
The Museum Registrar records -Works no longer in collection
The Museum Registrar records -Permanent collection
The Museum Registrar Office records
The Museum Registrar records – Exhibition files
The Museum Annual Exhibition collection
The Museum Annual Water Color and Miniature Exhibition collection
The Museum Peale House Gallery records
The Museum Miscellaneous Exhibition records
The Museum Morris Gallery records
The Museum Special Exhibition records
The Museum Philadelphia Water Color Club Annual Exhibition (members only) records
The Museum Museum Education records
The Museum Museum Staff biographical records
The Museum Conservation Department records
The Museum PAFA Artifact collection
The Museum PAFA buildings records
The Museum Gifts and Bequest records
The Museum Museum Shop collection
The School Curator of the School records
The School Ephraim Weinberg Dean of the School records
The School Frederick S. Osborne Dean of the School records
The School Student records
The School Dan Miller Chair of the MFA Program records
The School School records
The School Chester Springs records
The School PAFA Faculty records
The School PAFA Library records
The School PAFA Alumni Association records
The School PAFA School Exhibition records
The School Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (FPAFA) records
The School Alumni Gallery records
Administration Special Events records
Administration Finance records
Administration Development Office records
Administration Marketing Department records
Administration Women’s Board records