Finding Aids · PAFA Digital Archives · PAFA's Digital Archives

*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.

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.

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