A new exhibit drawing on 300 years of artifacts from Drexel University’s Atwater Kent Collection made its debut at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts on Wednesday, July 18.
“Philadelphia Revealed” presents a selection of the myriad local artifacts housed within the eclectic Atwater Kent Collection, as well as unique opportunities to hear their stories and add your own. Described as “Philadelphia’s attic”, the AKC represents eight decades of accumulated local artifacts and ephemera sourced from museums, the city archives, residents, defunct manufacturers, curbsides and dumpsters.
The over 600 artifacts on physical display tap equally into the city’s legacy as a “workshop of the world,” birthplace of American independence, home for civics and the arts, and sports town, not to mention its unique personalities and urban history. Highlights on display include handcuffs reputed to have held abolitionist John Brown before his execution, the original 1886 model for the William Penn statue atop City Hall, a Phillies 2008 World Series ring, a hat worn by Abraham Lincoln and a turnstile from Veterans Stadium. Equally striking are a draft bowl used during both world wars for the military draft lottery; an unknown Black soldier’s photo album, rescued from the trash, featuring photos of V-E Day in France; and countless local artworks, many by outsiders, ranging in style from the Ashcan school to abstract.
Accompanying the exhibit is a podcast series, “The Philadelphia Revealed Podcast,” produced by WHYY and Rowhome Productions with storytelling by FirstPersonArts, showcasing the history of the artifacts with personal narratives. The exhibit itself also features interactive virtual projects developed by Digital Media students from the Westphal College of Arts and Design to further bring the artifacts to life.
The AKC was originally owned by the Philadelphia History Museum. Established in 1938, its namesake and founding donor was A. Atwater Kent, a Philadelphia radio pioneer who sought to satisfy demands for a city-owned museum. Formerly housed in Old City, Kent donated the museum’s original 7th Street location (once home to the Franklin Institute) to the city. A variety of collections from the city archives and the public soon came together to fill it. However, the museum struggled in recent decades to manage and present its eclectic inventory, and by 2018, years of financial shortfalls, lack of city funding and failed efforts to find an institutional partner led to its closure.
In 2021, Drexel assumed responsibility for the AKC after a Philadelphia Orphans’ Court judge controversially ruled that the shuttered museum’s publicly-owned collection could be given to a new, private trustee. The complex transfer agreement was orchestrated by outgoing university president John Fry, who cited the process as a reason to extend his tenure at Drexel.
Its 130,000 artifacts had been left in storage after the closure, some in concerning conditions. Under Drexel curators’ oversight, the items were inventoried and made their way in 101 truckloads to climate-controlled storage at PAFA. There are no plans for another physical museum, nor does the agreement call for one. Instead, part of Drexel’s responsibility is creating a “museum without walls” by improving access through the digitization of the disorganized collection, which is for the first time accessible online.
“Philadelphia Revealed: Unpacking the Attic” is on view from July 18 to Dec. 1 at the PAFA Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building at 118-128 North Broad Street. Admission is free for Drexel students with ID, no reserve tickets required. Free admission days for the general public take place on Thursday, Sept. 26 and Friday, Sept. 27; Sunday, Oct. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 24. Opening hours and further ticket information can be found online.