Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia

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Franklin Institute (now the Atwater Kent Museum)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia in 2008.
Location:	15 S. 7th St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates:	39°57′1″N 75°9′9″W / 39.95028, -75.1525Coordinates: 39°57′1″N 75°9′9″W / 39.95028, -75.1525
Built/Founded:	1825
Architect:	John Haviland
Architectural style(s):	Greek Revival
Added to NRHP:	August 1, 1979
NRHP Reference#:	79002319[1]
Governing body:	Local

The Atwater Kent Museum (also known as the Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia) was founded in 1938 as Philadelphia's city history museum. Created through the efforts of Philadelphia Mayor S. Davis Wilson, Frances Wistar, president of the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks, and A. Atwater Kent, radio pioneer and inventor, the museum occupies architect John Haviland's landmark Greek Revival structure, at 15 South 7th St., built in 1824-26 for the Franklin Institute.

In 1938 Wilson and Wistar approached Atwater Kent to purchase the recently vacated Franklin Institute building and create a history museum for the City of Philadelphia. They were joined in their efforts by the president of the University of Pennsylvania, the director of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the president of the Franklin Institute. Kent agreed, and purchased the building as a gift for the city with three conditions: It was to be dedicated to the history of Philadelphia; named for Kent; and be open to the public free of charge (In 1994 a City Ordinance allowed the museum to charge an admission fee.)

After three years of renovations carried out by the Works Progress Administration, the Atwater Kent Museum was formally dedicated on April 19, 1941.

Today, the Museum houses more than 80,000 objects related to Philadelphia and regional history including an estimated 10,000 17th-20th Century artifacts from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania art and artifact collection, 1700 Quaker-related items from Friends Historical Association Collection, and collections reflecting Philadelphia manufacturing, the 1876 Centennial Exposition, toys and miniatures, and radio broadcasting. The Atwater Kent Museum operates as a city agency as part of Philadelphia's Department of Recreation.

[edit] Notable facts

• The Museum houses a collection of 321 The Saturday Evening Post covers illustrated by Norman Rockwell and published in Philadelphia by the Curtis Publishing company.
• The Museum's main gallery features the world's largest map of Philadelphia.
• In 1978, the Museum building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

[edit] External links

• Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia official website
• Virtual Tour of Philadelphia's stop at the Atwater Kent
• Philadelphia department of recreation

[edit] References

• Atwater Kent Museum. "AKMP History". http://www.philadelphiahistory.org/akm/history/. (accessed December, 5, 2007).
• Russell F. Weigley et al. Philadelphia: A 300 Year History. New York: W.W. Norton, 1982.

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