Papers, 1878-1932.

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Papers, 1878-1932.

Although most of this large collection consists of papers of Lewis's legal practice, there are important groups which relate to the furnishing and maintenance of his city and country houses and the management of his farm, to the assembling of his outstanding collections of Oriental and medieval illuminated manuscripts and of Babylonian clay tablets (now at the Free Library of Philadelphia), and to institutions with which he was closely associated, such as the American Philosophical Society, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Many letters and papers are about business (mortgages, rents, directorships in banks and insurance companies, and investments) and about the social and cultural life of Philadelphia (operas, libraries, museums, and schools for the handicapped).

ca. 45,000 items.

Related Entities

There are 4 Entities related to this resource.

University of Pennsylvania.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6q63gvj (corporateBody)

The Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania was part of the Towne Scientific School until 1920, when a separate School of Fine Arts was established, teaching architecture and other fine arts. Teaching staff and courses of instruction of the Towne Scientific School, Department of Architecture were listed in the Catalogue of the University of Pennsylvania. The School of Fine Arts published its teaching staff, regulations, courses of study, competitons and, in some years, curre...

American Philosophical Society

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gn8xhn (corporateBody)

Benjamin Franklin founded the American Philosophical Society in 1743 in Philadelphia, patterning it after the Royal Society of London. It's purpose was the promotion of the study of science and the practical arts of agriculture, engineering trades, and manufactures. Subjects of today's "philosophy" were generally excluded from the societies of the 17th and 18th centuries and the word "philosophy" meant to them "love of knowledge," and was essentially the equivalent of today's "science." Interest...

Lewis, John Frederick, 1860-1932

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wd410z (person)

John Frederick Lewis was a Philadelphia lawyer, philanthropist, and collector of writing samples. He donated three collections to the Free Library of Philadelphia. In addition to his collection of autographs of engravers, he also donated a collection of cuneiform tablets and an oriental manuscript collection. The engravers in this collection range from the obscure to the relatively well-known. Presidents and members of the Society of Engravers are represented, most notably the first president Fr...

Pennsylvania academy of the fine arts

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65f2fs9 (corporateBody)

Art school; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From the description of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts exhibition catalog, 1921 and 1923. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122553237 The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is an art academy and museum, founded in 1805 in Philadelphia, Pa. Exhibitions and classes began in 1811. Notable academy instructors and students have included Thomas Eakins, Cecilia Beaux, William Merritt Chase, Violet Oakley, Henry O. Tanner, Rembra...