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 Greetings,
As you may have noticed, the Athenaeum has a few boarded-up windows and the Busch Room has three long open areas in the floor.
All of this is in pursuit of the stabilization of the Athenaeum south party wall.
In fact, if you look up, you will see scaffolding which will hang down to provide workers access to the Athenaeum attic, third floor, and second floor as the work progresses to stop the steady movement of the wall.
After a study by Keast & Hood, engineers, and with the work of J. S. Cornell & Son, Contractors, and with a generous donation from Athenaeum Board member Charles Savage, work is finally beginning on a problem that has existed for nearly 50 years.
Like any chronic problem, the south party wall de-stabilization has changed slowly over the years since 1956; but it has now reached a point where some action should be taken; and we thank Charles Savage for responding to our need.
However, even his generous donation will not cover all of the construction, so we are hoping that our members will contribute to the Athenaeum Building Fund.
The spring book sale and June tour are dedicated to adding contributions to the Building Fund, as we hope that our members will take up Charles Savage’s challenge and support the work on the building.
Thank you!
Above:
An opening in the Busch Room floor.
Banner
Image: Roof rigging for south wall stabilization.
Photos
by Bruce Laverty, 3-31-2010.
New Books for April
194th Annual Report
 The
194th Annual Report of The Athenaeum of Philadelphia is now available
online.
Click
here to visit the annual report section of our website.
 Fiction, Non-Fiction, Collectibles, Paperbacks- all at reasonable prices.
April 29- May 1, 10:00am to 4:00pm
Members Only Preview and Reception
Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 5:30-7:30 PM
6:00 PM Remarks by Gordon S. Converse on the Athenaeum clock collection.
Athenaeum member Gordon S. Converse, an expert in antique clocks who has appeared on Antiques Roadshow, will talk about the Athenaeum clocks, which include works from the studios of Lukens, Hansell and others.
This event will benefit The Athenaeum of Philadelphia Building Fund. Our National Historic Landmark Athenaeum is a venerable building, with immediate needs for repair and maintenance. Work has already begun on the stabilization of the south wall, but windows, balconies, stair hall ceiling, and painted surfaces all need attention. A growing Building Fund will support these activities.
To
register for the Members Only Preview and Reception, Click Here. Donations to
the building fund are also welcome if you are unable to attend.
We are still accepting donations of books for the
sale. If you have books that you would like to donate, please contact us
at 215-925-2688.
Hidden
Treasures
 In
2009, Athenaeum Board Member Emeritus, James F. O'Gorman, donated items which
document the Robert M. Lee House and Law Office at 109-111 N. 6th St. The
gift includes three drawings and eight photographs produced for the Historic
American Buildings Survey, as well as one artifact from the house, a
wooden capital from one of the interior rooms. The house was built in the
1770s and was demolished by
the National Park Service in 1959 for the the creation of Independence Mall.
Above:
Wooden capital. Photo by Jim Carroll.
Right:
One of the capitals can be seen as part of an interior window frame in this HABS
photo.
Building By The Book Exhibition
 If
you haven't seen our latest exhibition, be sure to stop in before the end of the
month.
In conjunction with Philagrafika 2010: the Graphic Unconscious, The
Athenaeum of Philadelphia, collaborating with the Philadelphia
Center for the Book, presents an exhibition of contemporary book arts produced
in response to Athenaeum research collections. See the work of artists Aimee
Denault, Karen Hanmer, John Magnan, Claire Owen, Pia Pizzo, and Donald Rattner.
March 1 - May 1, 2010
Free Admission
Competition and Exhibition
Generously Funded by the Beneficia Foundation.
Above:
Diorama (2010) by John Magnan, a response to The Young Carpenter's Assistant by
Owen Biddle (1805). Photo by Jim Carroll.
Save
the Date:
April
12: Annual Meeting, 5:30pm
April
13: Socrates Cafe, 11:00am
April
28: Athenaeum Book Sale Members
Only Preview and Reception, 5:30pm
April
29-May 1: Athenaeum Book Sale, 10:00am-4:00pm
See
the Event
Calendar for details and additional
events.
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