If you have visited the Athenaeum recently, you may have noticed that the building is warmer than usual. As I warned in last month’s newsletter, the air conditioning units dating from the 1975/76 restoration are being replaced with new, more efficient and energy-saving units. Fortunately neither the gallery nor the rare book vault is affected by this change since those spaces are serviced by much younger units. So far we have not closed due to the heat, but please do be aware that we might if the second floor simply becomes too warm. If it is a particularly hot day, please call before you come over, just in case we close early due to the heat. We hope to have air conditioning on both floors in place by the end of next week.
Reminder: The Athenaeum will be closed on July 4th for Independence Day.
Above:
New air conditioning units on the Athenaeum roof. Photo by Bruce Laverty.
Banner
Image: 6th and Walnut Sts. by Frank H. Taylor, 1914.
Peterson
Fellow Returns to Athenaeum for Summer Research
Jhennifer A. Amundson has returned to the Athenaeum this summer with a Charles E. Peterson Fellowship. Dr. Amundson’s relationship with the Athenaeum began in 1997 with her first Peterson fellowship, which supported research for her dissertation on architect Thomas U. Walter (University of Delaware,
2001). In 2006, she edited the book Thomas Ustick Walter: The Lectures on Architecture,
1841-1853, published by the Athenaeum. Her current project, the first complete biography of Walter, sets his life and architecture within the great social and political events of the nineteenth century. “My project is a long-overdue study of one of the country’s most important architects; Walter’s life and work illustrates every important development in the design and practice of architecture during the formative years of the profession. Even though I have been able to continue my research and writing at the distance of my home outside of Chicago, there’s no substitute for handling Walter’s papers and drawings, not to mention being greeted by his portrait on the stair landing every day.”
Above:
Jhennifer Amundson. Photo by Bruce Laverty.
Mah
Jong? Mah Jong?
Do any of you know how to play mah jong? Would you like to learn to play mah jong? The Athenaeum seeks a volunteer who is willing to teach the game in the fall so that it can launch a mah jong club. So far we have one game available to us -- but no teacher.
If you are willing to teach or would like to join a club to play, please contact
Susan Gallo at 215-925-2688 or sgallo@philaathenaeum.org.
Member Critics
Noah
Feldman. Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Supreme Court
Justices. New York and Boston: Twelve, 2010.
This
book's jacket is graced by a large, friendly photo of President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt in his prime. The lower half carries much smaller pictures of
the four appointees featured in the text. This quartet of outstanding
justices, representatives of FDR's stated intent to "pack" the Supreme
Court with men who shared his own philosophy of legislation and judicial
interpretation and who would vote "his way" in cases appearing before
them, leading to a "liberal" or "progressive" verdict.
Through the years, a search for "originalism" by one group of justices
and "legal realism" by others diminished the likelihood of
compromise. Decisions were commonly reached by a vote of five to four
(even as today).
In 1945 I
was a second lieutenant in the Army's Medical Administrative Corps. learning
more about rehabilitation (always a good idea). One day at lunchtime the
loudspeaker advised us of the death of our President and
Commander-in-Chief. My boss was Surgeon General of the Army; the military
"brass" was politically conservative. Most of us remember FDR's
"packing the Court" but some of us (lower ranking) were more
"understanding" of it than others.
Today's
Conservatives will not have an easy time undoing (what may have become)
"established law." FDR was exceptionally charming: even though
his detractors said he had a "second class intellect," many in the
"first class" followed his bidding.
Submitted
by Dr. Harold Rashkis.
Do
you have a book that you loved (or hated), and would you be willing to share
that opinion on the Athenaeum e-newsletter? If so, please send your short
essay to sltatman@philaathenaeum.org.
Events we are planning for the
early Fall.
More information will be
mailed in August:
October 1: Tunnel Book workshop with Maria Pisano.
October 4: Kieran Timberlake book launch.
October 29: Children's programs, 1-4pm: storytelling and book arts workshop.
November 9: Kenneth Lacovara and the Patagonian dinosaur.
The
Athenaeum is open 9:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday-Friday and the first
Saturday of the month from 10:00AM to 2:00PM (excluding the
summer months). The
building is accessible to persons with disabilities. Group
tours and research visits are by appointment only. Please visit
our website www.PhilaAthenaeum.org
for more information, or call 215-925-2688.
If you have visited the Athenaeum recently, you may have noticed that the building is warmer than usual. As I warned in last month’s newsletter, the air conditioning units dating from the 1975/76 restoration are being replaced with new, more efficient and energy-saving units. Fortunately neither the gallery nor the rare book vault is affected by this change since those spaces are serviced by much younger units. So far we have not closed due to the heat, but please do be aware that we might if the second floor simply becomes too warm. If it is a particularly hot day, please call before you come over, just in case we close early due to the heat. We hope to have air conditioning on both floors in place by the end of next week.
Jhennifer A. Amundson has returned to the Athenaeum this summer with a Charles E. Peterson Fellowship. Dr. Amundson’s relationship with the Athenaeum began in 1997 with her first Peterson fellowship, which supported research for her dissertation on architect Thomas U. Walter (University of Delaware,
2001). In 2006, she edited the book Thomas Ustick Walter: The Lectures on Architecture,
1841-1853, published by the Athenaeum. Her current project, the first complete biography of Walter, sets his life and architecture within the great social and political events of the nineteenth century. “My project is a long-overdue study of one of the country’s most important architects; Walter’s life and work illustrates every important development in the design and practice of architecture during the formative years of the profession. Even though I have been able to continue my research and writing at the distance of my home outside of Chicago, there’s no substitute for handling Walter’s papers and drawings, not to mention being greeted by his portrait on the stair landing every day.”
Do any of you know how to play mah jong? Would you like to learn to play mah jong? The Athenaeum seeks a volunteer who is willing to teach the game in the fall so that it can launch a mah jong club. So far we have one game available to us -- but no teacher.
If you are willing to teach or would like to join a club to play, please contact
Susan Gallo at 215-925-2688 or 
Noah
Feldman. Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Supreme Court
Justices. New York and Boston: Twelve, 2010.
