To Encourage Outstanding Scholarship: The Collecting Legacy of Dr. Roger W. Moss
In 1968, Dr. Roger W. Moss was appointed Executive Director of a moribund 19th century subscription library. During his 40-year tenure on Washington Square, he restored and expanded The Athenaeum of Philadelphia building, secured its nomination as a National Historic Landmark, hired a professional staff and doubled its membership. Under his guidance, The Athenaeum attracted internationally significant collections documenting architecture, interior design and urban design, including architectural drawings, photographs, maps, prints, rare books, manuscripts and objects.
This exhibition, displaying highlights of Moss’s outstanding legacy of collecting, is part of the 2025 Roger W. Moss Symposium, Material Culture, Architecture and Preservation: The Work and Legacy of Dr. Roger W. Moss (1940-2025). It is curated by Bruce Laverty, former Gladys Brooks Curator of Architecture, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia.
Building America, Becoming American: Philadelphia's Early Immigrant Architects
This exhibition explores the foundational role immigrant architects and designers played in establishing the character of Philadelphia's urban landscape. Mainly from Western Europe, early figures like John Haviland, Paul Philippe Cret and Nicola D'Ascenzo reflected Philadelphia's role as a primary destination for immigration in the 19th century. As these architects and designers built Philadelphia, so did the immigrant communities they represented come to define Philadelphia's – and America's – ethnically diverse, culturally rich character. Grounded in these foundational figures, the exhibition also points to more recent immigrant architects who continue to bring their diverse viewpoints to America's built environment.
In the Lantern Gallery.
Curated by Brice Peterson, Associate Archivist Librarian, The Athenæum of Philadelphia.
Image: "Rodin Museum." Cret Collection, The Athenæum of Philadelphia.
