The University of Pennsylvania teamed up with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Academy of Music to provide public access to more than a century of Philadelphia’s rich musical history.
According to Penn Today, Penn President Liz Magill said that the collections are an “invaluable resource for scholars” and a “treasured part of the cultural life” of Philadelphia. Through this partnership, Penn will help preserve the materials and provide access that will “spur new research in music, history, architecture, and other fields.”
The collections document the early history of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Academy of Music between 1857 and 1900 and trace the development of both organizations through the early 21st century. The collection is over 1,000 linear feet with records that include “early stock certificates and bylaws to conductor’s files, photographs, programs, and sound recordings.”
The archives will become part of the Penn Libraries’ Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, which will be made accessible to the public after processing and cataloguing.
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