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The Student Years: Edward Redfield’s Student Drawings Now Online

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Before he became one of America’s most celebrated impressionists and a cornerstone of the New Hope art colony, Edward Redfield (1869-1965) was a student honing his craft at the Academy. We are thrilled to announce the recent acquisition of a small collection of Redfield’s student works, created between 1887 and 1889. These are particularly unique as students rarely preserved any of their student work.

The complete digitized collection is now fully accessible online via our Digital Archives, offering researchers, students, and art enthusiasts free access to these foundational works. Explore the new collection today and trace the early steps of a master landscape painter.

Collection Highlights

Pedagogical Insight: Gain a rare window into the traditional academic curriculum that shaped a generation of American masters under the influence of the Eakins-era PAFA framework.

Foundational Studies: Explore early technical exercises, including meticulous plaster cast and architectural ornament studies of leaves, hands, and feet.

Life Drawings: View advanced charcoal and graphite nude figure studies that demonstrate the rigorous anatomical training of the late 19th-century academy.

Behind the Scenes: Photographing Unique 3D Objects

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Contributed by Sharon Yoon, Collections and Technical Services Assistant and Zoe Smith, Digital Studio Technician

Digitizing museum objects is a core function of collections management. High-quality imaging supports scholarly research, facilitates exhibition planning, and provides greater access. By adhering to rigorous post-processing standards, the Academy ensures that visual records remain viable for long-term digital preservation.

Case Study: Linda Kramer, The Prisoners of Love, 1982. Porcelain china painted, 22 x 14 x 12in. Funds provided by Robert and Frances Coulborn, 2016.2

Photographing complex, multi-part objects requires technical precision balanced with stringent handling protocols. The work by Linda Kramer consists of four distinct, delicate porcelain components. Due to their fragile, irregular geometry and lack of independent stability, the session required a coordinated workflow between the photographer and the collections team.

Workflow

  • Pre-Capture Verification: Each component was positioned according to archival reference photos to ensure the artist’s original intent was maintained.
  • Staged Handling: Transfers and rotations were executed with deliberate, slow-motion to mitigate the risk of damage.
  • Lighting and Surface Analysis: Lighting was configured specifically to highlight sculptural depth and ceramic surface texture without overexposure.
  • Real-Time QC: Images were tethered to a workstation for immediate review, allowing for instantaneous adjustments to focus and exposure.

Data Integrity and Post-Processing

Following the physical session, the files underwent a standardized post-processing phase:

  • Color Calibration: Accurate color representation was verified against physical color targets.
  • Master File Archiving: High-resolution TIFF files were generated as the preservation masters.
  • Access Derivatives: Web-ready copies were created for the Academy’s internal databases and digital platforms.

Impact

This process represents a critical intersection of documentation and stewardship. Each digital surrogate allows the work to be studied and shared without the physical risk associated with repeated handling of the original media.

European Roots of America’s First Art Academy

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Contributed by Sharon Yoon, Collections and Technical Services Assistant

In the early 19th century, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (Academy) functioned as a vital conduit for transatlantic cultural exchange. For a young nation lacking established museums or classical ruins, these early acquisitions provided the essential technical infrastructure required to train American artists before a native artistic identity had fully emerged.

The Napoleonic Gift (1810)

In 1810, a significant diplomatic exchange occurred between the French Empire and the United States. John Armstrong Jr., the American Ambassador to France, received a collection of books and engravings from Napoleon Bonaparte, delivered via the Duke of Cadore.

Armstrong recognized the pedagogical value of these materials for a young art institution. In a letter dated December 28, 1810, he formally offered the collection to Academy President George Clymer:

“Believing that I cannot better fulfil this original intention than by offering it to the acceptance of the Academy of Fine Arts, I have now the honor of doing so…”

Washington 28 Dec. 1810

Sir

A few days before I left Paris H. M. the Emperor of the French presented to me thro’ the Duke of Cadore a case of Books & Engravings of considerable value, which I accepted under a full understanding, that I should be at liberty to bestow it on some public institution of the United States. Believing that I cannot better fulfil this original intention than by offering it to the acceptance of the Academy of Fine Arts, I have now the honor of doing so and of assuring you at the same time of my great respect and consideration.

John Armstrong

The President of the Academy of the Fine Arts

Philadelphia

This gift comprised 24 volumes of etchings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi and his family. These detailed renderings of Roman architecture became primary teaching resources, allowing Academy students to study classical proportion and perspective without traveling abroad.

The Smith Donation and International Law (1813)

The Academy’s instructional library and collection were further expanded in 1813 by a major gift from Joseph Allen Smith, consisting of paintings, plaster casts, and engravings.

The provenance of this collection is a landmark in international law. During the War of 1812, the ship transporting Smith’s gift was seized by the British as a “war prize.” However, a Nova Scotia Vice-Admiralty Court eventually ordered the cargo’s release. The ruling established a global precedent: that cultural and scientific property are exempt from the rights of warfare—a principle that remains a cornerstone of international art law today.

For more information on the ship seized by Britain:

A Legacy of Modern Scholarship

Together, the Napoleon and Smith gifts provided the intellectual capital necessary for America’s first art academy. These resources remain active assets for modern scholarship. Recently, researcher Stephen Lauf consulted the Piranesi volumes to advance his research on 18th-century printmaking and architectural history. Such collaborations continue to generate new insights into the Academy’s foundational holdings. His multiple visits to the archive were a delight to staff and sparked multiple interesting conversations on the works, processes, and history of the Piranesi family etchings. Thanks to Lauf, Academy staff also walked away from his visits with new knowledge and insights into the volumes.

Director of Archives, Library, & Collections Hoang Tran unfolding Trajan’s Column!
Photo courtesy of Stephen Lauf

For more information on Lauf’s interesting research, please visit his website: https://www.quondam.com/index.htm

Through the preservation of these imperial and diplomatic gifts, the Academy ensures that the fundamental resources that shaped the first generations of American artists remain accessible to inspire the next.

Reflecting on 2025: How We Connected with History and Art

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As we wrap up 2025, we’re taking a moment to look back at how you—our researchers, students, and curious visitors—interacted with the Academy’s collections over the past year.

These patterns are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet; they offer a window into our community’s evolving needs and help us map out our future. It’s important to note that these figures focus specifically on research and resource requests—things like deep dives into our archives, library services, and access to works of art not currently on public display.

2025: A Year of Purposeful Research

In 2024, the Academy recorded 923 total research requests. As of mid-December 2025, that number stands at 892. While this is a slight 3.4% dip, the story behind the data is one of resilience.

This minor decrease was expected as the Academy transitioned away from degree-granting programs, leading to a smaller student population this fall. However, demand remains remarkably robust.

The Breakdown of Requests:

  • External Requests (63%): 562 inquiries came from the research community.
  • Internal Requests (37%): 330 inquiries supported our faculty, staff, and students.

The Digital Frontier: Global Reach, Human Connection

While our physical halls have seen shifts, our digital presence is exploding. The Academy’s Digital Archives recorded over 100,000 unique human visitors this year!

A standout star of our digital offerings remains the Rediscovering John Rhoden Digital Archives, which drew over 3,100 unique visitors. We are honored to continue stewarding Rhoden’s incredible legacy for a global audience.

New to the Digital Collection this year:

We’ve added 2,475 new items across three collections:

  1. PAFA Course Catalogs: A journey through our institutional history.
  2. Blanche Dillaye Drawings: Exquisite works now available to all.
  3. Chester Springs Student Registration Cards: A treasure trove for genealogists and historians.

A “New Normal” for In-Person Visits

How you visit us is changing. While email remains the primary way researchers start their journey, we’ve seen a “hybrid” rhythm emerge.

  • The Archives are Booming: In-person use of the Archives surged by 122% (111 visitors).
  • The “Walk-In” Surprise: We saw an unexpected rise in walk-in service, largely driven by our new cohort of certificate students seeking hands-on support.
  • A Shift in Scale: Total in-person interactions dropped from 885 to 428. This 52% decline was anticipated following the school’s transition, but it has paved the way for more focused, scholarly engagement.

Top 3 Reasons People Use the Archives:

  1. Academic Research
  2. Curatorial Research
  3. Provenance Research

What These Shifts Mean for Our Future

The data tells us three important things:

  1. Demand is High: Projects like the “A Nation of Artists“ exhibition and our upcoming 220th Anniversary celebrations continue to drive intense interest in our holdings.
  2. Archives are Essential: The massive jump in archival research proves there is a deep hunger for primary-source materials.
  3. Intentionality Wins: Visitors are coming to us with more specific, deep-seated goals. Our digital archives are serving as a gateway, allowing researchers to do their “homework” online before arriving for a high-impact physical visit.

Looking Ahead

These insights are vital. They allow us to plan responsibly—ensuring we balance broad digital access with the specialized, high-touch care required for on-site research.

Whether you reached out via email, spent hours in the reading room, or browsed our catalogs from across the ocean: Thank you. Your curiosity is what brings these collections to life. We can’t wait to see what you discover in 2026!

Exciting New Acquisition: Blanche Dillaye’s Collection Now Digitized and Open for Research!

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We’re thrilled to announce the recent acquisition and digitization of a remarkable collection of works by American artist Blanche Dillaye, dating from circa 1928. This newly available archive features 38 exquisite pencil sketches and one reflective poem, offering a rare glimpse into Dillaye’s travels and artistic vision during the late 1920s.

From the cobbled streets of Looe and Dinan to the architectural charm of Moret and the serene landscapes of Lelant, Dillaye’s drawings capture the textures, moods, and quiet beauty of European towns and countryside with masterful detail. Her accompanying poem, Trees, adds a lyrical layer to the collection, echoing themes of nature, presence, and timelessness.

Cobbled Street in Dinan, France (MS.2025.02-44)

Now fully digitized, this collection is open to researchers, educators, and art enthusiasts. Whether you’re studying early 20th-century travel sketching, American women artists abroad, or simply drawn to the elegance of pencil work, Dillaye’s collection offers rich material for exploration.

We invite you to dive into this evocative body of work and discover the world through Blanche Dillaye’s eyes. https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/item-set/175232

Newly Digitized Collection Available Online: Chester Springs Student Registration Cards

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We are thrilled to announce the completion of a major digitization project within the PAFA Archives: The Chester Springs Student Registration Cards. (https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/page/chester-springs) For decades, these cards have been the primary—and often the only—proof of a student’s time spent at PAFA’s historic summer campus. Now, for the first time, this entire collection is available online, offering a searchable window into the lives of over 2,300 artists who studied in the rolling hills of Chester County.

A Legacy of “Open-Air” Art

In 1917, PAFA embraced the Impressionist-led “plein air” movement by opening the Academy Country School (popularly known as Chester Springs). Located about six miles from Phoenixville on a site steeped in history—from a pre-Revolutionary medicinal spa to a Revolutionary War hospital—the campus offered 100 acres of creative freedom.

Until its closure in 1952, the school was a vibrant village of art. A former hotel served as a dormitory, while barns and sheds were transformed into sun-drenched studios. Students spent six-week sessions painting landscapes, open-air figures, and still lifes, balanced by games of tennis, croquet, and swims in the local pools.

What the Collection Reveals

The archives has digitized every single student registration card from the Chester Springs records. This extensive list of 2,315 individual names provides vital documentation that can confirm:

  • Personal Details: Registered names and home addresses.
  • Academic History: Specific dates of attendance and courses taken.
  • Financial Records: Tuition and fee payments.
  • Special Distinctions: Notes on veteran status (GI Bill), scholarship awards, and even dormitory assignments.

Each entry allows you to click the student’s name to view the scan of their original index card. Because many artists returned year after year, these cards are displayed sequentially to show their growth and history with the school.

Start Your Research: Specialized Browse Lists

To help you navigate this vast collection, we have curated several specialized categories. Whether you are a genealogist, an art historian, or just curious about the Academy’s history, these links provide a great starting point:

A Collaborative Effort

This project was made possible by the dedicated work of our staff and PAFA students. We would like to extend our deepest thanks to the project contributors:

  • Sharon Yoon, Museum Collections Assistant (Project Lead)
  • Lily Kalinovsky, PAFA BFA (Lead Digitization Technician)
  • Nina Clifton, PAFA BFA
  • Victor Surbrook, PAFA BFA
  • Hoang Tran, Director of Library, Archives, & Collections

A Note on Accuracy: While we have made every effort to transcribe these names accurately, historical handwriting can be a challenge! If you believe a name has been transcribed incorrectly, please contact the Archives.

Newly Digitized Collection Available Online: The PAFA School Catalogs 

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Contributed by Sharon Yoon, Museum Collections Assistant 

The PAFA School Catalogs are valuable archival records that help provide insight into over 130 years of school operations. Historically known as “Circulars”, the school catalogs provided students and prospective students with information such as school policies, programs, scholarships, schedules, fees, prizes, and instructors. After 1908, the catalogs included illustrations of classes, work by students, and exhibitions of student work. Catalogs from the 1920s show many views of classes and grounds at the Chester Springs campus. From 1940, photographs of faculty and their work were prominently featured.  

The catalogs provide important details on the curriculum, the instructors, and the overall artistic training environment at the Academy, making the collection particularly useful to those interested in 19th and 20th century American Art education.  

Online view of 1891 Circular (https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/item/165026#lg=1&slide=0)

For this digitization project, collections staff continued using a DSLR/copy stand setup that was outlined from our pilot project in April 2024 (Testing a new method to digitize archival collections) .  

As there were over 100 catalogs (and nearly 4,000 pages!) to digitize, using a flatbed scanner for this project would have been time-consuming and inefficient for staff. Moreover, since the text was the most important aspect of the records, we were less concerned about the overall “image quality”. However, as mentioned in the previous blog post, a large obstacle that presented itself during this project was post-processing. Each image needed to be individually rotated, cropped, and color corrected. Afterwards, all the pages had to be converted and combined into a PDF file. These files were then organized by year and run through OCR software, which recognizes and converts text within images to be machine readable. Finishing this step resulted in 118 digital reproductions of the Academy’s school catalogs that are now freely available online: https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/item-set/29807  

For more information on the school’s history, please see “School History” here: https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/page/historicalresources 

Newly Digitized Collection Available Online: The Morris Gallery photographs 

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Contributed by Sharon Yoon, Museum Collections Assistant 

We’re excited to announce that the digitization of the Morris Gallery photographs is complete. You can browse the images on PAFA’s Digital Archives: https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/item-set/159894 or view our dedicated Morris Gallery page here: https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/page/morrisgallery

In 1978, PAFA established the Morris Gallery on the ground level of the Furness-Hewitt building with the specific intent of exhibiting contemporary work by living artists with Philadelphia ties. The Gallery has housed numerous exhibitions by influential artists such as Robert Ryman, Vik Muniz, Nan Goldin, Laylah Ali, Virgil Marti, Alyson Shotz, and Emil Lukas, among many others.   

In addition, more conventional exhibitions focusing on art associated with the Academy or its traditions helped spread knowledge of the institution’s heritage and collections. As the program continually developed through the decades, it served as a showcase for a diverse array of artists from the Philadelphia region and beyond. 

In Our Academy, PAFA Newsletter 1978 (RG.05.04) 

Named after Harrison S. Morris (1856-1948), the turn-of-the-century secretary and managing director of the Academy from 1892 to 1905, the Gallery was located on the ground floor of the Furness-Hewitt building; the space was restored by Catharine Morris Wright, in memory of her father.  

To read more about Harrison S. Morris, please see: https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/page/timeline 

The Morris Gallery assumed the function of the Peale House galleries, which had originally featured works by both European and American artists. The broad focus of the Peale House galleries shifted in the early 1970s to highlight the work of younger, talented but unrecognized artists with special consideration given to those living or working in Philadelphia. The transfer of these exhibitions to the newly renovated and larger space of the Morris Gallery consolidated the Academy’s exhibition programs to one building and reaffirmed the institution’s continuing interest in contemporary art. From its inaugural exhibition in March 1978 (John Dowell: Recent Paintings), the Gallery has been a space for art of a range of mediums: drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, and site-specific installations. 

John Dowell: Recent Paintings (1978)

Steve Powers: The Magic Word (2007-08)

Woofy Bubbles performance (1984)

Lynn Denton: Sophia’s House— An Installation (1983) 

After a series of part-time curators, the Academy hired a full-time head for the Morris Gallery program and for other contemporary exhibitions. Judith E. Stein held this position from 1983 until 1994. She was advised by the Morris Gallery Committee, consisting of board members, local artists, and Academy staff. In 1994, the gallery space was converted to a video and orientation theater. As a result, exhibitions were held in the main galleries for two years. The program resumed exhibitions in the original ground floor location in 1998. Subsequent Morris Gallery and Contemporary Art curators have widened the scope of this program, and the Morris Gallery Committee has been discontinued. 

Odd Fellows: Marcel Dzama, Michael Dumontier, and Andrew Jeffrey Wright (2003),

Nannette Clark and Scott Rothstein: Recent Work (1994)

Charles Burns (1999) 

Toshiko Takaezu: Recent Work (1992)

Various Morris Gallery exhibition programs (RG.02.06.05) 

Throughout the years, over 1,000 photographs were taken of exhibitions held at the Morris Gallery between 1978 and 2009. All images have been digitized and organized by Museum staff and can now be viewed as part of the archive’s digital collection. Please also see the finding aid here: https://pafaarchives.org/PAFA-DigitalArchives/FindingAids/Photographs/PC.01.12_MorrisGallery.pdf

New Digitized Collections

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We are excited to announce that the archives has completed digitizing a few more photograph collections. The work was completed by Victoria Black (MFA), the archives’ winter work-study student.

The first collection consists of 679 photographs that document the various prizes that students compete for, typically at the end of the school year. These prizes are sometimes referred to as the Spring Scholarship and Prize Competitions.

You can browse the Student Prizes photograph collection here: https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/item-set/119251

The second collection consists of 149 photographs that document the Edmund Stewardson Prize in Sculpture. The annual prize is competed for by students of the Academy. The subject for the competition is a full-length figure from life, in the round. 

You can browse the Edmund Stewardson Prize in Sculpture photographs here: https://pafaarchives.org/s/digital/item-set/121144

Digital Treasure Trove: Shaping 3d Work with Light

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Contributed by Zoe Smith, IMLS Project Museum Collections Assistant

In our studio we find immense joy in getting to creatively light sculptures. While works on paper are very evenly lit, there is more room to play around with 3d works.  Sculpture busts for example we light as individual portraits, each has distinct features and nuances.

For this plaster bust of Mrs. Allan Clyde Hale by George H. Borst (accession 2013.31.5), we wanted to light it in a dynamic way but keep the lighting balanced enough to match the rest of the collection.

Key Light: The key light is the main light used to light a subject. We decided to use a Rembrandt style lighting technique. This is a commonly used method of lighting in photography that comes from the distinct style of the 17th century Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn.

Fill Light: The fill light’s purpose is to even out shadows and provide a gentle illumination that complements the key light. This was achieved by bouncing the light into the ceiling in front of the subject. This method makes the light incredibly soft and even.

Kicker Light: The kicker light, the final piece of the puzzle, subtly outlines the profile of the subject. The kicker is the most subtle of the lights, but really lets the object stand apart from the background.

As we were planning the lighting, we captured individual exposures with each of the three lights independently. This allowed us to see the subtle differences each light makes.

While the differences may seem minuscule, their cumulative effect makes a dramatic difference when it comes to the final image. Working out these intricate details is some of the most rewarding work when it comes to photographing our extensive collection.

Here are some examples of the lighting techniques that we implemented.

Key Light:

Fill Light:

Kicker Light:


Combined:

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit https://www.imls.gov/and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.