News
Events
Blogs
Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley records
The Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley is a regional association of museums founded in 1939 in order to promote Philadelphia museums and tourism. In addition to supporting its member institutions and their collections, the council has served as a resource and networking organiza...
Saved in:
| Corporate Author: | |
|---|---|
| Collection: | Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley Records |
| Collection Number: | 2083 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| LEADER | 09299ntc a2200385 u 4500 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | ead-2083 | ||
| 008 | 170512i19392004xx eng d | ||
| 040 | |e dacs | ||
| 041 | 0 | |a eng | |
| 099 | |a 2083 | ||
| 110 | 2 | |a Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley |e creator | |
| 245 | 1 | |a Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley records |f 1939-2004, undated |g 1939 - 1998 | |
| 300 | |a 12.3 Linear feet |f ; 31 boxes | ||
| 500 | |a Processing Information: The original processed records of the Museum Council of Philadelphia consisted of about 16 boxes (6.4 linear feet) of administrative, financial, committee and program documents from 1939 through 1976. In 2014 additions to this collection of five Hollinger boxes (6 linear feet) of new documents as well as two volumes, were added to the collection and minimally processed. One of the boxes contained almost entirely records of the early Council from about 1939 to 1945; the rest covered the period from 1976 to 2004. In 2016 the 2014 additions were incorporated into the original collection and this collection was organized into four series. The volumes were disbound and incorporated into the text files. For the most part, the filing scheme of the original collection was maintained when the additions were added. Two professional-grade videotapes from the Warm-Up to Museums campaign, Projects and affiliations series, are closed to researchers until they can be reformatted. | ||
| 506 | |a The collection is open for research. | ||
| 520 | |a The Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley is a regional association of museums founded in 1939 in order to promote Philadelphia museums and tourism. In addition to supporting its member institutions and their collections, the council has served as a resource and networking organization for museum professionals and as a forum to present issues of public interest. It has been especially active in promoting school-museum cooperation and the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage through collection care seminars and disaster preparedness. It has served on four occasions as host to the annual meeting of the American Association of Museums. The collection consists of 12.3 linear feet of textual and graphic documentation produced by or related to the council from 1939 to 2004, including administrative, financial and committee records, as well as documentation of various projects and affiliations with other cultural organizations in the Philadelphia region. | ||
| 520 | |a The records of the Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley consist of 12.3 linear feet of textual and graphic documents produced by or related to the council from 1939 to 2004 (bulk date to 1998). The collection is divided into four series: Series 1. Administrative, including meeting notes, correspondence, executive files and related subjects dealing with the administration and operation of the council; Series 2. Financial, containing records related to budgets, income and expenses, and financial accounts; Series 3. Committees, comprising records of the larger standing committees and also subject files related to these committees; and Series 4. Projects and Affiliations, containing documentation of projects undertaken by the council as a whole, or in cooperation with outside institutions. The individual files retain the original content and arrangement maintained by the council officer or committee responsible for the file, with only minor excisions for duplication and sometimes reordering of documents in chronological order. Some duplication of subject matter will necessarily be found throughout the collection. Researchers should note that even where there are dedicated files for specific topics or projects, related material can usually be found in other files, especially files related to correspondence, meeting minutes, and general executive files. The best introduction to any council project can often be found in the business and executive meeting minutes covering the period directly preceding and during the project. Council files from 1939-1976 tend to consist mainly of documents determined to be of permanent value such as meeting minutes, final reports, official correspondence. Files from 1977-1990 are more likely to contain, in addition, planning and meeting notes, and various kinds of extraneous material gathered because of its relation to a topic or project, often undated. Files after 1990 begin to show significant gaps in the official record. Names of committees and other entities within the council have changed frequently from 1939-2004. For labeling purposes, the most common names in use during the last years of bulk records for the collection have been used. | ||
| 524 | 8 | |a Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley records (Collection 2083), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. | |
| 541 | 1 | |a Gift of Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, 1981-1983, 1992, 2010, 2014. Accession numbers A1992.15, 2010.029, and 2014.046. | |
| 545 | |a The Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley is the oldest and one of the largest regional associations of museums in the United States. The council was formed in 1939 by a group of thirteen institutions meeting to discuss a cooperative plan to promote Philadelphia museums and tourism in conjunction with the New York World’s Fair, which was held that year. It was to be composed of “those cultural and scientific institutions within the City of Philadelphia that have for the general public exhibits of permanent and cultural interest. It will serve its members as a medium through which their mutual interests may be unified and will further serve to bring to the attention of the world at large the invaluable resources that its members possess.” The Philadelphia Council of Museums, as it was first known, appointed an executive committee with the responsibility of producing and distributing a pamphlet describing museums in the city. The council was active in promoting local institutions and their collections through public relations and outreach, notably through museum education partnerships with schools, and through the early use of radio and television, as well as the publication of directories relating to member activities. It promoted the preservation and storage of museum collections during World War II, and was an early advocate of conservation, collection care training, and disaster preparedness for member and affiliated institutions. Over time, the council’s mission became more inclusive and focused on the networking opportunities of museum professionals. Articles of Incorporation (1975) stated that the purpose of the council was to promote “communication between its member institutions; to act as a collective voice on matters affecting museums; to provide counseling service to museums and other educational institutions, and to individual persons contemplating museum careers; and to provide a forum for confraternity…” In this respect, the Council has recognized the accomplishments of individuals and organizations by the presentation of its annual Museum Service Award. The Council has also supported an ongoing discussion of issues facing museums in the areas of inheritance law, non-profit status, and the responsibility of museums to protect cultural heritage. The council has continued to promote the resources and collections of museums and related cultural institutions to educators through the publication of school-related directories such as “Key to Discovery,” and its biennial seminar and guide, “Beyond the Blackboard.” It has mounted a series of public awareness campaigns through city-wide promotional efforts such as “Warm-Up to Museums.” The Council was host to the annual meeting of the American Association of Museums in 1951, 1965, 1982, and 1995. During its 50th anniversary celebration in 1989, the council, now the Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, boasted sixty-eight member institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Current information concerning the Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia, as it is known today, can be found at http://philadelphiamuseumcouncil.com/ | ||
| 555 | |a Finding Aid Available Online: | ||
| 600 | 1 | 7 | |a Carter, John S. |2 Local Sources |
| 600 | 1 | 7 | |a Diethorn, Karie |2 NACO Authority File |
| 600 | 1 | 7 | |a Dyson, Robert H. |2 NACO Authority File |
| 600 | 1 | 7 | |a Esler, Jennifer |2 Local Sources |
| 600 | 1 | 7 | |a Worden, Gretchen |2 NACO Authority File |
| 610 | 2 | 7 | |a American Association of Museums |2 Accessions DB |
| 610 | 2 | 7 | |a Philadelphia Area Council on Tourism |2 NACO Authority File |
| 650 | 0 | |a Disaster planning. | |
| 650 | 7 | |a Education--20th century. |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a Museums--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--20th century. |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a Philadelphia (Pa.)--Tourism--20th century. |2 Local sources | |
| 650 | 7 | |a Public history. |2 Local sources | |
| 852 | |a The Historical Society of Pennsylvania |b Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley Records |l 2083 | ||
| 856 | 4 | 2 | |y Link to finding aid |u http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/m/MuseumCouncil2083.html |