Philadelphia City Institute records

Table of Contents

Summary Information

Background note

Scope and content note

Overview of arrangement

Administrative Information

Related Materials

Controlled Access Headings

Collection Inventory

Administrative

Library Operations

Correspondence

Financial

Photographs

Summary Information

Repository

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Creator

Philadelphia City Institute.

Title

Philadelphia City Institute records

ID

3023

Date

1852-2001

Extent

15.6 Linear feet ; 31 boxes, 36 volumes, 3 flat files

Author

Finding aid prepared by Jack Gumbrecht.

Sponsor

Processing funded through the generosity of the Board of Managers of the Philadelphia City Institute.

Language

English

Abstract

The Philadelphia City Institute (PCI) is a non-profit organization that has supported a free library in center city Philadelphia for 150 years. The PCI Library has had three primary locations, with the current site at 1905 Locust Street, on Rittenhouse Square. Today, the PCI Library functions as a branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. The Free Library serves as librarian, agent, and administrator. The Philadelphia City Institute maintains ownership of the premises and the assets, and the PCI Board of Managers, with endowment income, provides operational support, and funding for new books and equipment. The collection includes annual reports from 1856 through 1984 (most years), Board of Managers’ meeting minutes, membership information, librarian’s reports, financial records, correspondence, and photographs.

Return to Table of Contents »

Background note

The Philadelphia City Institute was founded March 15, 1852. The organization originated from the Young Man’s Institute, which had begun two years earlier for the purpose of providing the city’s youth with positive alternatives to the activities of fire companies (which, at the time, were gang-like), and other “perils to which they are exposed in a large city.” The Young Man’s Institute encouraged the establishment of libraries in the city and nearby districts. A meeting at Central High School, for the purpose of organizing a free library for the City of Philadelphia, resulted in the formation of PCI. In 1852, the “City” was the area bounded by the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers and Vine and South Streets. PCI concentrated its efforts in the area west of Broad Street.

PCI’s object was “the promotion of the moral and intellectual improvement of young persons by means of a Library and Reading Room, Lectures and class instruction, and such other measures as the Board of Managers may adopt.” Weekly lectures by prominent Philadelphians and free night schools were important activities of PCI in its early years. Initially these were reserved for young men, but PCI soon decided to “extend the advantages of the Institute to females.” Evening lectures, which covered topics such as “Physiology,” “William Penn and the Holy Experiment,” and “Naples and Its Vicinity,” were well attended, but not by the class of people PCI was trying to help. To address the problem, an agent was hired in 1860 to promote PCI in factories and on the streets, and to encourage young men to attend events. When the City began to provide free night schools in the late 1880s, the PCI Board of Managers decided to concentrate its efforts on the Library. Later, the Library directed more resources, including a dedicated librarian, to developing children’s programs. Throughout its history, PCI has maintained its focus on center city Philadelphia and programs for young people.

From its beginning, PCI offered several classes of membership. The first constitution stated, “Any person by paying one dollar annually or twenty dollars at one time, as a life subscription, if approved by the managers, shall be entitled to membership in this Institute and to all its privileges.” PCI’s first annual report in 1856 cited 295 subscribers. In the early years, paying members were important to cover the expenses of the library. But PCI did not exist for subscribers exclusively. In its first constitution there were provisions for non-members to use the Reading Room and borrow books “upon such terms as may be directed by the Managers upon giving satisfactory security.” The earliest written reference to a free library seems to be the 1865 Annual Report, which described the classes of membership, and added, “All others free.” Later, the PCI Library is frequently, and prominently, described in its publications as a “free library.”

PCI was incorporated and granted a charter in June 1852. The first officers were: William H. French, President; Cornelius A. Walborn, Vice President; Edwin Greble, Vice President; William Rhoads, Treasurer; David T. Burr, Recording Secretary; and J. Vaughan Merrick, Corresponding Secretary. Twenty-four other men served on the first Board of Managers. They are listed in Appendix A. These men, and others, pledged funds “for the purpose of purchasing a lot, erecting a building, and furnishing a library for the use of the Philadelphia City Institute.”

In August 1853, PCI purchased property at the northeast corner of 18th and Chestnut Streets, and in May 1854 began construction of its first library building. The library opened in March 1855 on the second floor. The first floor was rented as store space, and other extra rooms were rented, as well. PCI remained at that location until 1923, when the building was sold and a residential property at 218 South 19th Street was purchased. Alterations were made to the building to facilitate the Library, and a favorable cash balance from the exchange enabled an endowment fund to be established. In 1955, the property on South 19th Street was sold to a developer who demolished the old structure, and constructed an apartment building, known as 220 West Rittenhouse Square. The transaction included a provision for the PCI Library, on the ground floor of the apartment building, under a 99-year (1957-2056) lease, with the address 1905 Locust Street.

The subsequent sale of the apartment building to Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company, and its conversion to a condominium in 1971, resulted in unexpected conflict with Fidelity Mutual and the condominium association, interference with the Library’s operations, unplanned expenses for asbestos abatement, installation of sprinklers and other physical improvements, extended legal battles, and intense negotiations until the 1990s. Throughout the turmoil, PCI remained dedicated to its purpose of providing library services to the public.

The first librarians of the PCI Library were men. But from 1864 to 1944, the PCI librarians and assistant librarians were women. Among them were Mrs. Mary A. Fell and Miss Euretta Rank. Mrs. Fell started as an assistant librarian in 1871 and retired as head librarian forty-nine years later, in 1919, at age 84. Miss Rank was hired to lead the Children’s Department in 1927 and developed many new programs for children. She later became the head librarian, and held that position in 1944 when the PCI Library joined the Free Library system. In 1996, the Philadelphia City Institute Library Friends was founded by Cirel Magen and Valla Amsterdam. This group conducted membership drives and fund raising activities in behalf of the PCI Library. It was also instrumental in securing a temporary location, at the Lucy Eaton Smith Residence at 1929 Sansom Street, during the 1997-1998 construction project to establish independent heating and ventilating systems for the library premises. Magen is now President of the Board of Managers. Today (2003), the PCI Library operates as a branch of the Free Library, which serves as librarian, agent and administrator. PCI owns the library premises and leases it to the Free Library. The Philadelphia City Institute also maintains ownership of the assets, including the books, and its Board of Managers, with endowment income, provides operational support and funding for new books and equipment.

Return to Table of Contents »

Scope and content note

The records of the Philadelphia City Institute include documents about the foundation of the organization, administrative reports, financial records, and correspondence from many years of service to the citizens of Philadelphia, especially the challenging times in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

The records are organized in five series: Administrative, Library Operations, Correspondence, Financial, and Photographs. The Administrative series is the largest. The annual reports and minutes of Board of Managers meetings provide information about the management of PCI, and the kind of social impact PCI endeavored to make in Philadelphia. Annual reports, particularly from 1856 to 1935, when they were published in booklet form, were external documents with a public, promotional purpose. They documented PCI’s accomplishments and appealed for further financial support. The minutes, on the other hand, were internal documents. They provide insight into the issues faced by a group of public-spirited, volunteer managers.

The Library Operations series details information summarized in the annual reports. For example, while annual reports give summary figures about attendance and book circulation, the documents in the Library Operations series provide monthly, and often daily, figures. PCI’s library holdings grew from 832 books in 1855 to more than 26,000 in 1902 at its 50th anniversary, and grew further to over 42,000 by 1984 (possibly the latest figure quoted in the collection). The librarian’s reports, along with annual reports in the early years, describe how the Library acquired its books, and what classes of books were acquired and most eagerly borrowed. They also provide insight into the role of the librarians at the PCI Library. In addition, this series contains the real estate records related to PCI’s properties, particularly its first location at 18th and Chestnut Streets, including a number of deeds and indentures.

The Correspondence series is composed of more recent material, most of which reflects the challenges faced by PCI since the 1970s. There were serious threats to both the library premises and its operations. The records reflect the actions of the PCI Officers and Board of Managers to those threats. PCI committed substantial financial resources to keeping the Library in operation, sometimes in temporary quarters, and to make capital improvements to assure a suitable and secure home for the future.

The Financial series includes some early records and some recent investment reports. Most of the series is treasurer’s reports from 1892 to 1945. The Photographs series includes a variety of images from all three of PCI’s Library locations.

Return to Table of Contents »

Overview of arrangement

Series I. Administrative, 1856-1998, undated; Boxes 1-9, 22-24, 30-31

a. Charter, Constitution and By-Laws, 1852-1915, undated; Boxes 1, 22

b. Annual/Quarterly Reports, 1856-1998; Boxes 1-5

c. Board of Managers, 1870-1998, undated; Boxes 5-9, 22-24, 30-31

Series II. Library Operations, 1852-1988, undated; Boxes 9-12, 25-28

a. Attendance Registers, 1898-1937; Box 25

b. Catalogues, 1871-1887; Box 26

c. Librarian’s Cash Books, 1856-1912; Box 27

d. Librarian’s Reports, 1889-1974; Boxes 9-10

e. Members and Subscribers, 1852-1943, undated; Boxes 11, 28

f. Anniversaries and Memoirs, 1893-1988; Box 11

g. Real Estate, 1852-1955; Box 11, Flat File

h. Miscellaneous, 1858-1965, undated; Boxes 11-12

Series III. Correspondence, 1855-1998, undated; Boxes 12-17

a. President, 1978-1998; Boxes 12-15

b. Treasurer, 1913-1987; Boxes 15-16

c. Librarian, 1892-1928, undated; Box 17

d. “Old Letters” File, 1855-1917, undated; Box 17

e. Miscellaneous, 1855-1957; Box 17

Series IV. Financial, 1853-1999, undated; Boxes 17-21, 29

a. Treasurer’s Reports, 1892-1945; Boxes 17-20

b. Investment Reports, 1938-1999; Box 20

c. Miscellaneous, 1853-1998, undated; Box 21, 29

Series V. Photographs, undated; Box 21

Return to Table of Contents »

Administrative Information

Publication Information

 Historical Society of Pennsylvania 2003.

Revision Description

 Finding aid revised by Phillip Foglia to include addtitions. ; 2022

Access restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Provenance

Gifts of the Board of Managers of the Philadelphia City Institute, 2002, 2005, 2016.

Accession numbers 2002.066, 2005.040, 2018.046.

Processing note

Records were received by HSP in various conditions. Some records were filed and clearly labeled; others were not organized. Where organization existed, it was maintained and the series and folder reflect the original organization. There were multiple copies of many documents and most of the duplicates have been removed. Exceptions are annual reports, which have two copies, when possible, retained in the folders.

Minute books and report books were of several types. Older books, where minutes were recorded, in hand, directly in the books, have been maintained. Other books or binders had minutes or reports glued, taped, or stapled to the pages of the books. In these cases, the books were taken apart, staples and tape removed, and pages filed in folders. Newspaper articles and some correspondence, especially that on thermal fax paper was received in poor condition. These were photocopied for preservation purposes.

The recent (1990s) investment reports from Bryn Mawr Trust were monthly. Only the reports for the third month of each calendar quarter were retained.

Some minutes from the 1910-1915 period were printed with dark blue/purple ink, like mimeograph ink. These papers should be reviewed in the future to be sure they are still readable.

Return to Table of Contents »

Related Materials

Related materials

At HSP: A discourse on the tendencies of modern science: read before the Philadelphia City Institute, December 1855. Philadelphia: Inquirer Printing Office, 1856.

Annual Report, Philadelphia City Institute. February 1916/17.

Appeal in behalf of the Philadelphia City Institute. Philadelphia, 1855.

Appeal in behalf of the Philadelphia City Institute. Philadelphia, 1853.

Philadelphia City Institute: constitution and charter [S.I.]

Philadelphia City Institute, 1915. Image of library. Campbell Collection, v. 14, p. 159.

Young Man’s Institute. Constitution and 2nd to 6th Annual Reports. Philadelphia 1850-1856.

Separated materials

The following were separated to The Historical Society of Pennsylvania Library:

Twelve volumes of PCI Annual Reports.

Pamphlet: Central High School, Department of English, Lectures and Readings. Hand dated 1914-15.

Pamphlet: Excepts from “Our National Government or Life and Scenes in Our National Capital” Mrs. John A. Logan, editor., n.d.

“Library Chat,” Volume 1, Number 4, December, 1913.

“Library Chat,” Volume 1, Number 5, January-February, 1914.

Return to Table of Contents »

Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

• 220 West Rittenhouse Square Corporation.
• Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company.
• Free Library of Philadelphia.

Occupation(s)

• Librarians.

Personal Name(s)

• Burr, David T.
• Fell, Mary A.
• French, William H.
• Greble, Edwin.
• Harrison, H. Norris.
• Knowles, Levi.
• Leidy, Joseph, 1823-1891.
• Magen, Cirel.
• Merrick, J. Vaughan.
• Rank, Euretta.
• Reath, George, Jr.
• Rhoads, William.
• Vaux, Richard, 1816-1895.
• Walborn, Cornelius A.
• Wood, Edward F. R., Jr.

Subject(s)

• Lectures and lecturing--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
• Library buildings--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
• Library catalogs--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
• Subscription libraries--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.

Return to Table of Contents »

Collection Inventory