Distinctly perceptive insights on architecture, history, preservation, and the role of the library in the city among the winning visions for the Athenæum of Philadelphia in the year 2050

If you’re looking for holiday books with a Philly bent, Nathaniel Popkin has ten new ones–from art to essays to history, biography, and policy–to suit the readers on your list

The Athenæum of Philadelphia celebrates its 200 year anniversary with an awards ceremony and exhibition opening of their visionary design competition, “Looking Forward”

To help celebrate its 200th anniversary, the Athenaeum asked artists to reinterpret architectural landmark’s on the National Register of Historic Places. The exhibition of the work is on display until August 8

Tonight kicks of a design competition that seeks visions of the library in the 21st century

Whether or not Edgar Allen Poe’s raven perched upon a pallid bust in Philadelphia or elsewhere is up for debate, but there’s no doubt that he visited the Athenaeum—his signature from 1838 is in the guestbook. Ruth Scott Blackson dives deep into Poe’s colorful history in Philly with her installation Through the Pale Door, on display at the Athenaeum as part of the 2013 Hidden City Festival, opening today

The Shadow’s article on the Equitable Trust Building spurred the nimble and thoroughly informed archivists at the Athenaeum to investigate the attribution of Horace Trumbauer as architect…their investigation revealed a long-standing error

Interview with Bruce Laverty of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia revealing that Thomas Ustick Walter, architect of the US Capitol, was a slaveholder..and the role of an archive in preserving architectural history.