Digitizing the Atwater Kent Museum Collection

FAIN: PW-277398-21

Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875)
Page Talbott (Project Director: July 2020 to present)

Digitization of approximately 25,000 three-dimensional objects that represent 350 years of history in Philadelphia, including historical artifacts and fine and decorative arts. The images and associated metadata would be available to the public through an online database.

In an unmarked warehouse in a former industrial area of Philadelphia, the 133,000+ items that made up the collection of the now-shuttered Philadelphia History Museum (PHM) await discovery. Through a partnership with the Museum trustees and City of Philadelphia, Drexel University is becoming steward of this collection, called the Atwater Kent Collection (AKC). As the new steward, Drexel is planning an innovative model of a “museum without walls” that will allow the public to know—for the first time—the extent of what is included in this far-ranging, priceless Collection. As essential underpinning for long-term public programming, education, research, and institutional collaboration, this significant Collection of material culture must be accessible—particularly online. As part of this ambitious undertaking, Drexel is applying for a Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Implementation grant to digitize the three-dimensional objects of the Atwater Kent Collection.