Philadelphia Antiques Show 2018

O ver the past seventeen years, working as the Cura- tor-Lead Archivist at the Pennsylvania Hospital, I have pro- vided thousands of tours. At some point in my career I started using the phrase “real living history” to describe the Pennsylvania Hospi- tal. As I walked visitors through the historic Pine Building, I noted the importance of maintaining this unique and important structure, as well as the collections housed in- side it and about how we treated patients in the Pine Building un- til the early 1970’s. I have talked about how we managed to survive as a community hospital, welcom- ing the poor, the immigrants, the mentally ill; how we were still here, still treating those in our commu- nity as the definition of community shifted and changed to accommo- date a much larger area. As decades changed to centuries, to now 267 years in continuous operation- that, as I tell people, is real living histo- ry. We don’t hire reenactors. We blend the modern and the historic in a way that allows us to remain relevant, as well as good stewards. That “blending” is no small task. While the mission of the hospital has remained constant, the technology, administration and landscape has changed dramatically. We have an incredible collection of materials that help us understand the history of health care in this country, as well as the changing immigration patterns in the city. The manuscripts, rare books, fine art, artifacts, and ephemera all tell the story of who was here, what they did, sometimes why they did it and how it happened. This article hopes to tell some of our 267 year history through historic images and objects, incorporating the collections, and details regarding working in an historic building, while balancing being a modern hospital. The Pennsylvania Hospital started as an idea—that we could provide quality health care to individuals who could not afford it themselves. Dr. Thomas Bond had encountered similar institutions in Europe and wanted to bring that level of care to Philadelphia. His circle of friends seemed to suffer from “giving fatigue” and were less than enthusiastic when the idea was proposed; however, his friend Benjamin Franklin saw the value in the endeavor, and endorsed it enthusiastically. Franklin created a petition for supporters to sign, including many of Philadelphia’s leading citizens. The Pennsylvania Hospital, chartered May 11, 1751, was to provide health care for the sick poor and the mentally ill in the Philadelphia region. Statesman, Inventor, Scientist, Printer, Founding Father; Benja- min Franklin was known for many roles, but one of his lesser known roles was as the co-founder of Pennsylvania Hospital. Franklin became the first secretary of the Board of Managers, and after the death of Joshua Crosby, the second president of the Board. Franklin stepped down from the Board of Managers in 1757, but he remained involved with the cause of the hos- pital until his death in 1796. This bust of Franklin greets visitors as they enter the Great Court. Once attributed to Houdon, this marble bust is now attributed to Houdon’s rival, Jean-Jacques Caffieri. Bust, Benjamin Franklin Attibuted to Caffieri (1725-1792). Petition to Establish the Pennsylvania Hospital, written by Benjamin Franklin, 1750. Pennsylvania Hospital Historic Collections. The Pennsylvania Hospital and Its Historic Collections: Living History W 134 W