Library. Sales catalogs. 1741-1879. By auction year. Incl. curator note. Index cards, undated

Johnson's art library consisted of more than 2,500 books, periodicals, and auction catalogs (referred to as "sales" in these inventories). The library came to the museum at the same time the art collection was transferred. It originally was housed in the curatorial offices, and only came to the museum Library in the early 1990s. Library inventories are recorded on index cards. All but one include publications issued after 1917 and therefore reflect purchases made by the Johnson Collection curatorial staff. The exception is the "Books" inventory filed by the numbers assigned in the 1917 inventory and appraisal. "Books" also include exhibition catalogues and journal volumes. "Sales catalogs" is the term used by the curatorial staff for auction catalogs. The alphabetical inventory is filed by collector name with auction information noted in the upper right corner of each card.

Object inventories include documentation of two examinations that were conducted in 1955 and 1968 in compliance with orders of the city's Orphans' Court. The purpose of these examinations was to ascertain whether the works of art listed in the 1917 inventory and appraisment were "in fact in existence and presently located in the Philadelphia Museum of Art." For the 1955 inventory, each of the six examiners documented here had their own copies of the full inventory to mark up and sign. These inventories, as well as signed certifications, are included below. While there are only two unsigned copies of the 1968 examination in these files, the related certification is signed by all six examiners.

Based on the notation of object condition in the reports generated in the 1976 inspection and the type of documentation used in the 1979 inspection, both apparently were conducted by conservation staff.