"Philadelphians and the China Trade, 1784-1844." July 1, 1984 - September 23, 1984, 1968-1985

In 1984, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the sailing of the first American ship to China, the PMA opened the exhibition, "Philadelphians and the China Trade, 1784-1844." The monumental exhibition examined the role of Philadelphia in China trading. Featured were over 300 objects, including furniture, porcelains, silver, textiles, and other decorative objetcs. The exhibition was curated by Jean Gordon Lee, Curator of Far Eastern Art. Many of the works featured came from the PMA's collection, while others were on loan from descendents of the traders, and local and international institutions. The records for the exhibition contain administrative, image, lender, and research files. The bulk of the records date from 1983 to 1984.