"Worldly Goods: The Arts of Pennsylvania, 1680-1758." October 10, 1999-January 2, 2000, 1991-2002

"Worldly Goods: The Arts of Pennsylvania, 1680-1758," was a magnificent exhibition that was held from October 10, 1999 to January 2, 2000. Within the exhibition were more than 350 pieces that included furniture, ceramics, silver, textiles, metalwork, prints, books, maps, and paintings that were either imported to or made in the colony. Curated by Jack Lindsey, curator of American Decorative Arts, the objects were arranged in room settings that displayed how the pieces would have been used at the time. Many of the objects featured were from private collections and had never been exhibited before. Other pieces were on loan from museums, galleries, libraries, and historical societies such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania Historical Society, and The Royal Library of Sweden. Created by skilled craftsmen, the objects reflected a time of prosperity and growth, as well as the settlers desire to possess both stylish imports and locally crafted goods. The records are divided into seven sub-subseries: Administrative and Planning files; Catalogue; Grants; Lenders; Object files; Research; and Multimedia and Oversized Material. Users will find that the exhibition was extensively documented, both before and during. The records for the exhibit are comprised of various types of materials, and while the majority of the files are printed and written documents, the records also include photographs, sketches, and audio and visual cassette tapes. The bulk of the files date from 1998 to 1999.