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Records of La Salle University Art Museum

 Collection
Identifier: UA.01.025.1

Scope and Contents note

This finding aid refers to the contents of the La Salle Univeristy Archives' Record of the Art Museum Collection, UA.01.025, boxes 1 and 2. The scope of this collection features records pertaining to the early history of the La Salle Art Museum from it's founding in 1969 and opening in 1976 through the ealry 1990's.

Information regarding feature exhibits that were displayed by the Art Museum between 1976 and 1982 as well as evening events, concerts, and a record of tours and programs held for various classes of students and community groups are stored in Box 1 of the collection.

The guest books used to record visitation to the Art Museum’s inauguration on Dec. 8th 1969 through March 27th 1992 are included in Box 2 of this collection. These books could be used by researchers to generate a monthly/yearly visitation records that may be useful in the context of the information about feature exhibitions in effort to determine which exhibits had the most visitors.

Articles of correspondence relating to the administration of the La Salle Art Museum is also found in Box 2. The majority of the correspondence if that of Bro. Daniel Burke, the museum's founding patron as well as curator Caroline P. Wistar, who began working with the Art Museum in 1976.

Box 2 also features records of La Salle Art Museum budgetary information. These records include monthly and yearly budget statements as well as invoices, check receipts and donations to the museum.

Dates

  • 1969-1992

Brother Daniel Burke

Brother Daniel Burke, (1926-2015) founder of the La University Art Museum and President of La Salle University (College) from 1969 to 1976.

Brother Daniel Burke was born on Oct. 25, 1926 in Pittsburgh He joined the Christian Brothers’ in 1941, and took his vows in 1944. Brother Daniel received his bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in art history from the Catholic University of America, where he would later return to complete his before completing his master’s and doctorate degrees, also in English. Brother Daniel came to La Salle’s in 1957 faculty and in 1960, he was named La Salle’s first Vice President for Academic Affairs, In 1965, he announced plans to build a permanent Art Museum on Campus. Br. Daniel was named La Salle’s 25th President in 1969. His Presidency marked a time of significant growth and transformation for the College. During his six-year tenure, La Salle became co-educational in 1970, having been an all-male institution since it's founding in 1863.

Brother Daniel passes away on November 14th, 2015 as the age of 89.

source: http://www.lasalle.edu/blog/2015/11/17/la-salle-university-mourns-the-passing-of-former-la-salle-president-and-art-museum-founder-brother-daniel-burke/

Caroline P. Wistar

Caroline P. Wistar was born and raised in Philadelphia. Her family is one of the oldest in the Germantown area, the family having moved from Hiedelberg. Germany in the first decade of the eighteenth century. Caroline attended Wheaton College in Boston MA. After college she went to work in the Boston Museum in rights and reproductions for about, I guess it was 4 years. She lived briefly in London where she worked for at the Courtald Institute for Art History in London. After working for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in 1976 she began working at the La Salle University (College) Art Museum, first as a curatorial assistant and then assistant curaator before being hired full-time in 1978. She is the author of La Salle University Art Museum: Guide to the Collection, published in 2002.

source: Wistar, Caroline and Valts, Meredith, "Interview of Caroline Wistar" (2008). All Oral Histories. Paper 102. http://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/histdeptohall/102

Extent

2.0 Linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Arrangment note

This collection is arranged into 6 seperate series, all of which are arranged chronologically with the exception of Series 3. Series 1 contains feature museum exhibitions from 1976 to 1982. Series 2 contains museum conerts held in the gallery from 1979 to 1981. Series features additional museum information from 1977 to 1982. Series 4 holds the visitation records of the guest sign in books from 1969 to 1992. Series 5 contains correspondence dating from 1977 to 1982. Series 6 features budget information from 1978 to 1982. Series 1: Museum Exhibtions Series 2: Museum Concerts Series 3: Museum Misc Series 4: Art Gallery Guest Books Series 5: Museum Correspondence Subseries 1: General Correspondence Subseries 2: Administrative Correspondence Subseries 3: General Correspondence Series 6: Museum Budget Informtation

Title
Guide to Records of La Salle University Art Musuem Boxes 1 & 2 UA.01.025 UA.01.025.1
Author
Finding aid prepared by Finding aid prepared by Kevin W. Lynch Jr.
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the La Salle University Archives Repository

Contact:
1900 West Olney Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19141 United States