Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Lewis, John Frederick, 1860-1932
| title | Originals returned to the lender, the American Philosophical Society, after microfilming. |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | The letters, predominately incoming, relate to Lewis' activities on behalf of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts regarding exhibitions, prizes, hiring, and problems relating to the teaching staff. There are also letters relating to the Philadelphia Water Color Club, the Art Club of Philadelphia, Lewis' collecting, and letters from artists and others prominent in the arts including Cecilia Beaux and Albert C. Barnes. |
| extent | Originals returned to the lender, the American Philosophical Society, after microfilming. |
| formats | Correspondence |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Lent for microfilming by American Philosophical Society as part of AAA's Philadelphia Arts Documentation Project. The Lewis collection contains over 45,000 items which document Lewis' legal practice, collecting and business affairs. Only the art related letters were microfilmed. Originals returned to the lender, the American Philosophical Society, after microfilming. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:29 |
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| title | Philadelphia Bourse Papers, 1891-1900. |
| repository | The Historical Society of Pennsylvania |
| description | These papers relate to the organization of the Bourse Corporation and to the erection of the Bourse Building. They are chiefly letters of John Frederick Lewis, attorney for the corporation. Notes: The Philadelphia Bourse was a corporation formed in 1891 to protect the business and to further the commercial interests of the city. The Bourse Building, originally built to house exchanges, the Board of Trade, and similar groups, is now primarily an office and retail building. Call Number: (PHi)1358 |
| extent | 161 items. |
| formats | Business Papers Correspondence |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://discover.hsp.org/ |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:35 |
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| title | John Frederick Lewis Papers, 1878-1932. |
| repository | American Philosophical Society |
| description | Although most of this large collection consists of papers of Lewis's legal practice, there are important groups which relate to the furnishing and maintenance of his city and country houses and the management of his farm, to the assembling of his outstanding collections of Oriental and medieval illuminated manuscripts and of Babylonian clay tablets (now at the Free Library of Philadelphia), and to institutions with which he was closely associated, such as the American Philosophical Society, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Many letters and papers are about business (mortgages, rents, directorships in banks and insurance companies, and investments) and about the social and cultural life of Philadelphia (operas, libraries, museums, and schools for the handicapped). Bio/History: John Frederick Lewis was a lawyer, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1909. |
| extent | ca. 45,000 items. |
| formats | Business Papers Correspondence Financial Records Legal Papers |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://www.amphilsoc.org/library |
| acquisition information | Gift of Dickinson College, 1967. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:35 |
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| title | John Frederick Lewis Papers, 1882 - 1932 (bulk dates 1909 - 1928) |
| repository | University of Delaware Library |
| description | The papers of prominent Philadelphia lawyer and philanthropist John Frederick Lewis span the dates 1882 to1932 and include letterbooks, correspondence, advertising brochures, legal documents, and ephemera. The papers primarily document the legal business of Lewis through his work at the firm Lewis, Adler & Laws, but also reflect social and domestic affairs of John Lewis and his wife, Anne Baker Lewis, as well as cultural interests, through development of personal collections and institutional affiliations. For those interested in maritime law and the history of ships there is much information about both in the correspondence relating to many of the legal cases handled by John Frederick Lewis, particularly those cases dating from before the turn of the twentieth century. There is a small file relating to a Titanic case with which Lewis was involved, Nesson vs. S. S. Titanic. Many details about the administrative workings of a number of Philadelphia's most prestigious cultural institutions are provided by the correspondence. Such information is especially prominent in the correspondence relating to The Historical Society of Pennsylvania and The Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts. These letters relay a sense of how the leaders of these institutions regarded their activities and the roles of these institutions. The correspondence relating to Lewis's collecting activities provides many details about prices for the types of portraits, oriental objects, and books in which he was interested. The effort and knowledge required to build such collections is an underlying theme of these letters, which also provide a look at the relationship of trust and respect that must be established between dealer and collector if such collections are to be created. As biographical sources, the letterbooks and correspondence tell the story of a man who established a successful law practice that gained him the contacts to become a leader in many of the city's important cultural institutions, and put him in a financial position to amass significant collections of art works and to purchase a country seat at Morstein in Chester County, as many successful professional men did at that time. While Lewis appears to have often responded favorably to solicitations for donations and even occasionally to the many begging letters he received, his early active involvement in church and charitable organizations was largely given up for a leading role in more socially prestigious institutions. These letters were written by a man concerned with his own affairs; "personal" letters relate to Lewis's many activities and positions in various institutions. Little truly personal information is included. Lewis rarely commented on current events, either in Philadelphia, the nation, or the world. During World War I, Lewis noted the war only in letters dealing with the practical arrangements for his position monitoring shipping along part of the eastern seaboard. This correspondence provides a picture of the network formed by Lewis and many of his business and civic associates. This is particularly evident in letters concerning nominations for membership in or appointments to the boards of these institutions. The phrase to "keep the social tone up" was frequently used. Another connection that can be examined in this correspondence is that many of Lewis's associates, like Lewis himself, were Freemasons. Biographical Note: John Frederick Lewis (1860-1932) was born in Philadelphia to S. Weir and Caroline Kalbfus Lewis. Lewis graduated from Central High School in 1879, studied law under the Hon. George M. Dallas, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1882. In 1925, Lewis received the A.M. and LL.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. At first, Lewis was associated with Charles Gibbons, but eventually formed a partnership with Francis C. Adler and Francis S. Laws. The firm of Lewis, Adler & Laws acted as solicitor for the Philadelphia Bourse and the Philadelphia Maritime Commission. Many of the cases handled by Lewis involved collisions of ships and disputes arising over shipping cargoes. As an attorney who was knowledgeable in corporate financial affairs, Lewis served on the boards of several companies: as Director of the Farmers' and Mechanics' National Bank; as Vice-President of the Merchants Trust Company; and as President of the Malvern Electric Light, Heat and Power Company. He was an active member of the Law Association of Philadelphia and the Law Academy, and was a regular guest lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. The philanthropic interests of John Frederick Lewis were widely known. He was an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church and also was involved with the Young Peoples' Lutheran Association. He long supported the Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, serving as Secretary of that institution for a period of time. The entire Lewis family was interested in charitable organizations and was often solicited for donations and sponsorship. As a respected collector of rare books and fine art, Lewis assembled a noted collection of portraits of prominent men in American history. Lewis was particularly interested in portraits of George Washington and donated a number of likenesses of the first president to various Philadelphia schools and libraries. The book Collection of John Frederick Lewis American Portraits: Presented to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Other Institutions (1934) provides illustrations and descriptions of many of the portraits that Lewis owned. Another collection reflected Lewis's literary interests: his study of early forms of writing and books led Lewis to collect cuneiform tablets and cones, as well as European and Oriental manuscripts. Lewis was often asked to give talks to art classes at the University of Pennsylvania and other art groups in the city on topics such as oriental art. Like his portrait collection, most of Lewis' collections were donated to Philadelphia museums and libraries. Lewis and his wife donated more that 2,800 clay tablets, dating from 3,000 B.C. to 300 B.C., to the Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia. After her husband's death, Mrs. Lewis donated the collection of European and Oriental manuscripts to the same institution. The knowledge gained while assembling his private collections led to prominent positions for Lewis with several of the city's cultural institutions. Among the many offices he held during his lifetime, Lewis served as President of the American Academy of Music, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Art Jury of Philadelphia; he served on the Board of Trustees of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Free Library of Philadelphia; and acted as Secretary of the Board of Managers of the Apprentices' Library of Philadelphia. Because of his leadership in the business, philanthropic, and cultural circles of the city, Lewis was invited to be a member of a number of quasi-public advisory councils to several mayors and his opinions on current issues were solicited by the publishers of The Ledger, a Philadelphia newspaper. In addition to his affiliations with the cultural institutions of the city, Lewis belonged to a number of social and special interest clubs, a few of which were The Wistar Party, The History Club, The Geneological Society, The Ice Skating Club and Humane Society (of which he served as President). Lewis was a thirty-third degree Mason. The wide-ranging interests of John Frederick Lewis were the subjects of several books he authored. An examination of the early history of the city, The History Of An Old Philadelphia Land Title, 208 South Fourth Street was a book begun by his father and completed by Lewis in 1934. His interest in the Apprentices' Library was demonstrated by his book History of the Apprentices' Library of Philadelphia, 1820-1920, the Oldest Free Circulating Library in America. Finally, Lewis's interest in city planning led him to undertake an examination of The Redemption of the Lower Schuylkill: the River As It Was, The River As It is, The River As It Should Be. To mark the occasion of his fiftieth anniversary as a member of the Pennsylvania Bar, Lewis wrote a book entitled Thomas Spry, Lawyer and Physician, about the first attorney admitted to practice English Law in the middle colonies. Considered a gifted and entertaining orator, Lewis was often asked to speak at public events; several public talks were later published. At the dedication of the new Bourse building in 1895, Lewis delivered a speech entitled Philadelphia--A Short Oration. One of his speeches is included in John Marshall and Philadelphia: Dedication Exercises At The Statue of John Marshall, Art Museum, West Entrance, January 7th, 1930. John Frederick Lewis had two brothers, Louis (a minister) and Howard; Howard was also an attorney in the city and active in many of the same financial and cultural institutions as his brother, John. Howard also served as President of the Atheneum. John Frederick Lewis married Anne H. Rush Baker Lewis in 1895. The Lewises had two sons: Alfred Gustavus Baker and John Frederick, Jr., both of whom became attorneys. In the 1920s, both joined the law firm of Lewis, Adler & Laws. |
| extent | 4.6 linear feet and 75 volumes. |
| formats | Correspondence Legal Papers Ephemera Clippings |
| access | The collection is open for research. |
| record source | http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/findaids/lewis_j2.htm |
| finding aid | Guide can be found in repository and electronically on the University's web site. |
| acquisition information | Moyerman Collection. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:35 |
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| title | John Frederick Lewis Papers, 1878-1932 |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Papers, 1878-1932 (ca. 31,000 items). Although mostly about his law practice, a sub-stantial part of these records relate to the assembling of his collections of oriental and medieval illuminated manuscripts and Babylonian clay tablets (now at the Free Library of Philadelphia) and to institutions with which he was associated, including the Art Club of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Philadelphia Water Color Club. Included are letters from Albert Barnes, Cecilia Beaux, Julius Bloch, Hugh H. Breckenridge, Mary Cassatt, Robert Vonnoh, Franklin Watkins, and J. Alden Weir. Art-related materials filmed on rolls 3903-3904. |
| extent | ca. 31,000 items |
| formats | Business Papers Correspondence |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:36 |
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| title | Lewis Portrait Collection |
| repository | Free Library of Philadelphia |
| description | The large scope of The Lewis Portrait Collection makes it one of our most important special collections. It's also among the earliest to be received by the library. Established by John Frederick Lewis in 1928, it contains more than 200,000 portrait prints in all media. Among these prints are numerous works of art by such artists as Van Dyck, Nanteuil and Holbein. Highlights include a photograph of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt attending their son Elliott's wedding in Bryn Mawr in 1932, an engraving of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, and dozens of engraved portraits of Benjamin Franklin. |
| extent | See Prints and Pictures Department |
| formats | Artwork |
| access | See Prints and Pictures Department for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://libwww.freelibrary.org/collections/collectionDetail.cfm?id=20 |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:38 |
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| title | Langdon Warner Records, 1917-1923 |
| repository | Philadelphia Museum of Art |
| description | Langdon Warner, a scholar in Oriental Art and an Archeologist, was the Director of the Museum from 1917 to 1923. He was often away from the Museum working in China. In 1923 he left to accept a position at Harvard. In addition, he was the Curator of the Wilstach Collection, a city-owned collection housed in Memorial Hall. Warner's correspondence mainly concerns the collection, Memorial Hall, exhibitions and purchases. There is some correspondence with corporate officers including President, John D. McIlhenny. From December 1917 through January 1919 E. Hamilton Bell was Acting Director while Warner was away in China. Some of Bell's correspondence is in this record group as a separate series. Bell also was the Curator of the John G. Johnson Collection, another city-owned collection, from 1917 until his death in 1929 (3/25/1929). Henri Marceau was his Assistant Curator for the Johnson Collection. Bell was Co-Editor of a journal, Eastern Art, along with Horace H. F. Jayne and Langdon Warner. |
| extent | 4.5 linear feet |
| formats | Correspondence |
| access | The collection is open for research |
| record link | http://www.philamuseum.org/pma_archives/ead.php?c=WAR&p=hn |
| record source | http://www.philamuseum.org/archives/findingaids.html |
| finding aid | Available online |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:48 |
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