The Philadelphia Antiques Show features a Loan Exhibit every year, a tradition since the Show’s founding in 1962. The curated, museum-quality Loan Exhibit changes with each Show and allows visitors a closer look at a specific genre of antiques.
The 2012 Loan Exhibition
As the Philadelphia Antiques Show celebrates its first ever show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the 2012 Loan Exhibition also highlights a Philadelphia first—the Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first chartered hospital. Founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond, the Pennsylvania Hospital Historic Collection consists of rare books & manuscripts, fine art by noted artists of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as well as antique furniture and ephemera.
This exhibition will highlight the Pennsylvania Hospital’s unique collection and place in the history of Philadelphia. The portraits that grace the walls of the old Pine Building reflect the best of Philadelphia; wealthy businessmen acting as Managers of the Pennsylvania Hospital as well as illustrious physicians who changed the state of health care not just in Philadelphia, but across the nation. Interesting items such as our pump fire engine and Staffordshire Blue and White Pottery Platter tell an interesting tale of early America. Along with rare books, antique furniture and fine art, the 2012 Exhibition show will certainly delight visitors by peering into the early life of a Philadelphia first, the Pennsylvania Hospital.
The curator of the 2012 Loan Exhibition will be Stacey C Peeples, Pennsylvania Hospital Curator-Lead Archivist. Ms. Peeples has been in her role at the Pennsylvania Hospital Historic Collections for nearly 11 years. The collection itself has been amassed over the past 260 years.