The Union League and The Conservation Center

As my time between posts has been inordinate, I fear wasting anyone else's with the more mundane details of my life recently -- it would undoubtedly require the readership's stifling of many a yawn throughout my yarn. I would like to take the opportunity, therefore, to highlight two of my recent field trips: the Union League of Philadelphia, and the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts.

The Union League has loomed large over much of my time in Philly, quite literally; its placement kitty-corner from TPC makes for a startling work of architecture amid the skyscrapers of Center City -- many of which the Union League trumps nonetheless with its powerful presence and arcane aesthetic. Founded in 1862 to support President Lincoln and the Union during the tumult of the Civil War, the functionality of the institution has changed markedly, although many of its standards have not; despite my attendance at a meeting for the Civil War Consortium -- counting many of the premier cultural institutions of Philadelphia among its members, including the Rosenbach -- the Union League's dress code was explicitly outlined, with jacket and tie among its requirements. A tour following the aforementioned meeting elucidated the Union League's historical relevance from its inception onward; stately Sullys were situated strategically beside portraits of every Republican U.S. president, and a marvelous statue of Lincoln was bordered by a singular collection of Civil War-era books in the Lincoln Memorial Room. The gentlema... erm, patriotic social club's collection of paintings also included an unforgettable work (in scale and stature) of George Washington by the aforementioned Thomas Sully, two individuals I can't help but become intimately familiar with in a city of such deep historical relevance as Philadelphia.

While the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts has a decidedly more muted facade than the Union League, the objects inside were equally impressive -- and ever-changing! From the Rosenbach's own John Henry Brown journal to daguerreotypes, enrollment lists, maps, and illustrations by Disney himself, almost every imaginable form of media was in the process of conservation, providing a fascinating glimpse at the "during" stages of such intricate work. The knowledge base of the staff at the Conservation Center was astounding; in addition to the training necessary for curators, a strong foundation in chemistry -- organic chemistry included -- is prerequisite for work that often involves, for instance, the submersion of highly soluble objects into water. The eclectic demography of the Conservation Center was also a neat surprise; in the inherently classed structures of cultural institutions, seeing an array of individuals bound only by their passion for preservation (and buffed fingernails!) was settling, in ways. Needless to say, I am extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to visit both the Union League of Philadelphia and the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, as both buildings house magnificent collections and are illustrious examples of Philadelphia's historical relevance within the larger US cultural and historical scene.