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The Library Company of Philadelphia and
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
THE BARRA FOUNDATION
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP in
AMERICAN HISTORY and CULTURE for 1995-1996
Each year the Library Company of Philadelphia offers a
number of short-term fellowships for research in residence in its
collections. One of these fellowships is reserved for a scholar
living outside the United States and is offered jointly with the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania. This fellowship, funded by
the Barra Foundation, Inc. is intended to support research in
residence in either or both of the two libraries.
The Library Company and the Historical Society are
independent research libraries adjacent to each other in Center
City Philadelphia. They have complementary comprehensive
collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields
and disciplines relating to the history of North America,
principally in the 18th and 19th centuries. Founded in 1731, the
Library Company was the largest public library in America until
the 1850s and thus contains printed materials on every aspect of
American culture and society in that period. The Historical
Society of Pennsylvania, founded in 1824, contains more than
2,500 collections of personal and business papers, along with
comprehensive collections concerning the political, social, and
family history of the Delaware Valley.
Together these two collections are especially strong in
Afro-Americana, German-Americana, literature and popular culture,
history of women, domestic economy, economics and business,
medicine, agriculture, natural history, philanthropy, education,
art (including Philadelphia area prints and photographs),
architecture, technology, and printing and publishing. Both also
have significant collections of British and Continental books,
reflecting the European background of American culture.
The fellowship supports both post-doctoral and dissertation
research. The project proposals should demonstrate that the
Library Company and/or the Historical Society has primary sources
central to the research topic. Candidates are encouraged to
inquire about the appropriateness of a proposed topic before
applying.
The fellowship is tenable for one month at any time from
June 1995 to May 1996. The stipend is $1,500. The fellow will
be assisted in finding reasonably-priced accommodations.
Candidates must apply by February 1, 1995. Appointments
will be made by March 15. There are no application forms. To
apply please send four copies each of a curriculum vitae, a two-
to four-page description of the proposed project, and a letter of
reference to: James Green, Curator of Printed Books, The Library
Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA
19107. Telephone (215) 546-3181. Fax (215) 546-5167.