Event – Detail

REGISTRATION FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE

This fall, The Athenæum of Philadelphia honors the work and legacy of Dr. Roger W. Moss (1940-2025), historic preservationist, historian, educator, writer and our Executive Director for 40 years.

This two-day symposium will feature in-depth conversations on the areas to which he devoted his career: archives & museums, Victorian studies, historical documentation, material culture, and the archives of The Athenæum itself. Speakers who knew and worked with Roger will join with other professionals from the Philadelphia area, as well as experts from other parts of the U.S. and the U.K., to discuss his impact, current trends and the future of these fields.

Note that the ticket price covers both days and the Friday evening reception. All registration sales are final.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2025

1:00 PM         Athenaeum doors and exhibition open

2:00 PM        Opening remarks

2:15 PM         Demystifying and Deconstructing Archives and Special Collections

Kristina Wilson, Archivist and Curator, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia; Susan Pugh, Curator, Royal Institute of British Architects; Robert Saarnio, Director, University of Mississippi Museum & Historic Houses; William Whitaker, Curator, University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives

4:00 PM        Transatlantic Victorians: Studying Nineteenth-century Architecture in Britain and America

David Brownlee, Frances Shapiro-Weitzenhoffer Professor of the History of Art Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania; Alex Bremner, Professor of Architectural History and Director of PhD Architectural History Programme, University of Edinburgh; Neil Jackson, Professor Emeritus of Architecture, University of Liverpool, UK; Michael Lewis, Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Art, Williams College

5:30 PM         Reception in the Members Reading Room

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2025

8:00 AM        Athenaeum doors and exhibition open

9:00 AM        Saturday welcome

9:15 AM         The Athenaeum's Architectural Collections: Building a Foundational Legacy for Learning and Preservation

Emily Cooperman, Independent Scholar & Senior Architectural Historian II, PS&S; Jeffrey Cohen, Professor, Growth & Structure of Cities, Bryn Mawr College; Bruce Laverty, Former Curator, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia; Sam Olshin, Principal, AOS Architects  

11:00 AM       Paper, Paint and Preservation: Innovation and Authenticity in Material Culture Research

Catharine Dann Roeber, Associate Professor, Decorative Arts & Material Culture, Winterthur Museum; Ron Koenig, Architectural Conservator, Building Arts & Conservation; Laura McCoy, Principal, Laura McCoy Designs; Frank Welsh, Principal, Welsh Color & Conservation

2:00 PM        We Were All Here: Documenting Our Historic Places

Dominique Hawkins, Principal, Preservation Design Partnership; Di Gao, Senior Director of Research & Development, National Trust for Historic Preservation; Jeffrey “Free” Harris, Historic Preservation Consultant; Molly Lester, Associate Director, University of Pennsylvania Urban Heritage Project; Bradley Roeder, Partner, John Milner Architects

3:30 PM         Symposium wrap-up