91´«Ã½

February 7, 2025 - June 1, 2025
Hours shared with Old Library
Lower level, East Hallway
Old Library

Opening Reception, Friday, February 7, 4:30-6pm

This exhibition asks us to look down and consider the historic tile floors of Old Library. Designed by Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930), founder of the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, these beautiful floors demonstrate an Americanist ideology that was commonly referenced in architecture and interior design of the late 19th and early 20th century. This ideology, as well as many special details in these long-overlooked tiles, will be revealed in History Underfoot. 

Organized by Alexis White, PhD candidate, History of Art

October 25, 2023 - June 2, 2024
Hours shared with Canaday Library
Coombe Suite Gallery
Canaday Library, 2nd Floor

The newest contribution to the Who Built 91´«Ã½? project explores the early history of Japanese and Chinese students at 91´«Ã½, a history colored by prevailing stereotypes about East Asian people that were circulating on 91´«Ã½â€™s campus, Philadelphia, and the country at large. At the turn of the 20th century, 91´«Ã½ began accepting Chinese and Japanese students through designated scholarship programs. But were these programs actually intended to benefit Asian students? What would their experiences have been like?​

3rd floor stairwell, Canaday Library

Cassie Paul '18 produced this display of lanterns held in the College Archives as part of her supervised work in Special Collections.