Recent Acquisitions

As a collecting institution, the Rosenbach Museum & Library has expanded its holdings by about one-third since its founding in 1954. It continues to add individual objects and whole collections by donation, bequest, and purchase. As in the days of its founders, the Rosenbach seeks objects that meet key criteria of collecting, but in its dual roles as a modern museum and research library, it also endeavors to fulfill its mission to inspire and engage its audiences with objects that come to life through exhibitions, programs, and research.

The objects we acquire must address existing strengths in the collection. We consider rarity, importance, condition, and how the object(s) will be used to meet the institutional mission as important factors in our decisions. Acquisitions must be approved by the Rosenbach’s board of trustees.

This page displays acquisitions we’ve brought into the collection over the past year. Often, these objects will range from, for example, a portrait by a great American artist to scrawled notes on yellowed notebook paper by a famous poet to household objects owned by our founders, all of which we collect for different purposes. Some of the objects will find their way almost immediately into an exhibition, while others will meet up with one or more of our hundreds of researchers over the next year. Some will be referenced by our docents during a house tour, and others will wait longer for their moment. But all are considered with care and well cared for once they are acquired. We hope you return here regularly to see what appears next!

To see the past two years of acquisitions in list form, click here.