Exhibitions

Treasures from the Rosenbach's Collection: History & Literature of the Americas

A new, permanent exhibition gallery opening at the Rosenbach Museum & Library on June 16, 2026.

Who counts as an “American”?

For more than five hundred years, the various peoples who inhabit the western hemisphere have engaged with this question—sometimes violently, sometimes in ways that have produced magnificent artworks and advancements in human civilization. The collections of the Rosenbach Museum & Library document more than five centuries of American history, art, and literature from across North, Central, and South America. As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, visit the Rosenbach to see our newest permanent Treasures exhibition, focused on the history and literature of the Americas.

Designed to take visitors on a voyage across time and place, this beautiful Treasures gallery showcases remarkable artifacts drawn from each of the Rosenbach’s major collecting areas in American history and literature. Key figures featured in the inaugural installation of the space include U.S. presidents, poets, authors, actresses, and famous public figures as well as lesser-known individuals—everyday people who lived in and helped create the various cultures of the Americas.

While the Treasures gallery is permanent, the objects on display will rotate approximately every three months. The inaugural set of objects in the space is organized around the theme of "American Foundings," with a focus on breathtaking artifacts that represent significant milestones in the development of American life across many domains. The display includes some of the Rosenbach’s most famous collection items, and a few surprises as well.

Who is an American? Come to the Rosenbach as we explore this urgent, and perpetual, question.

Treasures from the Rosenbach's Collection: History of the Material Text

A new, permanent exhibition gallery opened at the Rosenbach Museum & Library on June 16, 2025.

The world-renowned collections of the Rosenbach Museum & Library reflect the lives and legacies of our founders, the brothers Philip and Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach. Having built a thriving business in the rare book, manuscript, and art trades, the brothers emerged as leading civic figures in Jewish American circles and beyond, assembling the core of the collection housed at the Rosenbach today. This new permanent gallery showcases archival materials documenting the history of the Rosenbach family and company as well as treasures from the Rosenbach’s collection of medieval manuscripts, early modern printed books, continental European literature, and Judaica. Immerse yourself in the legacy of the Rosenbach brothers, their collecting interests, and the history of the book with a visit to this new Treasures gallery.

The inaugural installation of the gallery also includes artwork by Rosenbach neighbor John Yaron Wind, inspired by Rosenbach Company archival records. Wind’s installation, titled "Dear John," is a conversation across time, weaving together the legacies of the Rosenbach brothers, Philadelphia gentleman lawyer John Frederick Lewis, and artist John Yaron Wind.  Having purchased and renovated Lewis’ former private library to serve as his residence, Wind reflects on the intersection of history, identity, and achievement, blending materials from the library with his own story to create art that explores shared heritage and cultural reinvention. The installation situated within the Treasures gallery celebrates the enduring power of art in connecting past and present. On view through December 18, 2026.

Treasures from the Rosenbach's Collection: Literature of
Great Britain & Ireland

A new, permanent exhibition on display at the Rosenbach Museum & Library opened June 16, 2024.

The Rosenbach is one of the world’s great libraries containing literature of the British Isles. In this new, permanent exhibition, explore highlights from the institution’s key areas of collecting strength, and then cozy up with a book next to the gallery’s fireplace to explore your favorite work of literature! Authors and topics explored in the Treasures gallery include Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, Phillis Wheatley, Ignatius Sancho, the African diaspora and the history of empire, Oscar Wilde and LGBT literature, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, Lewis Carroll, Bram Stoker and Dracula, as well as James Joyce and Ulysses. This immersive, welcoming gallery will take you on a literary voyage to the British Isles and introduce you to some of the Rosenbach’s thought-provoking treasures, with a few surprises along the way. Admission to the Treasures exhibition is included with general admission.

Succession: Why Presidential History Matters Now

The Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia, June 15 - November 26, 2023

As the United States enters another contentious and consequential presidential election cycle, we explore fundamental questions about the history and future of the highest office in the land. Drawing on the collection of David Rosenbach Sackey, great-nephew of Philip and Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach, as well as the Rosenbach’s vast and remarkable collection of rare books, manuscripts, and artworks related to the American presidency, Succession will change the way you think about the roles and responsibilities of the executive office.