The Rosenbach

Having visited Philly 3 or so times in the last two years, I've visited most of the major tourist attractions by now. Now when I visit, I'm always looking for something I haven't done yet! When I was in Philly with my mom and husband last weekend, we visited the Rosenbach since it was a place I hadn't visited yet!

The Rosenbach brothers were collectors of rare books and furniture. Their home is now a museum and library celebrating the written word. They offer guided tours several times a day Thursday through Saturday. The tours are 1.5-hour long.

We learned about the history of the family, rare books they collected, and Philadelphia, too! It was an interesting tour, definitely great for anyone interested in rare books especially!

I loved the private tour of the Rosenbach. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in antiques or books, or, ideally, both. If you not someone who cares about these subjects, you likely will not appreciate the experience. So this is a more specialized museum. I also am by nature not a patient person, and I bore easily, so I should add that there is so much here, if you have the least bit of curiosity, this will be worthwhile. I just gave a speech to high school students, and I claimed -- perhaps others will take issue -- what was most important to their academic success was curiosity and determination, not great test scores. I believe that. This wonderful establishment belongs to the category of institutions catering to those who want to learn.
My tour was supposed to be for two people. The other guest was a no show. The guide was personable, warm, and knew everything. She was patient with me taking photos.
I am not sure why, but the poet Marianne Moore has a relationship tot he Rosenbach, as does author Maurice Sendak. They have a recreation of Moore's home and they had/have an extensive collection of Sendak material (they had a giant exhibit and gave items back to the estate, but they retained material as well). They have multiple first editions of Bram Stoker's Dracula. They put on programs related to vampire themes.
Philadelphia is underrated. It once was more important to the nation than New York City or Washington, D.C. (which didn't exist yet, not as the capitol). That's why the phrase "Philadelphia lawyer," meaning sophisticated, perhaps too much so, came into use. It would be the equivalent of "New York" lawyer. I have a good friend whom I see for dinner in the city. So I have come to know it. I would recommend the place for a vacation fi you are anywhere on the Eastern seaboard. And among the museums, the Rosenbach is on my list of favorites, with the Mutter and the Barnes. The Rosenbach is a destination like the Grolier in New York or the Mechanics' Institute in San Francisco. (I have not been to the new writers' museum in Chicago. I'll report on that in the future.)
If you want a quirky, unique look at the lives of bibliophiles, this is where you should visit. Or if you like to collect anything, this is what you could study in order to aspire to meet the standard this family has set.

On a stunning stretch of Delancey, you can try to visit this jewelbox museum with a large ego. If you miss the 1 PM tour as we did you can wait till the 3 PM, or visit the one room open for viewing -- first editions of Dickinson, Dickens and a few others. If you ask about the calendar of events you will find out more but no one is sharing this secret mansion willingly.

Listen. I have been able to do historic and museum tours all over the US, France, and UK. This was the BEST tour I have ever been on, hands down. Cecelia had our group laughing the entire time. At the same time she was more knowledgeable than any uni professor I have ever had This is an absolute must do for anyone visiting Philly and I'm adding to to my standard "show out of town friends philly" tour. When you go, ask for Cecelia she is the best

Even though I grew up in Philly, I never visited this place until after I moved away and was home for a recent visit. There's no doubt in my mind that this museum needs to promote itself a whole lot more :-)

If you're the kind of person who loves books, or history, or the history of books, then for you this is a totally must-visit museum!

This isn't a very large place; it's housed inside two former private homes that are located in the historic Rittenhouse Square area. The Rosenbach brothers (Abraham and Philip) and their families were the original residents. One of the brothers was a lover of books (especially 1st editions); a few of the books he collected are now the only remaining copies that now remain.

I highly recommended that you take the guided tour offered here; if you show a student ID then admission will be half price.

My friend and I sent a couple of hours here on a recent visit, and I wouldn't hesitate returning on a future visit back to the City of Brotherly Love :-)

I was looking for a museum that was off-the-beaten path for my solo Philly adventure day. The Rosenbach was exactly what I was looking for. It's only a few blocks from Rittenhouse Square in a beautiful area in the city with old, historic houses (many of them nationally registered as well!) that is an adventure in itself.

The Rosenbach is a museum of rare books dating from before the start of the founding of this country and a 19th century historic house home to two successful bachelor brothers late in their lives. The museum is immaculate and small. There isn't much of a self-guided tour here; there are hourly tours led by the folks at the Rosenbach who are quite knowledgeable in their lives, the books, and the house.

I was expecting to see books - I wasn't expecting to learn about the extensive collection of Thomas Sully paintings, the impact of the Rosenbach brothers & Gratz family, and the rare manuscripts and notes for many books that became classics in American literature. I saw the likes of Herman Melville's "The Whale" (or Moby Dick, as we know it) and his own bookcase that housed those first copies of the book. Even some of the decorations were simply breathtaking like the old "urn" clock.

Makes me a little sad I wasn't more into American literature or quite the bibliophiles that this place attracts but it certainly makes me appreciate it more as a whole!

Inexpensive and interesting: two of my favorite things!

Tucked away on the tranquil Delancey Street, the Rosenbach Museum & Library houses an impressive collection of books and artwork, amassed by the Rosenbach brothers, who appreciated gorgeous metalwork (I really want the gate that lies just within the Rosenbach's house's front door!), portraits, crystal dishware, statues, clocks, assorted furniture, and books!

Oh the books: they made me wish everyday books were still bound so exquisitely. Good thing the Rosenbach Library, though used most frequently by scholars, is open to the public for reading rare and beautiful volumes.

Go forth an indulge!

I came at a time where it was right between post lunch and early 3 snack time so I was pretty much the only person there. The tour guide, who is oh so enthusiastic was amazing. Since I was the only one on the tour, I was able to ask as many questions as I wanted to about this amazing building. There were sculptures and art pieces ranging from Marie Antoinette's clock to a statue from 3000 years ago. I wish i could read one of the rare books, unfortunately that was not an option. The neighborhood around that area is very quiet and is beautiful. The home itself is amazingly beautiful so if you're ever in the area, it is a must go!

Saw the dual exhibit of monographs by Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker, respectively: Frankenstein and Dracula. Shelley seems to have invented the terror genre. Also took a guided tour of the entire Rosenbach house. It's usually a group tour, but I had the pleasure of a more leisurely, up close look at the art, library filled with Irish, British, and American literature, an impressive Judaica collection, and other peculiar collections. I felt transported in time. Even walking down historic Delancey street near Rittenhouse Square area is a memorable experience.

If you're looking for a rare museum experience that strays far away from the typical, then look no further than the Rosenbach Museum. Tucked away on an unassuming side street, its a true readers paradise! But even the least avid of readers will enjoy its many first editions of classics, rare manuscripts from authors, interesting displays, and so much more.

If you can capitalize on it definitely be sure to partake in one of their special "guided tours". They take place in the rare book library of Dr Rosenbach, and provide a themed discussion where people can pass around and read from original classics and a few extremely rare author manuscripts. Our theme of Early Irish authors saw us reading from first edition copies of Gulliver's Travels and Ulysses, and passing around original notations from Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker. While doing was absolutely amazing, doing it while being able to peruse book shelves that contained many editions of rare encyclopedias, bibles, and works of literature, and then some was absolutely fantastic! But if you feel the need to go it alone, you can request to schedule research appointments by checking the website.

While other displays might not be as incredible as the main reading room, they can be equally fascinating. the downstairs wing always houses some works of Maurice Sendak and will seriously make you feel like a kid again. The 2nd floor exhibits always rotate and feature some pretty insightful things in their own right. When we went we were treated to original civil war documents and a room devoted to James Joyce's stay in Paris. But now the museum has an interesting exhibit that looks at objects that endured censorship.