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A Member Supported, Not-for-profit, Special Collections Library Founded In 1814 To Collect Materials "connected With The History And Antiquities Of America, And The Useful Arts, And Generally To Disseminate Useful Knowledge" For Public Benefit. Annually The Athenaeum's Nationally Significant Collections Attract Thousands Of Readers: Graduate Students And Senior Scholars, Architects, Interior Designers, Museum Curators, And Private Owners Of Historic Buildings. It Provides The Philadelphia Region With A Resource Of First Resort On Matters Of Architecture And Interior Design History, Particularly For The Period 1800 To 1945.