Saturday, March 13, 2027
9:45 am–12:00 pm
Free for all Glencairn Museum membership levels
Reservations Required by Monday, March 1, 2027
As a member of The Academy of the New Church family, Glencairn Museum is proud to offer an exhibition exploring the history of the Academy’s Museum. Presented as part of the Academy’s 150th-anniversary celebration, the exhibition traces the Museum’s first century, from its founding in 1878 until 1980, when it joined the Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn collection to become Glencairn Museum.
Glencairn Museum members are invited to celebrate the exhibition opening with refreshments and a presentation by Associate Curator Wendy Closterman. Members will also have the opportunity to take an elevator ride to the Tower, where they can look across campus toward the first building in Bryn Athyn to house the Academy Museum and, weather permitting, enjoy views of the Philadelphia skyline. The Museum’s 15-minute orientation video will also be available, offering additional insight into the collection’s early history and its move to Glencairn.
In 1878, John Pitcairn, father of Raymond Pitcairn, who later built Glencairn, and the Reverend William Henry Benade traveled to Europe, Egypt, and the Holy Land, acquiring objects for the Academy along the way. As Benade wrote to a friend, “When John and I return, we hope to bring with us a fine collection of Egyptian Antiquities, which I found in Turin, and which John has generously purchased. These things will make the beginning of a Museum for the Academy.”
Founded on the belief that art and artifacts could deepen understanding of religious beliefs and practices, the Academy of the New Church’s Museum brought objects into the educational life of the Academy, making the study of religion tangible, sensory, and experiential. Its growing collection became an enduring part of the Academy’s educational mission.
Not a member yet, or need to renew or upgrade your membership? Visit our Membership page to join today and take part in this event.
We look forward to welcoming you!