Minerva Parker Nichols (1862–1949) was the first woman in the US to practice architecture independently, with press coverage and commissions nationwide. Yet only a handful of her drawings survives, and she is rarely included in the story of Philadelphia’s built environment or broader historical assessments. Capping off a decade's research by architectural historian and preservation planner Molly Lester (MSHP'12), Minerva Parker Nichols: The Search for a Forgotten Architect features a new series of documentary photographs by Elizabeth Felicella documenting over 30 of the architect's extant buildings and raising timely questions about who, in the history of the built environment, is remembered, who is forgotten, and why.
The exhibition was co-curated by Lester, Felicella, curator William Whitaker and archivist Heather Isbell Schumacher of the Architectural Archives at Penn.
Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm. Admission to the exhibition is free and open to the public. Information at 215.898.8323.
Minerva Parker Nichols: The Search for a Forgotten Architect is supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
