Archives of American Art

Pierre Eugène Du Simitière papers

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.dusipier
Creators:
Du Simitière, Pierre Eugène, ca. 1736-1784
Dates:
1560-1786
bulk 1721-1786
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
10 Volumes
(on 3 microfilm reels)
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Papers relating to natural history and Du Simitière's collection of specimens; material collected on the history of the West Indies and Colonial American affairs in New England, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, including the Lancaster Treaty, 1744, and Indian treaties, 1721-1756; letters, 1560-1781; journals, pamphlets and extracts; a broadside of the Du Simitière sale, 1785; drawings and portraits of American legislators and soldiers by Du Simitière; and leaves of a medieval illuminated manuscript.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Portrait painter, curator and naturalist; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born in Geneva, Switzerland. Came to America in 1765 after spending several years in the West Indies collecting natural history specimens. Elected curator, 1768, of the American Philosophical Society, and set up a natural history museum. He collected Revolutionary War ephemera and literature.

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies
35mm microfilm reels P7 (fr. 128-913), P8 (fr. 1-854) & P9 (fr. 1-750) available for use at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals in the Library Company of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Lent for microfilming, 1955, by the Library Company of Philadelphia. In 1785 Du Simitière's effects were sold at auction, resulting in his library being scattered. Most of the manuscripts were purchased by the Library Company of Philadelphia. The Library of Congress later acquired some others. The whereabouts of some material is still uncertain.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

More Information

Other Finding Aids

Other Finding Aids
A descriptive catalogue of the Du Simitière papers in the Library Company of Philadelphia is available on microfilm reel P25 (fr. 672-774).


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Natural history -- Catalogs and collections -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Portrait painting -- 18th century -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States -- History -- 18th century Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum curators -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Portrait painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Naturalism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Natural history museums -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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