Perelman Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building
Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company Building |
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 Location in Philadelphia
Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Fairmount and Pennsylvania Aves., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Zantzinger, Borie & Medary Lee Lawrie (sculpture) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001662 |
| Added to NRHP | July 2, 1973 |
The Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building is a special part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It used to be called the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company Building. This building holds art galleries, offices, and the museum's library.
It's an Art Deco style building, which means it has a cool, modern look from the 1920s. You'll see grand entrances and beautiful sculptures covered in gold. The building is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning it's an important historical site. You can find the Perelman Building across from the main museum building in Philadelphia.
Building History
This building was designed by a Philadelphia architecture firm called Zantzinger, Borie and Medary. They also worked on the main Philadelphia Museum of Art building. Construction started in 1926 and finished in 1928.
Art and Symbols
A sculptor named Lee Lawrie created the amazing decorations on the building. These include colorful designs and figures. Each figure symbolizes something important for an insurance company. For example, you can see an owl for wisdom and a dog for loyalty. There's also a pelican for caring, an opossum for protection, and a squirrel for saving money.
The Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company used this building as its main office for many years, from 1927 to 1972. Later, another company owned it before the museum took it over.
Museum Restoration
The Philadelphia Museum of Art bought the building in 1999. They wanted to expand and use it for more art. The museum raised a lot of money to fix up and improve the building.
A New Name
In 2000, the building was renamed the Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building. This was to thank the Perelman family for their very generous donation. A design firm called Gluckman Mayner Architects worked on restoring the historic building. They also added a large new section. The Perelman Building officially opened its doors on September 15, 2007.
What's Inside
The Perelman Building has six galleries with plenty of space for art.
- The Julien Levy Gallery shows photographs from the museum's huge collection. This collection has over 150,000 prints, drawings, and photos!
- The Joan Spain Gallery displays the museum's collection of costumes and textiles. They have more than 30,000 items, including clothing and fabrics.
- The Collab Gallery features modern and contemporary design art. You can see everything from cool furniture to unique ceramics here.
- The Exhibition Gallery hosts special shows that change over time.
- There are also two study galleries. These are great resources for art students and researchers. You can visit them by making an appointment.
- The museum's library is also in the Perelman Building. It has many art books and magazines. You can find the main collection on the first floor and a reading room on the second floor.
