About
Collection Overview
Keystones: The Philadelphia Architects Oral History Collection is a special collection at The Athenaeum of Philadelphia that contains oral history interviews with individuals who made a significant impact on the built environment of Greater Philadelphia during the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries. Hyman Myers (1941-2022) and Bruce Laverty began the collection in 2007. Myers was then recently retired from a career in historic architecture. Laverty was the Gladys Brooks Curator of Architecture at The Athenaeum. Myers and Laverty (and occasionally Laverty only) recorded around 30 interviews between 2007 and 2021. The interview subjects represented a variety of design disciplines, including architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, structural engineering, architectural photography, architectural lighting, and architectural education. Bruce Laverty recounts creating the collection in an oral history interview recorded for this collection in December 2025.
In 2024, Kevin Block and Kristina Wilson applied to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) for a Historical & Archival Records Care (HARC) grant in order to make the collection public and accessible for the first time, as well as to prepare The Athenaeum’s Architectural Archives for collecting new oral history interviews in the future. Processing of the legacy collection was completed between 2024 and 2026 and included the distribution of release forms to interview subjects or representatives from their estates; the creation, editing, and verification of transcripts; background research on interview subjects; and the creation of this website. The long-term goal of the project team is to expand the collection by three to four interviews per year for the foreseeable future and to make the collection financially self-sustaining. A short-term goal is to diversify the collection. New oral history interviews may be related to The Athenaeum’s recent or expected acquisition of archival materials or upcoming exhibitions.
Purpose of the Collection
The purpose of the Keystone Collection is to enliven the history of Philadelphia’s built environment with the voice of the people who have helped to produce it. Each interview aims to honor the narrators while making their lives more relatable to a broad public audience, especially those who are just beginning to learn about design, construction, real estate, engineering, or other related fields. As a public history project, the collection aims to function as a digital gateway, introducing users to buildings or topics represented elsewhere in The Athenaeum’s Architectural Archives and inviting users to continue their research with an in-person visit.
Project Team
Kristina Wilson and Kevin Block are the co-directors of the Keystones Collection. Wilson is the Archivist and Gladys Brooks Curator of Architecture at The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Block is an architectural historian and historic preservation professional who serves as a member of The Athenaeum’s Collections Committee. Lynn Mandarano and Sara J. MacDonald have provided volunteer support for transcription and research.
Rights, Use, Citations
Rights Information: For publication/usage information please contact The Athenaeum of Philadelphia at research@philaathenaeum.org
Harmful Content Statement: This record may include harmful or negative language, attitudes, or stereotypes reflective of the culture and language of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the historical record and do not represent the current values or views of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to research@philaathenaeum.org.
Citations: Name of Interviewee / Oral History collection / The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Contact Information, Corrections, Recommendations
Users of the Keystone Collection are encouraged to notify the project team of any errors in transcripts or background material, especially errors related to the names of individuals or projects. In a correction notification, please include a reference to the page number where the error exists.
To recommend an interview subject via email, include the name and contact information of the individual in addition to any information related to the individual’s career. The Project Team and The Athenaeum’s Collections Committee plan to review nominations annually.