The Rosenbach Podcast

In our final episode, artist John Wind returns for a conversation about the vital role research plays in the creative process. Together, we explore how deep dives into archives can uncover forgotten stories, inspire new artworks, and bridge past and present in meaningful ways.  We’re joined by Elizabeth Fuller, librarian at the Rosenbach Museum and Library, who brings insight into the lives and le...

What happens when art meets the sacred?  In this episode, we explore the intersection of faith, heritage, and artistic interpretation through the lens of Judaica.  Curator and Director of Collections Emerita Judy Guston joins artist John Wind to discuss how Jewish ritual objects play a central role in the DEAR JOHN installation at the Rosenbach. Together, we examine how contemporary art can honor,...

How can contemporary artists reshape our experience of museums, archives, and the stories they hold?  In this episode, artist John Wind joins me for a roundtable conversation with curator Bill Adair and artists Teresa Jaynes and Gabriel Martinez. Together, we explore how artists are stepping beyond conventional boundaries to reinterpret historic collections and make archives more accessible, inclu...

What can a portrait reveal?  In this episode, we welcome Bill Valerio, the Patricia Van Burgh Allison Director and CEO of the Woodmere Museum, for a rich conversation about the work of Cecilia Beaux, one of the most celebrated portrait painters of the Gilded Age. Known for capturing the personalities and inner lives of her subjects, Beaux’s work offers a window into the social and cultural fabric...

In this episode, we continue our exploration of the DEAR JOHN installation at the Rosenbach Museum and Library, turning our attention to the role of family, heritage, and personal legacy.  We’re joined by Rudy Lewis, great-grandson of noted philanthropist and bibliophile John Frederick Lewis, whose deep ties to the Rosenbach offer a unique perspective on family history and the preservation of memo...

In our first episode of Season 5, we step inside the Rosenbach Museum and Library, a hidden gem in the heart of Philadelphia known for its extraordinary collection of rare books, manuscripts, and historical objects. We begin our journey in the Treasures Gallery—a space dedicated to exploring the material text and the stories objects can tell.  This episode features contemporary artist John Wind, w...

Dive deeper into the Treasures Gallery installation “DEAR JOHN” with your host Karen Grossman and special guest, the acclaimed artist John Y. Wind  “DEAR JOHN” is ultimately a love letter – a conversation across time. It is a celebration of reinvention, resilience, and the enduring power of art and history. We hope you'll join us for this season of The Rosenbach Podcast. 

The importance and impact of the Rosenbach’s collection is local as well as global.   As the Rosenbach Museum & Library prepares to open two more Treasures galleries, one focused on continental European literature and another focused on American history, this episode of the podcast shines a spotlight on an important portrait hanging in the Rosenbach’s stair hall, just outside the Treasures gal...

When you step inside Treasures from the Rosenbach’s Collection: Literature of Great Britain and Ireland, two of the first people you will see are Phillis Wheatley and Charles Ignatius Sancho, both of whom were born slaves but ended up becoming important published authors. Their works offered critiques of the British imperial project and enslavement in America. The Rosenbach holds copies of importa...

Many of the treasures Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach purchased for his own library and to sell to wealthy clients once belonged to aristocratic British families. Dr. Rosenbach paid many visits to the United Kingdom, purchasing volumes from book-rich, cash-poor landed families. This heritage, documented in the archives of the Rosenbach Company held at the Rosenbach Museum & Library today, raises an impor...

With cohosts Monica Schmidt, Mary Alcaro, Anastasia Klimchynskaya We wrap up the series and look back on Sherlock Mondays’ 29 episodes featuring the first 27 Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. Like Watson, as readers, we marveled at the powers of Holmes to observe, imagine, and solve. 

With cohost Monica Schmidt Watson faints for the first and last time of his life when he discovers what really happened to Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls, all while the “second most dangerous man in London” stalks the city with his air-rifle. You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here and a pdf as it appeared in Collier’s...

With cohost Mary Alcaro Sherlock Holmes battles his greatest foe, Professor Moriarty. Then it’s off to Switzerland with Dr. Watson.  Will Moriarty join them at the Reichenbach Falls? You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Anastasia Klimchynskaya Watson brags about being a bully at school, Tadpole Phelps is recovering from brain fever, and Sherlock stops to smell the roses (literally). You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Curtis Armstrong Watson meets Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft.  Then they all help some Greeks in trouble. Opa! You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Monica Schmidt Sherlock walks out on a client when he won’t tell the truth, but when Holmes learns what happens next, he . . . whistles.  You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Anastasia Klimchynskaya A dead husband, a wife suffering from brain fever, a locked door with no key, and . . . a mongoose!  Sherlock must find the Crooked Man to solve this one. You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Mary Alcaro Holmes and Watson are on vacation at a country house, and (of course!) a murder happens next door. Now can Sherlock only solve the mystery of Annie Morrison? You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Monica Schmidt Whose was it? His who is gone. Who shall have it? He who will come. Sherlock solves an ancient family ritual on a Sussex country estate. You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Anastasia Klimchynskaya The Sherlock Holmes origin story! We take a voyage on the Gloria Scott, bound for the penal colony in Australia. You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Curtis Armstrong A clerk calls at 221b Baker Street with questions about the odd circumstances of his new job. Sherlock and Watson travel to Birmingham for answers at the clerk’s office. What is the strange knocking sound coming from the next room? You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Monica Schmidt A distraught husband calls on Sherlock Holmes for some marriage advice. Oh, and also about that weird yellow face he keeps seeing in the cottage window near his house. You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Curtis Armstrong What do you do when you receive a cardboard box in the mail and it contains two freshly severed human ears? Call on Sherlock Holmes! You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Monica Schmidt Silver Blaze, a famous racehorse, has gone missing and his trainer found dead. Can Holmes find the horse before the running of the Wessex Cup? It all depends upon “the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.” You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .

With cohost Mary Alcaro Strange goings-on for the governess, Violet Hunter.  Holmes and Watson must travel to the remote mansion, The Copper Beeches, to unravel the mysteries before it is too late. You can find a pdf of the story as it originally appeared in The Strand Magazine here .