News

Celebrating an Overlooked Architect‘s Legacy

By April 6, 2023
Front of folded poster showing text at perpendicular angles that reads: The Most Famous Architect You've Never Heard Of.

We were honored to work with the UPenn Weitzman School of Design on the poster and promotional materials for a new exhibit, Minerva Parker Nichols: The Search for a Forgotten Architect.

On view March 21–June 17 2023, the exhibition told the story of Minerva Parker Nichols (1862-1949), the first woman in the country to practice architecture independently, with an office in Philadelphia and commissions nationwide.

Animated promotion for the show, Minerva Parker Nichols, The Search for a Forgotten Architect, March 21–June 17.

And yet, despite this legacy, Nichols is rarely included in the story of Philadelphia’s built environment or broader historical assessments. Her archival record is even more elusive, as only a handful of her drawings survive, and a large body of her work remains unknown.

In addition to resurfacing the work of Minerva Parker Nichols, this exhibit will ask the difficult questions about how the legacy of a successful female architect could have been forgotten.

Learn more about the most famous architect you’ve never heard of and find details about the exhibit here.

Promotional poster for the show Minerva Parker Nichols: The Search for a Forgotten Architect, shown unfolded.