Maxwell Sommerville Collection

Maxwell Sommerville, named for his father, Dr. Maxwell Sommerville, was born in Clarksburg, Virginia the son of Dr. Sommerville and Mary Fulton (McAlpine)Sommerville. Maxwell was raised in Philadelphia where he first learned about gems from his grandfather, James McAlpine a collector of Greek gems. Attending public schools, Sommerville graduated from the prestigious Central High School but did not continue his formal education.

Sommerville chose publishing as an early career and made his fortune quickly. He then pursued his interest in cameos, intaglios, antique pastes and lapidary art piqued by his grandfather. Sommerville travelled extensively and became so knowledgeable about glyptology that he was named Professor of Glyptology at the University of Pennsylvania in 1894. It was not unusual for men of wealth to attain such positions without a college degree at the time.

Sommerville spent much of each year traveling and collecting. He journeyed to Turkey, Syria, Egypt, the islands of the Mediterranean, the Libyan desert, India, Thailand, China, Japan and the Hawaiian Islands. He deeded his collection of engraved gems, a complete Buddhist Temple erected in the museum, his colored prints of the costumes of France from the 19th century and his East Indian collection to the University Museum "in perpetuity" in 1899. The Board of Managers reciprocated by appointing Sommerville "Curator for Life" of his collection.

Sommerville was considered somewhat unusual in personality and dress by the museum staff. He was revered by William Pepper and Sara Yorke Stevenson but Stewart Culin was not a fan, a feeling shared by Sommerville. After the death of Dr. William Pepper, Sommerville began to feel he was not appreciated in the United States. He then spent much of the year in Paris where he felt he was respected as a great man.

Sommerville erected a complete Buddhist Temple in the museum, large enough to welcome worshippers from the community. He often gave tours of the temple, wearing full Buddhist robes. Sommerville's travels in the east qualified him at the time as one of the greatest theologians of Eastern religions. Sommerville was one of the few westerners honored by admittance into many Eastern shrines during his travels.

Following Sommerville's death in 1904, the Board of Managers of the Museum resolved to "employ expert or experts to examine the collection" and "report on its genuineness." A report by gemologist Adolf Furtwangler suggested that some of the gems were either fakes or of very minor quality. Later review revealed that many were Neoclassical examples from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Sommerville wrote numerous articles and books related to his collection and travels. Among them are , , and .

Maxwell Sommerville, named for his father, Dr. Maxwell Sommerville, was born in Clarksburg, Virginia the son of Dr. Sommerville and Mary Fulton (McAlpine)Sommerville. Maxwell was raised in Philadelphia where he first learned about gems from his grandfather, James McAlpine who collected Greek gems. Attending public schools, Sommerville graduated from the prestigious Central High School but did not continue his formal education.

Sommerville chose publishing as an early career and made his fortune quickly. He then pursued his interest in cameos, intaglios, antique pastes and lapidary art piqued by his grandfather. Sommerville travelled extensively and became so knowledgeable about glyptology that he was named Professor of Glyptology at the University of Pennsylvania in 1894.

The Maxwell Sommerville Collection initially consisted of eight folders sharing an archival box with another small collection. The folders had been labelled and the contents placed in chrological order prior to this processing.

Two of the folders were more appropriate for inclusion with the Exhibits Department records and the records of the Registrar's Office and moved to those collections. Some fragile papers were placed in mylar for protection.

The remaining six folders were grouped into three series, Correspondence, Lists and Writings. The letters in the first group (1890-1904) are from Sommerville to other museum staff. There is no indication of responses to the communications with this group. The post 1904 letters relate to the collection, the gems in particular. Many of them were written by Sommerville's secretary, Robert Graham, representing Sommerville's estate.

The Lists series contains two folders, the first has scraps of the catalogue of "Jewish Tray 8" as well as a typed copy of other items of Jewish origin from the collection. The second folder represents the findings of Professor Adolf Furtwangler, noted gemologist on the authenticity of the gems in the collection. It is preceeded by a letter from George Byron Gordon. A photocopied newspaper article on "the astonishing exposure in a great museum" completes the folder.

The Writings series with two folders holds a sample of Sommerville's contribution to Harpers Magazine and his will.

Publication Information: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives,

Finding Aid Author:

Use Restrictions:

Items from the Sommerville Collection were assigned on permanent loan to the Philadelphia Museum of Art on June 1, 1963, and include prints and drawings of costumes, etchings, caricatures and lithographs.

Personal Name(s)

• Harrison, Charles C.
• Culin, Stewart
• Pepper, William
• Stevenson, Sara Yorke
• Sommerville, Maxwell
• Brooks, Charles T.
• Clay, A.T. (Andrew Tobias)
• Graham, Robert
• Furtwangler, Adolf

Subject(s)

• Buddhism and Art
• Gem Carving
• Antiquities