The Rincliffe Gallery on the third floor of the Main Building will host the exhibition “Silent Witness: Quaker Meetinghouses in the Delaware Valley, 1695 to the Present” from September 27-December 31, 2004. The show is free and open to the public.

The exhibition illustrates the evolution of regional Quaker meetinghouse design from the earliest immigration to the region in the 17th century to the 20th century. The large-format photographs, measured architectural drawings and historical text create a comprehensive record that serves as the basis for interpretation and preservation of these structures.

“Silent Witness” will also feature two free lectures in the Westphal Picture Gallery. Christopher Densmore, curator of the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College will present “The Plainer the Dress, the More Distinctly Their Beauty Shines: Reflections on Quaker Aesthetics” on October 6 at 4 p.m. Catherine Lavoie, senior historian for the Historical American Building Survey of the National Park Service, will present “Evolution of Quaker Meetinghouse Design within the Philadelphia Region” On October 27 at 4 p.m.

The exhibition is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Jacqueline M. DeGroff, curator of The Drexel Collection, at 215-895-0480 or degroff@drexel.edu.