author
Frances Anne Wister
1874–1956
A determined Philadelphia preservationist and writer, this early 20th-century author is best remembered for chronicling the first quarter-century of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Her life joined books, music, and civic action in a way that still shapes the city she loved.
1 Audiobook
Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925
by Frances Anne Wister
About the author
Born in 1874, Frances Anne Wister came from a prominent Philadelphia family and became a leading figure in the city’s cultural life. She wrote Twenty-five years of the Philadelphia Orchestra, 1900-1925, a lively historical account published in 1925 under the auspices of the orchestra’s women’s committees.
Wister was not only an author but also a tireless organizer and advocate for the arts. She served for decades with the Philadelphia Orchestra’s women’s committees and played an important role in protecting the Academy of Music when it was under threat in the 1920s.
She is also remembered as one of Philadelphia’s great preservation leaders. Through the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks and related efforts, she helped save important historic buildings including the Powel House, linking her name with the broader story of how Philadelphia protected its past. She died in 1956, leaving behind a legacy of writing, public service, and historic preservation.