Walters, Henry, 1848-1931

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role

Collector

dates

1848-1931

city

New York City

state

NY

other cities

Wilmington, NC; Baltimore, MD;

sex

M

historical notes

Art collector, American rail magnate (Atlantic Coast Line) and founder of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
Henry, son of William T. Walters, ran the family railroad business, Atlantic Coastline Railroad, from New York while maintaining a residence in Baltimore (though legend has it that he only spent a total of one night in Baltimore). Walters was aggressive in his development of the collection; in 1901, Walters purchased the 1500-piece Marcello Massarenti collection that included medieval and Renaissance panel paintings, decorative arts, and a thirteenth-century Cimabue crucifix.

Although Henry did not have a specific art advisor, he possessed a tasteful instinct seen in such acquisitions as the Rubens vase, St. Dénis stained glass, medieval illuminated manuscripts, and Islamic pieces. It was only after his father’s death that Henry began collecting Impressionist work and fin de siècle, art nouveau decorative arts. To accommodate the ever-growing collection, Walters expanded the Mount Vernon Place gallery by purchasing adjoining town homes on Charles Street. The new space officially opened in 1909. Walters bequeathed the Walters Art Gallery collections to the city of Baltimore in 1931.

decades
of activity

1870-1880
1880-1890
1890-1900
1900-1910
1910-1920
1920-1930

website

http://www.thewalters.org

updated

10/31/2024 13:33:17

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Archives/Repository	Collection Title	Collection Details
Walters Art Museum Archives	Walters Art Gallery Archives	see details...
Archives of American Art Victor Building, Suite 2200	William Henry Rinehart Fund records, 1875-1930.	see details...