| Walters, Henry, 1848-1931 | ||||||||||
| type | Collector | |||||||||
| dates | 1848-1931 | |||||||||
| city | New York City | |||||||||
| state | NY | |||||||||
| other cities | Wilmington, NC; Baltimore, MD; | |||||||||
| sex | M | |||||||||
| history |
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 | 1870-1880 1880-1890 1890-1900 1900-1910 1910-1920 1920-1930 |
|||||||||
| website | http://www.thewalters.org | |||||||||
| updated | 10/31/2024 13:33:17 | |||||||||
| research links |
Search FRESCO (Frick Research Catalog Online) Search Worldcat Search Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) Search Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) Search Wikidata Entry | |||||||||
|
||||||||||