Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America

Laffan, William M. print view role Collector dates 1848-1909 city Lawrence state NY other cities Dublin, Ireland; San Francisco, CA; Baltimore, MD; New York, NY; sex M historical notes William Mackay Laffan was and connoisseur, collector, the publisher and principle owner of the New York Sun, vice president of the Lanston Monotype Company, and served on the board of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Laffan collected art when he traveled for work, he frequented Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Greece, Egypt, the West Indies, Central American and North America. Laffan was an authority on Oriental Ceramics as well as Egyptian, classical art and primitive paintings. While building his own collection Laffan advised collectors such as C A Daly, J P Morgan, and W T Walters. Laffan married Georginia Tompkins Radcliffe in 1872; she was the daughter of Judge Daniel Radcliffe of Washington, DC. Laffan was a member of the Union, New York Yacht, Racquet and Tennis, the Rockaway Hunt, and Midday Clubs in New York and the Art Club of London and Chicago’s Chicago Club. Laffan’s sale was held in January 1911, and included "The Laughing Girl," by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and "Charles I. on Horseback," by Thomas Gainsborough. decades of activity 1880-1890 1890-1900 1900-1910 updated 03/22/2024 12:09:31 bibliographic search Search Frick Art Reference Library Catalog Search Photoarchive Search Worldcat Search Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) Search Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) Search Wikidata Entry Archives/Repository Collection Title Collection Details The Frick Collection and Frick Art Reference Library 10 East 71st Street American Art Association records, 1877-1924 (bulk 1910-1924) see details... University of Virginia Library Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library W. M. Laffan letter to Samuel Sidney McClure see details... Pierpont Morgan Library Archives 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street William M Laffan Correspondence, 1906-09. see details... The Folger Shakespeare Library 201 East Capitol Street, SE Collection of mostly autograph letters signed, (49) incomplete [manuscript]: to various people, [n.d.], 1864-1917. see details... Syracuse University Libraries Special Collections Research Center The Rudyard Kipling Collection, 1883-1967. see details... Pierpont Morgan Library Archives 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street Typewritten letter signed : Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point, Long Island, to William M. Laffan, 1898 Aug. 18. see details... Pierpont Morgan Library Archives 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street Mr. Laffan and the sun. see details... Pierpont Morgan Library Archives 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street Autograph letter signed : to William M. Laffan, 1909 May 3. see details... «  back