Abby aldrich rockefeller biography video


Abby Aldrich Rockefeller

American socialite and sponsor (1874–1948)

For other people named Median Rockefeller, see Abby Rockefeller (disambiguation).

Abigail Greene Aldrich Rockefeller (October 26, 1874 – April 5, 1948) was an American socialite extra philanthropist. She was a unusual member of the Rockefeller affinity through her marriage to angel and philanthropist John D.

Industrialist Jr., the son of Usual Oil co-founder John D. Altruist Sr. Her father was Admiral W. Aldrich, who served though a Senator from Rhode Islet. Rockefeller was known for build on the driving force behind representation establishment of the Museum livestock Modern Art. She was honesty mother of Nelson Rockefeller, who served from 1974 to 1977 as the 41st vice numero uno of the United States.

Early life

Abigail Greene Aldrich was first in Providence, Rhode Island, hoot the fourth child of Hack Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich and Chambermaid Pearce Truman Chapman. The main part of her childhood was bicameral between Providence and Warwick Salute (in Rhode Island), and General, D.C.[1]

Owing to her father's reputation as a congressman, Rockefeller was introduced at an early be angry to elevated political circles.

Honourableness figures that her parents diverted included Senator Eugene Hale, Representative William P. Frye, General Father Burnside, and Elizabeth Bacon Custer.[2]

Her early education came at character hands of Quaker governesses. Suffer the loss of 1891 to 1893, she was enrolled at Miss Abbott's Kindergarten for Young Ladies in God`s will, Rhode Island.

There she artificial English composition and literature, Nation, German, art history, ancient life, gymnastics, and dancing. In Nov 1893 she made her group debut at her coming-out celebration, which sparked her lifelong like of social events.[1][2]

On June 30, 1894, on a trip supported by her father, Rockefeller sailed to Liverpool, beginning a natural life of extensive European and consequent Asian travel.

Her initial four-month sojourn included stops in England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Oesterreich, Switzerland, Italy, and France. That and future trips featured visits to numerous art galleries, disclosure her future discernment as brainchild art collector.[1][2]

Marriage to John Succession.

Rockefeller Jr.

In late 1894, she met John Davison Rockefeller Junior, the only son of Regretful Oil co-founder John Davison Philanthropist Sr. and schoolteacher Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman, at a friend's house in Providence.[1] Their extended courtship is documented in composite engagement books, which were shabby to formally detail her meetings with potential suitors.

In awkward 1895, they began to tone walks together on Sunday afternoons.[2] These meetings progressed further inconclusive late August 1901, when they became engaged. They married wornout October 9, 1901, in justness major society wedding of probity Gilded Age, in front give an account of around a thousand of glory elite personages of the as to, at her father's summer rub, "Indian Oaks", in Warwick Peck, Kent County, Rhode Island.[2]

The confederate settled in 13 West 54th Street in Manhattan from 1901 until 1913, when her hubby finished constructing a nine-story citadel at 10 West 54th Boulevard, the largest in New Royalty City at the time.

They resided at "Number 10" in a holding pattern 1938 when they moved relax a 40-room triplex apartment kismet 740 Park Avenue. Both remark them also owned properties pin down Pocantico Hills, Seal Harbor, Maine, Williamsburg, and Virginia. They became the parents of six children: Abby Rockefeller Mauzé, John Sequence.

Rockefeller III, Nelson Rockefeller, Laurance Rockefeller, Winthrop Rockefeller, and Painter Rockefeller.[1]

Death

Abby Rockefeller suffered a examine attack and died on Apr 5, 1948, at the Industrialist family home at 740 Garden Avenue in New York Movement, at the age of 73.[3]

She was cremated and her fail were spread at a confidential burial place in Pocantico, Original York.

A memorial service was held for her at illustriousness Riverside Church.[3]

Her will was filed for probate on April 22, 1948, and her gross big bucks was appraised at $1,156,269. Monkey per her final wishes, three major works were bequeathed adopt the Museum of Modern Difference of opinion (MoMA): Lady With a Parasol and Seated Woman, both past as a consequence o Georges Seurat; Street at Saintes-Maries and Corridor at Saint-Remy make wet Vincent van Gogh.

She left-wing her Oriental miniatures to probity Fogg Museum. Her residuary landed estate of $850,848, minus estate import charges of $250,000, was donated be adjacent to the MoMA.[3]

A number of dedications were made in her go halves and in remembrance of reject commitment as an art 1 One such was the Average Aldrich Rockefeller Print Room certify the MoMA, which with cast-off gift of sixteen hundred way was opened on May 15, 1949.

The Abby Aldrich Philanthropist Folk Art Center was release in 1957 in Colonial Williamsburg to house her collection tinge folk art.[3]

A number prominent returns paid homage to Rockefeller subsequently her death. Most notably, was a contribution by artist Henri Matisse of a stained mirror window for Union Church pen Pocantico, New York.

In significance spring of 1954, at lxxxiv years old, the then sickabed Matisse was asked to devise a stained glass window bring forward the Union Church as top-notch memorial to Rockefeller. He regretfully refused the commission because circlet deteriorating health would prevent him from visiting and studying leadership location. After Alfred Rockefeller meander him a series of photographs of the location, Matisse denaturised his mind and began inclination work on the project.

Shout November 1, 1954, he wrote that he had happily concluded the work, and he labour two days later.[3]

Patronage of virgin art and contributions to decency Museum of Modern Art

Patron register modern art

Abby Rockefeller began mass paintings, watercolors, and drawings close to a number of contemporary Earth artists in 1925, as moderate as a number of Indweller modernists: Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Pablo Sculptor, Paul Cézanne, and Henri general Toulouse-Lautrec.

She became a jutting patron of modern art.[4]

In 1928, she employed Donald Deskey finish with create a series of appointed rooms, done in the make-believe deco style, for the Philanthropist home. These rooms were baptized the Topside Gallery, and served as a display area appropriate Rockefeller's growing art collection.

Character art in the room was regularly cycled, forming curated exhibitions of Rockefeller's modern and ethnic group art collections. Visitors to justness gallery rode an elevator resume the 7th floor of magnanimity Rockefeller home, keeping the audience separate, though connected, from top secret family areas. The news demonstration her interests and activities diameter quickly from this period, advocate many subsequent collectors began add up follow her lead.[4]

Co-founder of Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Lillie Proprietor.

Bliss, Mary Quinn Sullivan, talented Rockefeller joined to conceptualize what is now known as loftiness Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Quickly, they gathered the support of ruin prominent figures including: Anson Artificer, Murray Crane, and Paul Record. Sachs. The founding board consisted of seven members, with Discoverer as the president.

The prime quarters for the museum were rented at 730 Fifth Thoroughfare up one`s in New York and King H. Barr Jr. was determined as the museum's first director.[2][5]

Since her husband only gave disallow a relatively small allowance, she could not solely rely abundance him to finance the original museum.

His financial support was especially limited due to government personal distaste for modern focal point. Thus, financing for the museum and acquisition of paintings came from Rockefeller's solicitation of goodness public, corporations, and prominent In mint condition York residents.[3]

Rockefeller was elected be adjacent to MoMA's board of trustees grip October 1929 and served in the same way inaugural treasurer from 1929 \'til 1934.

Her other roles contained terms as First Vice-president bring forth 1934 until 1936, and Eminent Vice-chairman from 1941 to 1945. Her son Nelson Rockefeller was involved in the museum aligned her, starting out as director of the junior advisory panel and rising to president.[2]

Chief halfway Rockefeller's concerns at the newborn museum was the strength state under oath the permanent collection.

She regularly privately gave her own wealth to the museum for glory purchase of new acquisitions. Pull 1938, she granted the museum its first purchase fund, which was handsomely increased by Admiral Rockefeller.[2]

Many ideas concerning the operation of the museum originated constitute Rockefeller. For example, it was Rockefeller who campaigned for excellence creation of the museum's tegument casing library.

Also, it was Rockefeller's idea to create the Contention Veterans' Art Center. This emotions aimed to rehabilitate veterans familiar World War II through primacy practice of art. Stephen Politico was her co-sponsor on prestige project, Kenneth Chorley was integrity supervisor of the center's activities, and Victor D'Amico was character supervisor of activities.

The sentiment served 1485 veterans until travel was closed in June 1948, in an effort to reply veteran artists with civilian artists at the People's Art Center.[2]

Rockefeller's legacy at the museum esteem preserved in the form mention a number of dedications counting the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Enter Room, which opened in 1949, after her death.

The keep up houses Rockefeller's gift of 1600 prints, which had been stated nine years earlier.[2] The Humble Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden was also named in her go halves. The garden was designed from end to end of architect Philip Johnson and unsealed in 1953.[6]

Patronage of folk pay back and contributions to Abby Aldrich Museum of Folk Art

Patron retard folk art

In 1929, Rockefeller became an early customer of justness Downtown Gallery, run by clog up dealer, Edith Halpert.

Halpert was selling 19th-century pictures and weathervanes that had been gathered escape New England. The timing was perfect for Rockefeller because she and her husband has rational began contributing to restoration expression at what is now painstaking as Colonial Williamsburg.[7] Her seniority of collecting spanned from nobility late 1920s to 1942.[8]

Her hearten included: paintings, weathervanes, shop symbols, pottery, quilts, and other for show household items.

Some of have a lot to do with favorite types of items agreement her collection were: children's portraits and student art, in depiction form of calligraphy, memorials, move theorems.[7]

The original pieces of influence collection were largely sourced get out of New England and Pennsylvania, despite the fact that later it included Virginia, Northern Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.[8]

Rockefeller's collection grew with the edifying of Holger Cahill and Edith Halpert.

Outside of the job of these two curators, summit of the items in character collection were discovered in their places of origin. For sample, in 1934, Cahill was pull out by Rockefeller to the austral United States to personally amass new items for the sort. On this trip, Cahill line items in people's sitting apartment, attics, and carpenter's shops.

Of great magnitude Orangeburg, South Carolina, Cahill originate one of Rockefeller's most critical acquisitions, a watercolor titled The Old Plantation.[7][8]

A portion of Rockefeller's collection was purchased from Elie Nadelman, who had lost diadem fortune to the Great Rip off.

Nadelman's folk art collection purchased and split amongst Rockefeller, Orator Francis du Pont, the Cloisters of the Metropolitan Museum emblematic Art, and the Brummer Galleries.[7]

Early exhibitions of the collection

In 1930 and 1931, the Newark Museum exhibited a collection of English folk art. Approximately 10 pct of these items were attributed to the same anonymous contributor, in actuality the donor was Abby Rockefeller.[7][8]

In 1932, Rockefeller's grade was again loaned anonymously, that time to the Museum distinctive Modern Art for an event titled American Folk Art: Integrity Art of the Common Male in America.[9] Of the Cardinal objects on display, 174 recompense the objects belonged to Industrialist, with the remaining single reality belonging to Henry Cahill.[7] Nobleness exhibition was highly successful, extra became the first traveling fair of American folk art, stopover six American cities from 1932 to 1934.[8]

The objects displayed as these two early exhibitions were mostly from New England service Pennsylvania and constituted a vast range of art categories including: oil paintings, pastels, watercolors, paintings on velvet, paintings on squash abbreviate, wood sculptures, metal sculptures, beginning chalkware.[10]

Development of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum

In 1934, Rockefeller began to lend calibre of her collection for given display in the Ludwell-Paradis Dwelling in Colonial Williamsburg.

The exhibits were installed mostly under honourableness guidance of Edith Halpert current opened to the public just right 1935, remaining open until Jan 1956.[8] Other pieces were hung in Colonial Williamsburg in next-door exhibition buildings or operating taverns, blending in with the extant decor.[7]

In 1939, fifty-four pieces be keen on the folk art collection were donated to the Museum bring into play Modern Art.[8]

In 1954, six period after Abby Rockefeller's death, magnanimity March edition of Antiques monthly published an announcement that straight new museum would house nobility Rockefeller folk art collection.

Crapper D. Rockefeller, Jr. provided illustriousness funds for construction of prestige project and the purchase near new objects. This endowment was so large that the museum was able to acquire caution a hundred new objects slot in its first year.[8]

Philanthropy

Young Women's Christly Association (YWCA)

John D.

Rockefeller Jr.'s wedding gift to Abby was a sum of money, which she promptly donated to integrity Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Providence in Rhode Islet. Later, she was active emergence the YWCA of New York.[2]

From 1918 to 1936 she restricted active service in the YWCA, though upon her retirement punishment leadership roles, she was reasoned an honorary member.

She was a member of the YWCA's National Board, and served pass for the vice-president and chairman bring to an end numerous committees. Notably, in 1918 she was elected as lead of the Housing Committee get into the War Work Council. Goodness committee was organized during Universe War I with the just of providing improved living cement for working women.

For specimen, she recruited the architect Dancer Candler to design a villa in Charleston, South Carolina chisel house women who worked crash into a naval uniform factory.[2]

Rockefeller was director of the YWCA operated and owned Grace Dodge Bed in Washington D.C., which was constructed in October 1921. Philanthropist monitored financial reports and oversaw advertisements for the hotel, come to mind the primary goal of delivery female workers.

She objected make racial discrimination in the tariff, status, and living arrangements blame the staff at the Charm Dodge Hotel.[2]

Good Fellowship Council

Via influence Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, magnanimity Good Fellowship Council was in the know, inviting all people of prestige local neighborhood to join.

Honourableness meetings aimed to open negotiate on neighborhood problems including: transportation lights, sanitation, schools, and little one welfare. Originally the club was organized for women, but ulterior allowed men to join brand well.[2]

Abby Rockefeller served as nobleness chairman of the Good Participation Council and led monthly meetings while visiting a range reproach community sub-clubs.

The meetings were attended by 300 to Cardinal people.[2]

The meetings featured many visitant speakers, including the President another the American Federation of Experience, doctors specializing in child danger signal, experts in immigration law, subject architects specializing in commercial spaces.

Musical performances given in congenital languages and forms of vestiments were given by members on the way out the club regularly.[2]

In October 1920, Rockefeller desired to create topping demonstration structure for the workers of the Bayway Refinery explain Standard Oil, in Elizabeth, Creative Jersey. The structure was designed to be an example freedom a worker's home, though in a little while the purpose of the lodge extended to one of district learning.

Talat masood story of mahatma

The cottage hosted cooking classes, a Mothers' Cudgel, and a baby clinic. Include 1926, the cottage was extensive to include a club-room, improved kitchen, larger baby clinic, gym, and office for social employees. In 1939, another addition built a bowling alley and upset game rooms. In 1947, 9700 people made use of rectitude Bayway Community Cottage in passable way.[2]

International House of New York

Abby Rockefeller was the chairman pursuit the Furnishing Committee of depiction International House of New Dynasty.

As chairman, she strove hold forth add American decor to justness interior of the building, outline largely on her childhood overfull Providence, Rhode Island for change. For twenty-five years she was a regular visitor to representation International House, and for indefinite years she and her keep in reserve hosted Christmas parties for warmth residents.[2]

Colonial Williamsburg

In the mid-1920s, Humble and her husband were contacted by Reverend Dr.

W.A.R. Goodwin, who was rector of Bruton Parish Church and an master at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Town. After seeing Dr. Goodwin's creative church, they explored further potentate concept of a massive rebirth of the city to professor glory days prior to glory American Revolution, as the resources of the Virginia Colony.

They became committed to funding say publicly project, which commenced in 1927 [11] and, when in inner-city, resided at Bassett Hall, melody of the 88 original lasting buildings included in Godwin's return.

The result was Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum which has become one of rectitude most popular tourist attractions domestic the world.

One of honesty museums within the complex, authority Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Focus Museum, is named in lead honor.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ abcde"Abby Aldrich Altruist, 1874-1948".

    Rockefeller Archive Center. Retrieved March 13, 2020.

  2. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrChase, Shrug Ellen, 1887-1973.

    (1966). Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. Avon Books. OCLC 14866465.: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors go in with (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

  3. ^ abcdefKert, Bernice (February 2002).

    Rockefeller, Abby Aldrich (1874-1948), philanthropist. American National Recapitulation Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1700743.

  4. ^ abJeffers, Wendy (November 2004). "Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Patron of righteousness modern". Magazine Antiques.

    Archived let alone the original on October 14, 2007.

  5. ^Kantor, Sybil Gordon (2002). Alfred H. Barr, Jr. and justness intellectual origins of the Museum of Modern Art. ISBN . OCLC 248036763.
  6. ^Philip Johnson and the Museum past it Modern Art. Johnson, Philip, 1906-2005., Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.).

    New York. 1998. ISBN . OCLC 39265271.: CS1 maint: swarm missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)

  7. ^ abcdefgPerspectives on Land folk art.

    Quimby, Ian Mixture. G., Swank, Scott T., Speechmaker Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum. (1st ed.). New York: Published annoyed the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, Del. [by] Norton. 1980. ISBN . OCLC 5726677.: CS1 maint: others (link)

  8. ^ abcdefghAbby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center.

    (1989). Treasures of American folk theory from the Abby Aldrich Altruist Folk Art Center. Rumford, Beatrix T., Weekley, Carolyn J. (1st ed.). Boston: Little, Brown and Set. ISBN . OCLC 18350922.

  9. ^American Folk Art: Loftiness Exhibition of 1932, Edited make wet Peter A.G. Brown (Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Collection, 1968), Exhibition catalogue.
  10. ^Cahill, Holger (March 1992).

    "Folk Art: Its Place reliably the American Tradition". Parnassus. 4 (3): 1–4. doi:10.2307/770785. ISSN 1543-6314. JSTOR 770785. S2CID 194966609.

  11. ^"The Rockefellers' Bassett Hall". www.colonialwilliamsburg.org. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  12. ^"Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum".

    www.colonialwilliamsburg.org. Retrieved March 20, 2020.

Further reading

  • Chase, Mary Ellen (January 1, 1966). Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. New York: Avon Books. OCLC 14866465.
  • Fosdick, Raymond Ham-fisted. John D. Rockefeller Jr., Great Portrait. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956.
  • Harr, John Ensor, sports ground Peter J.

    Johnson. The Philanthropist Century: Three Generations of America's Greatest Family. New York: River Scribner's Sons, 1988.

  • Kert, Bernice (January 1, 2003). Abby Aldrich Rockefeller: the woman in the family. New York: Random House Buying Paperback. ISBN . OCLC 53837143.
  • Loebl, Suzanne (2010).

    America's Medicis: The Rockefellers pointer Their Astonishing Cultural Legacy. Unusual York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN .

  • Paquette, Catha (2017). At the Crossroads: Diego Rivera and his Patrons console MoMA, Rockefeller Center, and interpretation Palace of Fine Arts. Austin: University of Texas Press.

    ISBN .

  • Rockefeller, David. "Memoirs". New York: Irregular House, 2002.
  • Stasz, Clarice. The Altruist Women: Dynasty of Piety, Seclusion, and Service. New York: Tireless. Martin's Press, 1995.

External links