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Like Peggy Guggenheim, the collectors and The National Museum of Women in the Arts
patrons Anne Tracy Morgan and Marjorie (NMWA) in Washington, D.C. also owes its
Merriweather Post founded museums in stately existence to a forward-thinking woman collector
residences. They also shared a common interest in and patron. In 1981, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay
French history and culture. Anne Tracy Morgan was and her husband Wallace F. Holladay incorporated
a philanthropist who supported relief efforts for NMWA. After renovating the historic Masonic
France during and after World War I and World Temple, they opened the museum in 1987. The
War II. In 1929, Morgan presented France with the couple had begun collecting women’s artworks in
museum she had created in a seventeenth-century the 1960s when scholars and the public were
castle, known today as the Musée National de la beginning to recognize that women were
Cooperation Franco-Américain du Château de underrepresented in major museum collections and
Blérancourt. Its collection focuses on the historical, exhibitions. Today, the collection includes over
cultural, and artistic relations of our two nations 4,500 works of fine and decorative art by American
from the seventeenth century to the present. and international women artists that span the
In 1932, she became the first American woman to sixteenth century to the present. NMWA’s
be appointed as a commander of the French Legion exhibitions, programs, and research library aim to
of Honor. advance women in the visual, literary, and
The philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post performing arts. In 2006, Wilhelmina Cole
was appointed a Knight of the French Legion of Marjorie Merriweather Post, Holladay received the National Medal of Arts from
Honor for funding the construction of field by Alfred Cheney Johnston, the United States and was appointed a Knight of the
1929, gelatin silver print,
hospitals in France during World War I. Post was an Legion of Honor by France.
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution,
astute businesswoman who expanded her family’s Washington, D.C., Gift of Francis A. DiMauro Women did not limit their activities to Europe
Postum Cereal Company to form the General Foods and cities on the East Coast. They also created
Corporation, which she directed until 1958. She purchased the 1920s museums across the United States, in addition to funding and
Georgian-style Hillwood mansion in Washington, D.C. in 1955, and organizing “museums-without-walls” at fairs and international
opened it as a museum in 1977. Post hoped her rare collection of expositions and contributing to charitable organizations. Portraits
eighteenth-century French and Russian imperial fine and decorative art played an important role in reinforcing their status as art collectors and
“would inspire and educate the public.” The Hillwood Estate, founders of museums. One can discover further portraits and
Museum, and Gardens includes exceptional portraits of European and biographies of notable women in the Catalog of American Portraits
American historical figures, as well as Post’s own portrait commissions (CAP). In 1966, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery
of herself and her family members. Alfred Cheney Johnston’s founded the CAP, a national portrait archive of historically significant
photograph of young Marjorie Merriweather Post shows her great poise subjects and artists from the colonial period to the present day.
in a formal gown and feather headdress and veil, which she wore when The public is welcome to access the online portrait search
received by King George V and Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace in program of more than 100,000 records from the museum’s website:
1929. Callot Soeurs, a woman-owned fashion design house in Paris, npg.si.edu/portraits/research/CAP
created her presentation at court dress.

1973 2023
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Leo Jensen ’ s Popop Ar t
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ANT IQQUUEES

SHOW and SALLE

WWeelcoming our special guest

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F Frriday – Sunday
February 16–18, 202
24
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At thhe Historic Read House in Downtown Cha atta
an ffoor Special Evvents,
Scca
T Tiickets and Show HHHoours

Bene fitt ing

Leo Jensen (1926–2019),
Baseball Machine, 1963.
P ainted w ood, mix ed media
kinetic sculptur , e
90 x 76 x 23 in.
96 L Lyyme Street, Old L Ly yme, Exit 70 0 off of I-95 • F5 • FloGris.org
wwww..TheHoustonMuseum.org 423-267-7176 Co tesour y of the Ar tist’ s Est ate .
16 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles