The Art Institute of Chicago
Museum Studies
Volume 36, no. 1 (Spring 2010)
Edited by Gregory Nosan
Link to Library Record
Established in 1879 from the remnants of a floundering art academy, the Art Institute of Chicago grew into a sturdy organization largely through the efforts of businessman and philanthropist Charles L. Hutchinson, who served as its president from 1882 to 1924. This issue of Museum Studies, written by cultural historian Celia Hilliard, charts the history of Hutchinson’s remarkable involvement with the museum, shedding light on the tide of cultural philanthropy that swept across late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century America. Hutchinson moved with assurance through the essential work of assembling financial backing to anchor the Art Institute in suitable quarters and organize notable exhibitions. Once the museum had gained firm public and critical support, he embarked on a worldwide hunt for exciting acquisitions. He was an influential cultural figure on both a local and national level, effective in the face of economic uncertainty, clashing priorities, ignorance, and indifference. Hilliard’s text, which brings Hutchinson and the world of Gilded Age Chicago vividly to life, is illustrated by over eighty photographs, many of them archival images never before published.
Articles in this publication:
“The Original Art Impulse”
“A Bricks and Mortar Man”
“Picture Excitement”
“A Committee of Two”
“The Constant Improver”
“His Most Permanent Monument”
92 pages, 8 3/8 x 10 1/4 in.
ISBN-13: 9780865592384
ISBN-10: 0865592381
