Chronicling Lost Legacies

Chronicling Lost Legacies enhances our understanding of the evolution of artistic taste and cultural heritage institutions within the U.S., highlighting historical narratives of women art collectors and patrons. Organized chronologically and thematically, it covers figures from colonial times to the twentieth century, concluding with insights from feminist historian Laura R. Prieto. The volume illuminates the lives of lesser-known and iconic influential women such as Florence Sloane and Abby Rockefeller, challenging male-dominated narratives and showcasing female agency, resilience, and collecting practices. Ideal for scholars and art enthusiasts, it offers a timely reexamination of the forces that have shaped our cultural institutions.

Author Biography

Samantha Deutch, the Digital Art History Lead at The Frick Art Research Library, has an MA in Art History from Binghamton University and an MS in Library Systems from Rutgers University. Her publications focus on provenance, collecting history, and research methodologies, recently serving as series editor for PSUP’s Frick Studies in the History of Art Collecting.

Margaret R. Laster holds a PhD in Art History from the Graduate Center CUNY and is an independent curator and scholar of American art, specializing in histories of collecting and patronage. Recent publications include Tastemakers, Collectors, and Patrons: Collecting American Art in the Long Nineteenth Century (co-editor, 2024).