- Musuem Founder
- American Philanthropist
Abigail Greene Aldrich was born 26 October 1874 in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States to Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich (1841-1915) and Abby Pierce Truman Chapman (1845-1917) and died 5 April 1948 Manhattan, New York, United States of unspecified causes. She married John Davison Rockefeller (1874-1960) 9 October 1901 in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States.
Biography
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (1874-1948) was an American philanthropist, art collector, and socialite. She was born on October 26, 1874, in Providence, Rhode Island, and was the daughter of Nelson W. Aldrich, a prominent U.S. Senator. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller played a significant role in promoting and supporting the arts, particularly modern art, and her efforts had a lasting impact on the cultural landscape of the United States.
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller was deeply passionate about art from a young age. In 1928, along with her friends Lillie P. Bliss and Mary Quinn Sullivan, she co-founded the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. The museum was established to promote and exhibit modern and contemporary art, which was not widely appreciated or understood at the time. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller served as the museum's first treasurer and played a crucial role in shaping its vision and direction. She actively contributed to the growth of the museum's collection and its development into a leading institution of modern art.
Rockefeller's personal collection of art was also highly regarded. She and her husband, John D. Rockefeller Jr., assembled an impressive collection of modern art, including works by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Georges Braque. The Rockefellers' collection became the foundation of MoMA's holdings and greatly influenced the institution's reputation and success.
Aside from her involvement in the art world, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller was dedicated to philanthropy and social causes. She was an advocate for women's suffrage and supported various charitable organizations. She also established the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1957. This museum focuses on American folk art and craft traditions.
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller passed away on April 5, 1948, in New York City, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the field of modern art and cultural philanthropy. Her contributions to the arts, both through her personal collection and her involvement with MoMA, helped shape the appreciation and understanding of modern and contemporary art in the United States. Her dedication to promoting the arts and supporting cultural institutions continues to have a profound impact to this day.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Abigail Aldrich Rockefeller (1903-1976) | |||
| John Davison Rockefeller (1906-1978) | 21 March 1906 Manhattan, New York, United States | 10 July 1978 Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, New York, United States | Blanchette Ferry Hooker (1909-1992) |
| Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (1908-1979) | 8 July 1908 Bar Harbor, Maine, United States | 26 January 1979 13 West 54th Street, Manhattan, New York, United States | Mary Todhunter Clark (1907-1999) Margaretta Large Fitler (1926-2015) |
| Laurance Spelman Rockefeller (1910-2004) | |||
| Winthrop Aldrich Rockefeller (1912-1973) | |||
| David Rockefeller (1915-2017) | 12 June 1915 New York City, New York, United States | 20 March 2017 Pocantico Hills, Westchester County, New York, United States | Margaret Ann McGrath (1915-1996) |
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich (1867-1871) | |||
| Lucy Truman Aldrich (1869-1955) | |||
| Edward Burgess Aldrich (1871-1957) | |||
| Abigail Greene Aldrich (1874-1948) | 26 October 1874 Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States | 5 April 1948 Manhattan, New York, United States | John Davison Rockefeller (1874-1960) |
| Stuart Morgan Aldrich (1876-1960) | |||
| Robert Chapman Aldrich (1878-1878) | |||
| William Truman Aldrich (1880-1966) | |||
| Emma Louise Aldrich (1882-1884) | |||
| Richard Steere Aldrich (1884-1941) | 29 February 1884 Washington, D.C., United States | 25 December 1941 Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States | Janet Innis (1885-1944) |
| Winthrop Williams Aldrich (1885-1974) | |||
| Elsie Chapman Aldrich (1888-1968) | |||
See Also
- Abigail Aldrich
- Aldrich Family
- Aldrich in Westchester County, New York
- Aldrich in Providence County, Rhode Island
- "Abby Aldrich Rockefeller: Patron of the modern". http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1026/is_5_166/ai_n9505400.
Bibliography
- Chase, Mary Ellen (January 1, 1966) (in en). Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. New York: Avon Books. OCLC 14866465.
- Fosdick, Raymond B. John D. Rockefeller Jr., A Portrait. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956.
- Harr, John Ensor, and Peter J. Johnson. The Rockefeller Century: Three Generations of America's Greatest Family. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1988.
- Kert, Bernice (January 1, 2003) (in en). Abby Aldrich Rockefeller: the woman in the family. New York: Random House Trade Paperback. ISBN 0812970446. OCLC 53837143.
- Loebl, Suzanne (2010). America's Medicis: The Rockefellers and Their Astonishing Cultural Legacy. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-123722-5.
- Paquette, Catha (2017). At the Crossroads: Diego Rivera and his Patrons at MoMA, Rockefeller Center, and the Palace of Fine Arts. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1477311004.
- Rockefeller, David. "Memoirs". New York: Random House, 2002.
- Stasz, Clarice. The Rockefeller Women: Dynasty of Piety, Privacy, and Service. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995.
Footnotes (including sources)
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