Francis Henry Taylor
Encyclopedia
Francis Henry Taylor was a distinguished American museum
director and curator
, heading the Metropolitan Museum of Art
for fifteen years.
He was born in Philadelphia, and started his career as a curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
. In 1931 he became director of the Worcester Art Museum
Massachusetts, before joining the Metropolitan Museum in New York City
as its director in 1940.
Sometimes described as a showman, he developed a theory of the museum as an institution of active public service, not simply a repository of art. He was credited with doubling the number of people visiting the museum, up to 2.3 million a year.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
director and curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, heading the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
for fifteen years.
He was born in Philadelphia, and started his career as a curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
. In 1931 he became director of the Worcester Art Museum
Worcester Art Museum
The Worcester Art Museum, also known by its acronym WAM, houses over 35,000 works of art dating from antiquity to the present day, representing cultures from all over the world. The WAM opened in 1898 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is the second largest art museum in New England...
Massachusetts, before joining the Metropolitan Museum in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as its director in 1940.
Sometimes described as a showman, he developed a theory of the museum as an institution of active public service, not simply a repository of art. He was credited with doubling the number of people visiting the museum, up to 2.3 million a year.
Books
His writings include:- Babel's Tower: The Dilemma of the Modern Museum (1945)
- The Taste of Angels: A History of Art Collecting from Rameses to Napoleon (1948, reprint 1955) - ASIN B0007HX8Y6
- Fifty Centuries of Art (1954)
- Pierpont Morgan as Collector and Patron, 1837-1913 (1957), Pierpont Morgan Library - ASIN B0007DVP6I