Joseph E. Widener
Encyclopedia
Joseph Early Widener was a wealthy American
art collector who was a founding benefactor of the National Gallery of Art
in Washington, D.C.
A major figure in Thoroughbred horse racing
, he was head of New York
's Belmont Park
and builder of Miami, Florida
's Hialeah Park racetrack.
Born in Philadelphia, he was the second son of Hannah Josephine Dunton (1836 – 1896) and the extremely wealthy transportation and real estate magnate Peter A. B. Widener (1834 – 1915). Joseph Widener attended Harvard University
, and for a short time studied architecture
at the University of Pennsylvania
.
He married Ella Pancoast with whom he had two children, Peter A. B. Widener II, born in 1895, and Josephine "Fifi" Pancoast Widener, born in 1902.
Joseph Widener raised his family at Lynnewood Hall
, his father's 110-room Georgian-style
mansion in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
. Designed by Horace Trumbauer
and Jacques Greber
, the mansion, along with its extensive and important art collection, was part of the huge fortune he inherited.
RMS
In April 1912, Joseph Widener lost his elder brother George Dunton Widener
and nephew Harry Elkins Widener
when they went down with the RMS Titanic. George's wife Eleanor was one of the passengers rescued from lifeboats by the RMS Carpathia
. Shortly after, Mrs. Widener, in the name of her deceased son, made a gift to Harvard University to build the monumental Harry Elkins Widener Library
, which opened on June 24, 1915. Not on the ship were their second son, George D. Widener, Jr.
, and daughter Eleanor Dunton Widener (1891-1953, married Fitz Eugene Dixon 1912). George Jr. created Erdenheim Farm in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania, and would later become one of only four people in the history of American Thoroughbred horse racing
to be named an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
. Mr. & Mrs. Dixon hired Horace Trumbauer
to design "Ronaele Manor" (Eleanor spelled backward), adjacent to Lynnewood Hall
.
in Lexington, Kentucky
and the Belmont Park racetrack in New York, plus he built Hialeah Park racetrack in Miami, Florida.
In 1901, thirty-year-old Joseph Widener began purchasing Thoroughbred horses to compete in both flat racing
and steeplechase
events. He hired future U. S Racing Hall of Fame
horse trainer
, J. Howard Lewis. For the next four decades they combined to race fourteen Champions
, two in flat racing and twelve Steeplechase Champions
. Widener's steeplechase horses won numerous important races including three editions of the American Grand National with Relluf (1914), Arc Light (1929), and Bushranger
(1936). His steeplechasers Bushranger
and Fairmount were both elected to the U. S Racing Hall of Fame.
Following the death of August Belmont, Jr.
, Joseph Widener and friends W. Averell Harriman
and George Herbert Walker
, purchased much of Belmont's Thoroughbred breeding stock. For his Elmendorf Farm breeding operation, Widener acquired Belmont's very important sire
Fair Play
and the broodmare Mahubah
, the parents of Man o' War
. He also purchased a son of Fair Play named Chance Shot who would go on to win the 1927 Belmont Stakes
and following the 1929 death of Fair Play would become Elmendorf Farm's leading sire. Widener had a life-size statue of Fair Play erected by his grave at Elmendorf Farm.
As part of the selloff of the August Belmont, Jr. estate, in 1925 Joseph Widener also acquired majority control of Belmont Park
in Elmont, New York
and would serve as the race track's president until 1939 when failing health necessitated his stepping down.
In 1930, he imported the stallion Sickle
from Lord Derby
in England who came to visit the U.S. that year and was Widener's guest at the 1930 Kentucky Derby
. A son of the very important sire Phalaris
, Sickle would produce 45 Graded stakes race
winners and be the Leading sire in North America
in 1936 and 1938.
Following Chance Shot's win in the 1927 Belmont Stakes, Widener's racing stable won the race two more times with Hurryoff
in 1933 and with a son of Chance Shot in 1934 named Peace Chance
. He also had five horses compete in the Kentucky Derby with his best finishes a second place earned by Osmand in 1927 and by Brevity in 1936.
Joseph Widener's father had had business interests in France
and like other wealthy elite Americans of that era, maintained a place in fashionable Paris
. In addition to racing horses in the United States, Widener also kept a stable of Thoroughbreds in France. Competing in French grass
racing, his horses won the 1923 and 1926 editions of the Prix La Rochette
and the 1923, 1924, and 1937 runnings of the Prix d'Aumale
.
Widener also owned English Hackney
horses who competed at various shows.
. where he would spend a good part of most winters. That same year, he purchased a controlling interest in the Miami Jockey Club and in 1931 renovated Hialeah Park. Hailed as one of the most beautiful Thoroughbred race track
s in the world, in 1979 Hialeah Park was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places
. Major races here were the Widener Handicap
inaugurated in 1936, and the Flamingo Stakes
, an important stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby
for 3-year-old horses. Following Widener's death, ownership of the facility changed hands several times and after running into financial difficulties it closed in 2001.
, Edouard Manet
, Pierre Auguste Renoir and others. In 1939, Widener made a number of donations from his assorted collections including manuscripts of historical and artistic importance gifted to the Rare Book Department at the Free Library of Philadelphia
. However, his most important philanthropic endeavor was as a founding benefactor of the National Gallery of Art
in Washington, D.C.
. Widener's 1939 donation of a vast collection was announced by U. S. President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
at the Gallery's opening ceremony. Known as the Widener Collection, the more than 2,000 sculptures, paintings, decorative art, and porcelains went on display in 1942. Joseph Widener's own 1921 portrait by Augustus John
hangs in the National Gallery of Art.
In poor health for several years, Joseph Early Widener died at his Lynnewood Hall estate in 1943 and was interred in the West Laurel Hill Cemetery
in Philadelphia.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
art collector who was a founding benefactor of the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
A major figure in Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
, he was head of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
and builder of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
's Hialeah Park racetrack.
Born in Philadelphia, he was the second son of Hannah Josephine Dunton (1836 – 1896) and the extremely wealthy transportation and real estate magnate Peter A. B. Widener (1834 – 1915). Joseph Widener attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and for a short time studied architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
He married Ella Pancoast with whom he had two children, Peter A. B. Widener II, born in 1895, and Josephine "Fifi" Pancoast Widener, born in 1902.
Joseph Widener raised his family at Lynnewood Hall
Lynnewood Hall
Lynnewood Hall is a 110-room Neoclassical Revival mansion in Elkins Park, Montgomery County designed by architect Horace Trumbauer for industrialist Peter A. B. Widener between 1897 and 1900...
, his father's 110-room Georgian-style
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
mansion in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the suburbs of Philadelphia, roughly from Center City, Philadelphia.-Points of interest:...
. Designed by Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer was a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, known for designing residential manors for the wealthy. Later in his career he also designed hotels, office buildings, and much of the campus of Duke University...
and Jacques Greber
Jacques Gréber
Jacques-Henri-Auguste Gréber was a French architect specializing in landscape architecture and urban design. He was a strong proponent of the Beaux-Arts style and a contributor to the City Beautiful movement, particularly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Ottawa, Ontario.-Early life and...
, the mansion, along with its extensive and important art collection, was part of the huge fortune he inherited.
RMSRoyal Mail ShipRoyal Mail Ship , usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, a designation which dates back to 1840, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract by Royal Mail...
Titanic tragedy
In April 1912, Joseph Widener lost his elder brother George Dunton WidenerGeorge Dunton Widener
George Dunton Widener was an American businessman who died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic.-Biography:...
and nephew Harry Elkins Widener
Harry Elkins Widener
Harry Elkins Widener was a businessman and book collector from the United States.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of George Dunton Widener and Eleanor Elkins Widener, and the grandson of the extremely wealthy entrepreneur, Peter A. B...
when they went down with the RMS Titanic. George's wife Eleanor was one of the passengers rescued from lifeboats by the RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. Carpathia made her maiden voyage in 1903 and became famous for rescuing the survivors of after the latter ship hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912...
. Shortly after, Mrs. Widener, in the name of her deceased son, made a gift to Harvard University to build the monumental Harry Elkins Widener Library
Widener Library
The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, commonly known as Widener Library, is the primary building of the library system of Harvard University. Located on the south side of Harvard Yard directly across from Memorial Church, Widener serves as the centerpiece of the 15.6 million-volume Harvard...
, which opened on June 24, 1915. Not on the ship were their second son, George D. Widener, Jr.
George D. Widener, Jr.
George Dunton Widener, Jr. was an American businessman and thoroughbred racehorse owner; one of only five people ever designated "Exemplars of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
, and daughter Eleanor Dunton Widener (1891-1953, married Fitz Eugene Dixon 1912). George Jr. created Erdenheim Farm in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania, and would later become one of only four people in the history of American Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
to be named an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
. Mr. & Mrs. Dixon hired Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer was a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, known for designing residential manors for the wealthy. Later in his career he also designed hotels, office buildings, and much of the campus of Duke University...
to design "Ronaele Manor" (Eleanor spelled backward), adjacent to Lynnewood Hall
Lynnewood Hall
Lynnewood Hall is a 110-room Neoclassical Revival mansion in Elkins Park, Montgomery County designed by architect Horace Trumbauer for industrialist Peter A. B. Widener between 1897 and 1900...
.
Thoroughbred horse racing
Joseph Widener used his great wealth to pursue his interest in Thoroughbred horse racing on a large scale. Not only did he become an owner of a large stable of racehorses, Widener acquired the Elmendorf FarmElmendorf Farm
Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, and has been involved with horse racing since the early 19th century...
in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and the Belmont Park racetrack in New York, plus he built Hialeah Park racetrack in Miami, Florida.
In 1901, thirty-year-old Joseph Widener began purchasing Thoroughbred horses to compete in both flat racing
Flat racing
Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...
and steeplechase
Steeplechase (horse racing)
The steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
events. He hired future U. S Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
horse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
, J. Howard Lewis. For the next four decades they combined to race fourteen Champions
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
, two in flat racing and twelve Steeplechase Champions
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Steeplechase horse
The American Champion Steeplechase Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded as part of the Eclipse Award program since its inception in 1971. It is awarded annually to the top horse in steeplechase racing....
. Widener's steeplechase horses won numerous important races including three editions of the American Grand National with Relluf (1914), Arc Light (1929), and Bushranger
Bushranger (horse)
Bushranger was an American Thoroughbred steeplechase racehorse. Prepared for flat racing, at age two the grandson of Man o' War demonstrated little ability in that venue and as such his owner decided to try him in steeplechase racing. In the hands of future Hall of Fame steeplechase trainer J...
(1936). His steeplechasers Bushranger
Bushranger (horse)
Bushranger was an American Thoroughbred steeplechase racehorse. Prepared for flat racing, at age two the grandson of Man o' War demonstrated little ability in that venue and as such his owner decided to try him in steeplechase racing. In the hands of future Hall of Fame steeplechase trainer J...
and Fairmount were both elected to the U. S Racing Hall of Fame.
Following the death of August Belmont, Jr.
August Belmont, Jr.
August Belmont, Jr. was an American financier, the builder of New York's Belmont Park racetrack, and a major owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.-Early life:...
, Joseph Widener and friends W. Averell Harriman
W. Averell Harriman
William Averell Harriman was an American Democratic Party politician, businessman, and diplomat. He was the son of railroad baron E. H. Harriman. He served as Secretary of Commerce under President Harry S. Truman and later as the 48th Governor of New York...
and George Herbert Walker
George Herbert Walker
George Herbert Walker was a wealthy American banker and businessman. His daughter Dorothy married Prescott Bush, making him a grandfather of former President George H. W. Bush and a great-grandfather of former President George W. Bush.-Life and career:Born in St...
, purchased much of Belmont's Thoroughbred breeding stock. For his Elmendorf Farm breeding operation, Widener acquired Belmont's very important sire
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
Fair Play
Fair Play (horse)
Fair Play was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was successful on the track, but even more so as a sire.His grandsire was Spendthrift, whose grandsire was the English Triple Crown champion West Australian....
and the broodmare Mahubah
Mahubah
Mahubah was an American bred Thoroughbred racemare that was noted for producing the outstanding racehorse, Man o' War.-Pedigree:She was a bay mare that was foaled in Kentucky and was owned and bred by August Belmont, Jr...
, the parents of Man o' War
Man O' War
Man O' War, man o' war or manowar may refer to:* Man-of-war, a warship* Man of war for uses with this spelling - Places :...
. He also purchased a son of Fair Play named Chance Shot who would go on to win the 1927 Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
and following the 1929 death of Fair Play would become Elmendorf Farm's leading sire. Widener had a life-size statue of Fair Play erected by his grave at Elmendorf Farm.
As part of the selloff of the August Belmont, Jr. estate, in 1925 Joseph Widener also acquired majority control of Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
in Elmont, New York
Elmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
and would serve as the race track's president until 1939 when failing health necessitated his stepping down.
In 1930, he imported the stallion Sickle
Sickle (horse)
Sickle was an English Thoroughbred racehorse who was later exported to the US where he was twice the Leading sire in North America...
from Lord Derby
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
in England who came to visit the U.S. that year and was Widener's guest at the 1930 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. A son of the very important sire Phalaris
Phalaris (horse)
Phalaris was a British bred Thoroughbred racehorse, later a Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland and a Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland...
, Sickle would produce 45 Graded stakes race
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
winners and be the Leading sire in North America
Leading sire in North America
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
in 1936 and 1938.
Following Chance Shot's win in the 1927 Belmont Stakes, Widener's racing stable won the race two more times with Hurryoff
Hurryoff
Hurryoff was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the third leg of the 1933 U.S. Triple Crown series. He was bred and raced by Joseph Widener, owner of the prestigious Elmendorf Farm in Lexington, Kentucky and president of Belmont Park and Hialeah Park racetracks. Hurryoff was...
in 1933 and with a son of Chance Shot in 1934 named Peace Chance
Peace Chance
Peace Chance was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1934 Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series....
. He also had five horses compete in the Kentucky Derby with his best finishes a second place earned by Osmand in 1927 and by Brevity in 1936.
Joseph Widener's father had had business interests in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and like other wealthy elite Americans of that era, maintained a place in fashionable Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In addition to racing horses in the United States, Widener also kept a stable of Thoroughbreds in France. Competing in French grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
racing, his horses won the 1923 and 1926 editions of the Prix La Rochette
Prix La Rochette
The Prix La Rochette is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:...
and the 1923, 1924, and 1937 runnings of the Prix d'Aumale
Prix d'Aumale
The Prix d'Aumale is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:...
.
Widener also owned English Hackney
Hackney (horse)
The Hackney Horse is a recognized breed of horse that was developed in Great Britain. In recent decades, the breeding of the Hackney has been directed toward producing horses that are ideal for carriage driving. They are an elegant high stepping breed of carriage horse that is popular for showing...
horses who competed at various shows.
Hialeah Park
In 1930, Joseph Widener built a 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) mansion in Palm Beach, FloridaPalm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
. where he would spend a good part of most winters. That same year, he purchased a controlling interest in the Miami Jockey Club and in 1931 renovated Hialeah Park. Hailed as one of the most beautiful Thoroughbred race track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
s in the world, in 1979 Hialeah Park was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Major races here were the Widener Handicap
Widener Handicap
The Widener Handicap at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida was a Grade III stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses 3-years-old and up. It was run over a distance of 1¼ miles until 1993 when it was modified to 1 1/8 miles. Initially called the Widener Challenge Cup Handicap, the race was...
inaugurated in 1936, and the Flamingo Stakes
Flamingo Stakes
The Flamingo Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in March at the Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida. Run over a distance of nine furlongs, the inaugural race took place in 1926 at the Tampa, Florida racetrack...
, an important stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
for 3-year-old horses. Following Widener's death, ownership of the facility changed hands several times and after running into financial difficulties it closed in 2001.
Art collector
Joseph Widener added to the extensive and valuable art collection he had inherited from his father. His collection included a dozen or more works by Rembrandt as well as those by Johannes VermeerJohannes Vermeer
Johannes, Jan or Johan Vermeer was a Dutch painter who specialized in exquisite, domestic interior scenes of middle class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime...
, Edouard Manet
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
, Pierre Auguste Renoir and others. In 1939, Widener made a number of donations from his assorted collections including manuscripts of historical and artistic importance gifted to the Rare Book Department at the Free Library of Philadelphia
Free Library of Philadelphia
The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:History of the Free Library of Philadelphia: Initiated by the efforts of Dr...
. However, his most important philanthropic endeavor was as a founding benefactor of the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Widener's 1939 donation of a vast collection was announced by U. S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
at the Gallery's opening ceremony. Known as the Widener Collection, the more than 2,000 sculptures, paintings, decorative art, and porcelains went on display in 1942. Joseph Widener's own 1921 portrait by Augustus John
Augustus John
Augustus Edwin John OM, RA, was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. For a short time around 1910, he was an important exponent of Post-Impressionism in the United Kingdom....
hangs in the National Gallery of Art.
In poor health for several years, Joseph Early Widener died at his Lynnewood Hall estate in 1943 and was interred in the West Laurel Hill Cemetery
West Laurel Hill Cemetery
West Laurel Hill Cemetery is a cemetery located in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the site of many notable burials, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992...
in Philadelphia.
External links
- Normandy Farm, Lexington, Kentucky at the National Sporting Library'sNational Sporting LibraryThe National Sporting Library & Museum The National Sporting Library and Museum, located in beautiful, historic Middleburg, Virginia, is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and sharing the literature, art, and culture of horse and field sports...
Thoroughbred Heritage website - Joseph E. Widener, Founding Benefactor of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- (Joseph E.) Widener Collection at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- Lewis-Widener manuscript collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia
- Joseph E. Widener's biography of at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.