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Abby Aldrich Rockefeller

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Philanthropist

The Resume

    (October 26, 1874-April 5, 1948)
    Born in Providence, Rhode Island
    Daughter of Senator Nelson Aldrich
    Wife of John D. Rockefeller III
    Art patron
    Trustee and first treasurer of the Museum of Modern Art
    With her husband, funded the restoration of colonial Williamsburg
    After her death, her personal collection became the holdings of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in Williamsburg

Why he might be annoying:

    She had a penetrating, nasal voice.
    While showing her collection of folk art, she would ask visitors if they could see the resemblance between her nose and the beak of a carved wooden duck.
    Ironically, her husband was decidedly not a fan of modern art. (She wrote to son Nelson about some of her recent acquisition, 'Papa thinks they are terrible beyond words.')
    The one time she broke her rule to never ask her husband for money for the MoMA, it went badly. (Afterwards, she wrote, 'I am so sorry that I spoke to you about giving to the Modern Museum, it was very stupid of me.')

Why he might not be annoying:

    She managed to assemble an impressive collection of modern art on a relatively modest allowance.
    'Time' called her 'the outstanding patron of living artists in the U.S.'
    Architect Phillip Johnson said about her organizational skills, 'Had she been a man, she could have commanded an army.'
    Henri Matisse's last work was a stained-glass window in her honor for the Union Church in Pocantico, New York; he completed the designs two days before his death.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 7 Votes: 14.29% Annoying