The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made

“Crucial in understanding the evolution of the American art scene.”—Library Journal

Until Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney opened her studio—which evolved into the Whitney Museum almost two decades later—on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan in 1914, there were few art museums in the United States, let alone galleries for contemporary artists to exhibit their work. When the mansions of the wealthy cried out for art, they sought it from Europe, then the art capital of the world. It was in her tiny sculptor’s studio in Greenwich Village that Whitney began holding exhibitions of contemporary American artists.

This remarkable effort by a scion of America’s wealthiest family helped to change the way art was cultivated in America. The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made is a tale of high ideals, extraordinary altruism, and great dedication that stood steadfast against inflated egos, big businesses, intrigue, and greed. Flora Biddle’s sensitive and insightful memoir is a success story of three generations of forceful, indomitable women.

Flora Miller Biddle was president of the Whitney Museum of American Art from 1977 to 1995. She has four children. Her daughter, Fiona, following her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, has been elected to serve on the Whitney board of trustees.