American Art Lending, 1895-1975

by Haight, Sarah M.

This paper documents the range of art lending in the United States to individuals by libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions from roughly 1895-1975. The historical analysis includes the reasons and motivations behind the creation of each kind of lending scheme and what its proponents hoped to accomplish, as well as how these collections fit into the broader goals of each type of institution. Loans of originals and reproductions are discussed.