Detail from The Canal, Amsterdam, 1889, James McNeill Whistler, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

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Samuel Appleton Browne Abbott

Nationality: American
Date of birth: 1846
Place of birth: Lowell, MA
Date of death: 1931
Place of death: Italy
Category: lawyer, businessman

Identity:

Samuel Appleton Browne Abbott, lawyer and businessman, was a Trustee of the Boston Public Library, 1879-1895 and President of the Board of Trustees, 1888-1895.

Life:

He was instrumental in overseeing the construction of the Copley Square library building, including the commissioning of murals for the great hall, for which Whistler was asked - but failed - to design a panel.

After he resigned from the Board, he became the first Director of the American Academy in Rome, serving from 1897 to 1903, and lived chiefly in Italy until his death.

Bibliography:

Whitehill, Walter M., Boston Public Library, Cambridge, MA, 1956 .

'Board of Trustees - Former Trustees', Boston Public Library.