Joseph Herman Hirschhorn
Nationality: Latvian/American
Date of birth: 11 August 1899
Place of birth: Mitau, Latvia
Date of death: 31 August 1981
Category: collector
Date of birth: 11 August 1899
Place of birth: Mitau, Latvia
Date of death: 31 August 1981
Category: collector
Identity:
He emigrated to the USA with his widowed mother at the age of six. Hirshhorn's first wife was Jennie Berman; they had four children. His second wife was Lily Harmon and the third, Brenda Hawley Heide.
Life:
An entrepreneur and financier who made a fortune from, among other things, uranium. He collected 19-20th century art. In 1966 Hirshhorn donated some 6,000 paintings and sculptures to the United States government, plus a $2 million endowment. The Smithsonian Institution established the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., in 1966 and it opened in 1974. He bequeathed 6,000 more works and a $5 million endowment to the museum.
Bibliography:
'Joseph Hirschorn', Wikipedia.
