Rathbone, Perry Townsend, 1911-2000

Art museum director.

Perry Townsend Rathbone (1911-2000) was a museum director from New York, N.Y.

He was a curator at the Detroit Institute of Art, 1936-1940, director of the City Art Museum of St. Louis, 1940-1955, and director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1954-1972. At the time of the interview, Rathbone was director of the auction house, Christie's USA (1973-1977). He went on to become senior vice-president from 1977-1987, and a consultant beginning in 1987.

Lauded art historian Perry Townsend Rathbone was born in New Rochelle, New York in 1911. In 1929 he began his undergraduate studies at Harvard College, focusing his attention primarily on the study of Fine Art. While at Harvard, Rathbone took the famed "museum course" under the direction of Paul J. Sachs and was also heavily involved with the Harvard Society of Contemporary Art. After graduating in 1933, he stayed on at Harvard working at the Fogg Art Museum. In 1940, at the age of 29, Rathbone was appointed director of the St. Louis Art Museum after a brief stint working at the Detroit Institute of Art. During World War II he served as a lieutenant commander in the Navy and was briefly stationed in the South Pacific. After returning from the War, Rathbone resumed his position at the St. Louis Art Museum and focused his attention on organizing an innovative retrospective show of the German Expressionist Max Beckmann.

Rathbone was appointed the director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1955. During his tenure, the museum experienced both great expansion and renovation: under his leadership, the staff was doubled and 57 of the museum's 189 galleries were modernized. After leaving the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1955, Rathbone went on to work at Christie's in New York City, where he continued to serve as a consultant until 1995.

Rathbone (1911-2000) was executor of the estate of Mathilde Beckmann (ca. 1904-1986), the widow of painter Max Beckmann.

The suit and counter suits over her estate began just after her death in 1986 and related to re-writing in 1982 of Mrs. Beckmann's original will of 1975, in which Hedda von Kaulbach Schoonderbeek--her elder sister and only surviving relative--was primary benefactor, as well as the disposition of several works of art by Max Beckmann to the National Gallery of art and other museums.

The new will made Mrs. Beckmann's caretakers, sisters Betty Sue Robinson and Mary Dent the primary beneficiaries, leaving Schoonderbeek with just $5,000 of the multi-million dollar estate and excluded most of the recipients of works of art altogether. In 1985, almost all of Mrs. Beckmann's property was transferred to the Robinson sisters, and in February 1986 Mrs. Beckmann was moved by the Robinsons to Florida, where she died just a few weeks later. In June, Perry Rathbone and Frederic Houston, as executors of the original will, Schoonderbeek, and a friend, Richard Keoseian, filed suit in Surrogate's Court in Manhattan. Although the suit was successful in challenging Robinson and Dent, it spawned several bitter and protracted counter suits, which finally concluded in 1997. By then most of the initial parties were deceased, and the bulk of the estate spent on attorney's fees.

Museum director, New York, N.Y.

Director of the City Art Museum of St. Louis, 1940-1955, and director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1954-1972. He was director of the auction house, Christie's USA, between 1973-1977, senior vice-president from 1977-1987, and a consultant beginning in 1987. He died Jan. 22, 2000 at age 88.

Museum director, New York, N.Y.

Curator at the Detroit Institute of Art, 1936-1940; director of the City Art Museum of St. Louis, 1940-1955, and director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1954-1972. At the time of the interview, Rathbone was director of the auction house, Christie's USA (1973-1977). [He went on to become senior vice-president from 1977-1987, and a consultant beginning in 1987. Rathbone died Jan. 22, 2000 at age 88.].

Lauded art historian Perry Townsend Rathbone was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1911. His early childhood was spent in New York City, and later in New Rochelle, New York. In 1929 he began his undergraduate studies at Harvard College, focusing his attention primarily on the study of Fine Arts. While at Harvard, Rathbone was heavily involved with the arts community, and eventually became co-director of the Harvard Society of Contemporary Art with fellow classmate Otto Wittmann. After graduating in 1933, Rathbone took the famed "museum course" under the direction of Paul J. Sachs. Fellow classmates included: Henry McIlhenny, Thomas Howe, John Newberry, James Plaut, and Charles Cunnigham.

Rathbone's first job as a newly minted graduate was at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1934. After two years, he left the Institute to direct the Alger House, a branch museum in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. In 1940, at the age of 29, Rathbone was appointed director of the City Art Museum, St. Louis, now the St. Louis Art Museum. However, his tenure at the museum was interrupted; during World War II, Rathbone spent eighteen months in the South Pacific as a U.S. Naval officer. After returning from the War, Rathbone resumed his position at the City Art Museum and focused his attention on expanding the museum's collections, programs, and membership. The museum director became known for his publicity skills, as well as for championing contemporary art. Rathbone organized the first retrospective show of the German Expressionist Max Beckmann, and even secured the artist a teaching position at Washington University.

In 1955,Rathbone was appointed director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. During his tenure, the museum experienced both great expansion and renovation: under his leadership, the staff was doubled, the budget quadrupled, membership dramatically increased, departmental collections expanded, and 57 of the museum's 189 galleries were modernized. After leaving the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1972, Rathbone went on to head Christie's in New York City. In 1977, when Christie's became a full-fledged auction house, he was appointed "museum liaison", a position he held until his retirement in 1985. Although officially retired, Rathbone continued to serve as a consultant at the auction house until 1995.