J. Paul Getty Museum. Director's Office

The J. Paul Getty Museum originally opened in 1954 with two rooms and relatively little publicity. By August 1955 the Museum had 6 gallery areas: I. the Courtyard containing Greek and Roman sculpture; II. The Hallway, containing antique sculpture including Greek, Roman, and Egyptian; III. the Roman Room, containing sculpture, a mosiac floor, and some glass and silver objects of Roman and Frankish origin; IV. the Theater Gallery, containing European painting from the16th to 18th centuries - especially Italian and Dutch works; V. the Louis XV gallery, containing French 18th century furniture and tapestries; and VI. the Louis XVI Room, also containing French 18th century furniture. In 1956 plans were begun to construct a new antiquities gallery which was completed and opened to the public in mid-December 1957. In September 1960 the galleries underwent a minor face lift. The numbers of visitors increased, and though Getty stopped most purchasing in and around 1958, the museum continued to slowly expand into other parts of the Ranch House until, in the late 1960's, Getty chose to build the Villa Museum.

Dr. W.R. Valentiner was Director and Curator of the J. Paul Getty Museum from 1953 to March 1, 1955, though he served on the Board of Trustees until 1958. Dr. Paul Wescher became the next Curator of the Museum in April/May 1954 and served until 1959. Wescher never used the title Director, only that of Curator, and it seems likely, though the record is not specific, that J. Paul Getty himself took on the title of Director. Following Wescher's resignation, Norris Bramlett (a Museum Trustee member and Getty Oil accountant who, from his offices in downtown Los Angeles and frequent visits to England, regularly acted as a moderator between J. Paul Getty and the Museum) suggested to Getty that the Museum did not need a full-time Curator and proposed simply hiring someone with an art history background who knew the collection, could answer questions, and intelligently discuss the collection and art in general. He proposed that the current Museum Secretary, Mrs. Marian Anne Jones to fulfill this role and suggested that Dr. Wescher or another former staff member could be asked for assistance whenever a new guidebook or bulletin was required [memo from NB to JPG, April 9, 1959]. Wescher, himself, also notes [in a letter on April 25, 1959] that the position of curator had been eliminated, leaving Jones in charge. In mid-May 1960, however, having recieved permission from Getty, she begins signing herself Acting Curator - after January 26, 1961 she signs herself Curator. Jones submited her resignation on February 6, 1965, effective May 31, 1965, and urged that Burton F. Fredericksen be appointed her successor. Fredericksen served as Museum Curator from 1965 to 1971 (prior to the hiring of Gillian Wilson as Curator of Decorative Arts), as Chief Museum Curator from 1972 to October 1973 (prior to the hiring of Stephen Garrett as Deputy Director in 1973), and as Curator of Paintings from October 1973 to1984.

After being employed by J. Paul Getty to oversee construction of the new Villa Museum in Malibu, British architect Stephen Garrett was appointed Deputy Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1973. Although Getty himself kept the title of Director, he never left his home in England to see the new museum, which opened to the public in 1974, effectively making Garrett the on-site director (with the oversignt/assistance of Norris Bramlett). Getty did keep track of every expense and purchase made by the museum, and staff regularly journeyed to Sutton Place, his home outside London, to consult on museum matters. Following Getty's death in 1976, Bramlett was briefly Acting Director, until Garrett assumed the full job duties and title of Museum Director in 1977.

Unbeknownst to the museum staff, Getty had bequeathed almost his entire estate to the museum. Though the funds were tied up until 1983, as the estate was settled, Garrett and the rest of the Museum staff tried to prepare for their unexpected windfall. When it became clear that the money would soon arrive, Harold M. Williams was hired as President of the J. Paul Getty Trust in 1981. Upon Garrett's resignation in late 1982, Stephen Rountree, Deputy Director for Administration, assumed the position of Interim Director until John Walsh began his duties as Museum Director in the summer of 1983.

John Walsh, Jr. was a graduate of Yale University, received his Ph.D. in1971 from Columbia University and aslo studied at the University of Leyden in the Netherlands. Walsh worked as Curator in the Department of European Paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was Professor of Art History at Columbia University at Barnard College, and was the Russell W. Baker Curator of Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. His specialty was 17th century Dutch painting. Walsh came to the Getty at the invitation of Harold Williams and became Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum on October 1, 1983.

The J. Paul Getty Museum originally opened in 1954 with two rooms and relatively little publicity. By August 1955 the Museum had 6 gallery areas: I. the Courtyard containing Greek and Roman sculpture; II. The Hallway, containing antique sculpture including Greek, Roman, and Egyptian; III. the Roman Room, containing sculpture, a mosiac floor, and some glass and silver objects of Roman and Frankish origin; IV. the Theater Gallery, containing European painting from the16th to 18th centuries - especially Italian and Dutch works; V. the Louis XV gallery, containing French 18th century furniture and tapestries; and VI. the Louis XVI Room, also containing French 18th century furniture. In 1956 plans were begun to construct a new antiquities gallery which was completed and opened to the public in mid-December 1957. In September 1960 the galleries underwent a minor face lift. The numbers of visitors increased, and though Getty stopped most purchasing in and around 1958, the museum continued to slowly expand into other parts of the Ranch House until, in the late 1960's, Getty chose to build the Villa Museum.

Dr. W.R. Valentiner was Director and Curator of the J. Paul Getty Museum from 1953 to March 1, 1955, though he served on the Board of Trustees until 1958. Dr. Paul Wescher became the next Curator of the Museum in April/May 1954 and served until 1959. Wescher never used the title Director, only that of Curator, and it seems likely, though the record is not specific, that J. Paul Getty himself took on the title of Director. Following Wescher's resignation, Norris Bramlett (a Museum Trustee member and Getty Oil accountant who, from his offices in downtown Los Angeles and frequent visits to England, regularly acted as a moderator between J. Paul Getty and the Museum) suggested to Getty that the Museum did not need a full-time Curator and proposed simply hiring someone with an art history background who knew the collection, could answer questions, and intelligently discuss the collection and art in general. He proposed that the current Museum Secretary, Mrs. Marian Anne Jones to fulfill this role and suggested that Dr. Wescher or another former staff member could be asked for assistance whenever a new guidebook or bulletin was required [memo from NB to JPG, April 9, 1959]. Wescher, himself, also notes [in a letter on April 25, 1959] that the position of curator had been eliminated, leaving Jones in charge. In mid-May 1960, however, having recieved permission from Getty, she begins signing herself Acting Curator - after January 26, 1961 she signs herself Curator. Jones submited her resignation on February 6, 1965, effective May 31, 1965, and urged that Burton F. Fredericksen be appointed her successor. Fredericksen served as Museum Curator from 1965 to 1971 (prior to the hiring of Gillian Wilson as Curator of Decorative Arts), as Chief Museum Curator from 1972 to October 1973 (prior to the hiring of Stephen Garrett as Deputy Director in 1973), and as Curator of Paintings from October 1973 to1984.

After being employed by J. Paul Getty to oversee construction of the new Villa Museum in Malibu, British architect Stephen Garrett was appointed Deputy Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1973. Although Getty himself kept the title of Director, he never left his home in England to see the new museum, which opened to the public in 1974, effectively making Garrett the on-site director (with the oversignt/assistance of Norris Bramlett). Getty did keep track of every expense and purchase made by the museum, and staff regularly journeyed to Sutton Place, his home outside London, to consult on museum matters. Following Getty's death in 1976, Bramlett was briefly Acting Director, until Garrett assumed the full job duties and title of Museum Director in 1977.

Unbeknownst to the museum staff, Getty had bequeathed almost his entire estate to the museum. Though the funds were tied up until 1983, as the estate was settled, Garrett and the rest of the Museum staff tried to prepare for their unexpected windfall. When it became clear that the money would soon arrive, Harold M. Williams was hired as President of the J. Paul Getty Trust in 1981. Upon Garrett's resignation in late 1982, Stephen Rountree, Deputy Director for Administration, assumed the position of Interim Director until John Walsh began his duties as Museum Director in the summer of 1983.

Garrett was born December 26, 1922 in Ashtead, Surry, England to Howard George Garrett and Ida King-Harman. He served in the British Navy from1941-1946. After receiving a MA from Trinity College Cambridge (1940-1941, 1946-1950), he worked in private architectural practice from 1952 to 1973 and as Lecturer in Architecture, Poly Central, London 1965-1973. He married 1) Petronella Jones in 1952, had two daughters (Carey and Georgia); and 2) Jean Mackintosh, had 1 daughter (Rebecca) and 1 son (Jason). In 1968 he worked on architectural projects for Getty in Italy. Subsequently he acted as consultant for J. Paul Getty and the Museum Trustees during the design and construction of the Villa and provided liaison between Getty, then living in London, and the team of architects and contractors working on the Villa in Malibu. In September 1973, Garrett was appointed Deputy Director of the Museum (Getty served as both the Director and the Chairman of the Board). In January 1977, he was elected to the Board of Trustees and was appointed Director of the Museum, a position he held until his resignation in late 1982.