Crane, Mary Winslow (Allen), 1902-1982.

Mary Winslow Allen Crane, along with her husband, Francis V. Crane, during the 1960s and 1970s donated a large collection of American Indian artifacts to the Denver Museum of Natural History (DMNH), now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Mary Crane was born in 1902 in Norwood, Mass., daughter of Frank Gilman Allen, who briefly served as governor of Massachusetts from 1929 to 1930. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1925 and two years later married Francis Crane. Mary Crane was interested in American Indians from an early age. Her great-grandfather had started collecting Indian relics in the early days of the United States and amassed a collection that he later passed down to the family. Her husband shared her interest, his own family also having collected Indian artifacts over the years. Starting in the 1950s, the couple began expanding their merged family collections, resulting in a major collection of New World ethnographic and arachaeological materials covering a wide variety of tribes and geographic locales. Some of the collection's outstanding features are Pueblo shields, Yokuts and other California basketry, a peace medal collection and northern Plains pieces. In 1959, the Cranes built the Southeast Museum of the North American Indian at Marathon, Fl., near their second home, to house the collection. But as they continued to acquire more materials, the couple came to feel that the museum was not attracting the kind of visitor base they felt the collection deserved. They also determined that the Florida Keys did not provide an optimum physical or cultural environment for an Indian museum. They learned of potential interest from DMNH, which had recently allocated an entire floor in a newly-built wing of its building to a future North American Indian hall. In 1968, the Cranes donated or loaned their entire collection to DMNH. Francis Crane died the same year. Further donations by Mary Crane over the next decade resulted in the development of the Crane American Indian Hall, which opened in sections from 1974 to 1978. She was elected to the DMNH Board of Trustees in 1972 and served in that position until her death ten years later. Along with her lifelong interest in ethnographic collecting, Mary Crane was a conservationist, birdwatcher, and orchid grower. However, she is best known for her introduction (along with her husband) into the U.S. of the Great Pyrenees breed of dog. She bred and judged the breed internationally and was a leading authority on its history. Mary Crane died in Boston in 1982. The Crane collection at DMNS is considered one of the finest collections of American Indian materials in the U.S. It was an unusual collection, due both to its large size and the representation within it of so many different cultures, a feat rarely achieved by private collectors.

Francis Valentine Crane, along with his wife, Mary Crane, during the 1960s donated a large collection of American Indian artifacts to the Denver Museum of Natural History, now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Francis Crane was born in 1903 in Westwood, Mass. He graduated from Harvard University in 1925 and two years later married Mary Winslow Allen of Norwood, Mass. After college, he worked as an executive in his wife's father's business. Along with his wife, Francis Crane is known for his introduction into the U.S. of the Great Pyrenees breed of dog. Crane was interested in American Indians from an early age. For many years, family legend told of a Crane grandfather who had survived being scalped in Pittsburgh. In his early adulthood, Crane determined to seek out the authenticity of the story and to learn more about the history of the family's collection of American Indian artifacts. His wife shared this interest, her own family also having collected Indian artifacts over the years. Starting in the 1950s, the couple began adding more artifacts to the merged family collection, resulting in a major collection of New World ethnographic and arachaeological materials covering a wide variety of tribes and geographic locales. Some of the collection's outstanding features are Pueblo shields, Yokuts and other California basketry, a peace medal collection and northern Plains pieces. In 1959, the Cranes built the Southeast Museum of the North American Indian at Marathon, Fl., to house the collection. But as they continued to acquire more materials, the couple came to feel that the museum was not attracting the kind of visitor base they felt the collection deserved. They also determined that the Florida Keys did not provide an optimum physical or cultural environment for an Indian museum. They learned of potential interest from DMNH, which had recently allocated an entire floor in a newly-built wing of its building to a future North American Indian hall. In 1968, the Cranes donated or loaned their entire collection to DMNH. Crane died in December 1968. Further donations to DMNH by Mary Crane over the next decade resulted in the development of the Crane American Indian Hall, which opened in sections from 1974 to 1978. It is considered one of the finest collections of American Indian materials in the U.S., unusual due both to its large size and the representation within it of so many different cultures, a feat rarely achieved by private collectors.

From the description of Mary W.A. and Francis V. Crane Papers 1926-1978. (Denver Museum of Nature & Science). WorldCat record id: 69382664

Mary Winslow Allen Crane, along with her husband, Francis V. Crane, during the 1960s and 1970s donated a large collection of American Indian artifacts to the Denver Museum of Natural History (DMNH), now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Mary Crane was born in 1902 in Norwood, Mass., daughter of Frank Gilman Allen, who briefly served as governor of Massachusetts from 1929 to 1930. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1925 and two years later married Francis Crane.

Mary Crane was interested in American Indians from an early age. Her great-grandfather had started collecting Indian relics in the early days of the United States and amassed a collection that he later passed down to the family. Her husband shared her interest, his own family also having collected Indian artifacts over the years. Starting in the 1950s, the couple began expanding their merged family collections, resulting in a major collection of New World ethnographic and arachaeological materials covering a wide variety of tribes and geographic locales. Some of the collection's outstanding features are Pueblo shields, Yokuts and other California basketry, a peace medal collection and northern Plains pieces.

In 1959, the Cranes built the Southeast Museum of the North American Indian at Marathon, Fl., near their second home, to house the collection. But as they continued to acquire more materials, the couple came to feel that the museum was not attracting the kind of visitor base they felt the collection deserved. They also determined that the Florida Keys did not provide an optimum physical or cultural environment for an Indian museum. They learned of potential interest from DMNH, which had recently allocated an entire floor in a newly-built wing of its building to a future North American Indian hall. In 1968, the Cranes donated or loaned their entire collection to DMNH. Francis Crane died the same year. Further donations by Mary Crane over the next decade resulted in the development of the Crane American Indian Hall, which opened in sections from 1974 to 1978. She was elected to the DMNH Board of Trustees in 1972 and served in that position until her death ten years later.

Along with her lifelong interest in ethnographic collecting, Mary Crane was a conservationist, birdwatcher, and orchid grower. However, she is best-known for her introduction (along with her husband) into the U.S. of the Great Pyrenees breed of dog. She bred and judged the breed internationally and was a leading authority on its history.

Mary Crane died in Boston in 1982. The Crane collection at DMNS is considered one of the finest collections of American Indian materials in the U.S., unusual due both to its large size and the representation within it of so many different cultures, a feat rarely achieved by private collectors.

Francis Valentine Crane, along with his wife, Mary Crane, during the 1960s donated a large collection of American Indian artifacts to the Denver Museum of Natural History, now the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Francis Crane was born in 1903 in Westwood, Mass. He graduated from Harvard University in 1925 and two years later married Mary Winslow Allen of Norwood, Mass. After college, he worked as an executive in his wife's father's business. Along with his wife, Francis Crane is known for his introduction into the U.S. of the Great Pyrenees breed of dog.

Crane was interested in American Indians from an early age. For many years, family legend told of a Crane grandfather who had survived being scalped in Pittsburgh. In his early adulthood, Crane determined to seek out the authenticity of the story and to learn more about the history of the family's collection of American Indian artifacts. His wife shared this interest, her own family also having collected Indian artifacts over the years. Starting in the 1950s, the couple began adding more artifacts to the merged family collection, resulting in a major collection of New World ethnographic and arachaeological materials covering a wide variety of tribes and geographic locales. Some of the collection's outstanding features are Pueblo shields, Yokuts and other California basketry, a peace medal collection and northern Plains pieces.

In 1959, the Cranes built the Southeast Museum of the North American Indian at Marathon, Fl., to house the collection. But as they continued to acquire more materials, the couple came to feel that the museum was not attracting the kind of visitor base they felt the collection deserved. They also determined that the Florida Keys did not provide an optimum physical or cultural environment for an Indian museum. They learned of potential interest from DMNH, which had recently allocated an entire floor in a newly-built wing of its building to a future North American Indian hall. In 1968, the Cranes donated or loaned their entire collection to DMNH.

Crane died in December 1968. Further donations to DMNH by Mary Crane over the next decade resulted in the development of the Crane American Indian Hall, which opened in sections from 1974 to 1978. It is considered one of the finest collections of American Indian materials in the U.S., unusual due both to its large size and the representation within it of so many different cultures, a feat rarely achieved by private collectors.

From the guide to the Mary W.A. and Francis V. Crane Papers, 1926-1982, (Denver Museum of Nature and Science, )