J. Blankfard Martenet (March 1898 - July 10, 1957), son of Dr. William H. Martenet and Mary E. Blankfard, was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. He attended local schools and joined the army at 18 where he served in France during World War I. His career began as a draftsman for structural engineer Herman D. Doleman and eventually he became the superintendent of the George A. Fuller Construction Company. He retired at age 40 to focus on patronage to the arts.Martenet's interest in art collecting began in 1938 after purchasing Puerto Rican watercolor paintings on a Caribbean cruise. He became a patron and ardent supporter of Baltimore artists. He was involved in the exhibition of local artists at the Cinema, the Playhouse and 5 West movie theaters as well as being a committee member for the Baltimore Outdoor Art Festival. His personal collection focused on the drawings of Aaron Sopher and included drawings by Ralph McGuire and Matsumi M. Kanemitsu. He also collected the paintings of Perna Krick, Betty Cooke, Edward Rosenfeld, Jacob Glushakow, Mary DiCrispino, Walter Bohanan, Esau Lake and Herman Maril as well as the sculpture of Reuben Kramisch. His efforts to support local artists from Baltimore were often cited as heroic. Following the 1957 Maryland Regional Artists' Show, Martenet recieved a gift of 35 paintings from local artists he had sponsored or encouraged. He willed his collection to the Baltimore Museum of Art.
From the description of J. Blankfard Martenet Scrapbook on Baltimore Artists 1929-1951 (Baltimore Museum of Art Library). WorldCat record id: 726158808
