Skip to content

Henry C. Lawrence, Collector of Medieval Art

Here is information about Henry C. Lawrence’s collection of medieval art.   He is particularly important for collecting 12th and 13th century stained glass from the area to the north and east of Paris.  When his collection was sold after his death in 1919 much was purchased by Raymond Pitcairn of Bryn Athyn, PA, and is now on exhibit in the Glencairn Museum.  Other pieces are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art at both the main building on Fifth Avenue and at The Cloisters Museum in upper Manhattan. 

Henry C. Lawrence was born June 13, 1859, in NYC to Cyrus J. Lawrence and Emily Hoe Lawrence.  He was the brother of Mary Say Lawrence Webster.  He died 1919 at the age of sixty.  Educated in France, Lawrence returned to New York City and joined his father’s firm, Cyrus Lawrence & Sons, Stocks and Bonds, 16 Wall Street.   The firm was founded in 1864. 

Here are some links and some articles:

Announcement of Henry C. Lawrence’s death, .NYT Sept 4, 1919

Notice of the sale of Lawrence’s collection along with a description of his home in NY.  NYT  Jan. 2, 1921.

News report of the sale. NYT March 6, 1921.  Note that the article is written by Asa Steele (any relation to Zulma Steele of Byrdcliffe?)

Glencairn Museum – the stained glass panel at the top of this page, the Soissons King, was from the Lawrence collection.  Glencairn is the home of Raymond Pitcairn.  http://www.glencairnmuseum.org/

Portsmouth Abbey School  - stained glass in their chapel from the Lawrence collection –http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/34/48/

Bibliography:

Hayward, Jane. et al. Radiance and Reflection: Medieval Art from the Raymond Pitcairn Collection. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1982. (research and bibliography by Mary Prevo ;-)  For information on panels of stained glass purchased from the Lawrence collection by Raymond Pitcairn.

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *