A Collector's Journey: Charles Lang Freer & Egypt

A Collector's Journey: Charles Lang Freer & Egypt by Gunter, Ann C.. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781857592979.

Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) made his money as a railroad-car manufacturer. A discerning collector, he assembled one of the finest collections of Asian Art at the turn of the nineteenth century and during three trips to Egypt, between 1906 and 1909, he developed a passion for Egyptian art. He gave his collections to the United States, plus funds for a building to house them and in 1923, the Freer Gallery of Art was opened as the first Smithsonian Museum for Fine Art. Drawing on a wealth of unpublished letters, diaries and other sources, A Collectors Journey documents Freers experience in Egypt and discusses the place Egyptian art occupied in his collections aims. From jewel-like ancient glass vessels to sacred amulets with supposed magical properties to impressive stone guardian falcons and more, the Freer Egyptian collection is diverse, beautiful and important.