Anna Rice Cooke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Charlotte (Rice) Cooke
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Painting by Frederic Yates (1854–1919), 1910, Honolulu Museum of Art
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| Born | September 5, 1853 |
| Died | August 8, 1934 (aged 80) |
| Spouse(s) | Charles Montague Cooke |
| Children | Charles Montague Jr. Clarence H. George P. Richard A. Alice T. Theodore A. |
Anna Rice Cooke (born September 5, 1853 – died August 8, 1934) was a very important person in Hawaii's art world. She loved art and helped artists. She is best known for starting the Honolulu Museum of Art, a famous art museum in Hawaii.
Contents
Biography
Anna Charlotte Rice was born on September 5, 1853, in Oahu, Hawaii. Her family was well-known for being missionaries. Her father was a teacher named William Harrison Rice, and her mother was Mary Sophia Hyde. Anna grew up on the beautiful island of Kauaʻi.
Early Life and Education
Anna went to Punahou School (which was called Oahu College back then) from 1867 to 1868. Later, she attended Mills College from 1871 to 1872.
Family and Home
In 1874, Anna married Charles Montague Cooke. He was a very successful businessman. They eventually made their home in Honolulu. They had several children, including Charles Montague Cooke Jr., who became a zoologist (someone who studies animals). Other children were Clarence Hyde Cooke, George P. Cooke, Richard A. Cooke, Alice T. Cooke, and Theodore A. Cooke.
In 1882, the Cookes built a large home on Beretania Street. It was right across from Thomas Square Park. From their second-story windows, they could see Diamond Head and Punahou School.
Starting an Art Collection
As Charles Cooke's business grew, the family became wealthy. Anna began to collect beautiful art pieces. At first, she bought "parlor pieces" to decorate their home. She often visited the shop of a furniture maker named Yeun Kwock Fong Inn. He would get ceramics and textiles from his brother in China. Fong Inn later became one of Honolulu's main art importers.
Anna also strongly supported local artists, especially Charles W. Bartlett. She would invite artists to show their work at her home. She also introduced them to her rich friends, helping them sell their art.
Honolulu Museum of Art
The Cooke family's art collection grew so large that it filled their home and even the homes of their children! Anna had a big idea: she wanted to create a museum. She wanted to share their art collection with the children of Hawaii.
Planning the Museum
In 1920, Anna, along with her daughter Alice (Mrs. Phillip Spalding), her daughter-in-law Dagmar (Mrs. Richard Cooke), and Catharine E. B. Cox, started working on the museum. Catharine was an art and drama teacher. These women began to list and research every art piece in the collection.
Even without much formal training, they worked hard. In 1922, they received official permission (a charter) from the Territory of Hawaii to start the museum. They continued to carefully list every art treasure. In 1924, Cooke hired a painter named Frank Montague Moore to be the first director of the Honolulu Museum of Art.
A Museum for Everyone
From the very beginning, Anna wanted the museum to show off Hawaii's unique mix of cultures. She wanted it to reflect the many different people who lived there.
The Cookes gave their Beretania Street home for the museum. They also gave $25,000 and thousands of artworks. Their family home was taken down to make space for the new museum building.
Designing the Building
A famous New York architect named Bertram Goodhue designed the museum. He planned a classic Hawaiian-style building. It had the mountains as a backdrop and colorful flowering trees, flowers, and bushes around it. The building itself had simple off-white walls and tiled roofs. Goodhue passed away before the building was finished. Hardie Phillip stepped in to complete the project. Over the years, this special architectural style has been copied in many buildings across Hawaii.
Opening Day
The Honolulu Museum of Art officially opened its doors on April 8, 1927. Anna Rice Cooke died peacefully in her home on August 8, 1934. Her dream of a museum for Hawaii's children had come true.
See also
In Spanish: Anna Rice Cooke para niños
