The Hyde Collection facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hyde House
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 161 Warren St., Glens Falls, New York |
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| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | Henry Forbes Bigelow, H.F. Rhinelander |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| MPS | Henry Forbes Bigelow Buildings TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 84003358 |
| Added to NRHP | September 29, 1984 |
The Hyde Collection is a cool art museum in Glens Falls, New York. It's in a beautiful old house called Hyde House, which is a historic building. The Hyde family started this amazing collection and gave it to the community.
Inside, you'll find lots of interesting things! There's old furniture, books, paintings, sculptures, and pottery. Even though it's not a huge museum, it has a really impressive collection. You can see art from the Italian Renaissance and fancy French antiques from the 1700s.
Some of the famous artists whose work you can see include Botticelli, El Greco, van Dyck, Ingres, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Tintoretto, Cézanne, Degas, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and van Gogh. Plus, there are important American artists like Eakins, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, and Whistler.
Contents
The Hyde Collection's Story
How the Museum Began
Charlotte Pruyn Hyde loved art and wanted to share it. In 1952, she decided to turn her home and her huge art collection into a museum for everyone. She wanted it to be a place to show art and help people learn about fine arts. This was for the people of Glens Falls and anyone else who wanted to visit.
Mrs. Hyde (1867–1963) grew up in Glens Falls, New York. Her family was very important in the paper industry in the Adirondack Mountains area. Her father, Samuel Pruyn, started a paper company in 1865. This company made the family very wealthy.
Building Hyde House
Charlotte met Louis Hyde (1866–1934) when she was studying in Boston. They got married in 1901. A few years later, in 1906, Charlotte's father asked Louis to join the family business. So, they moved back to Glens Falls, and Louis became a leader at the paper mill.
Between 1904 and 1912, Charlotte and her sisters built their homes next to each other. They had a great view of the Hudson River. A famous architect from Boston, Henry Forbes Bigelow, designed all three houses. Hyde House was finished in 1912. It looks like a grand Italian palazzo, which is a type of fancy palace. It's a great example of American architecture inspired by European styles.
Growing the Art Collection
Once Hyde House was ready, Charlotte and Louis started filling it with furniture and art. They carefully chose pieces that fit their beautiful new home. They bought art during their summer trips to Europe. They also often bought from their favorite art dealers in New York City.
By 1930, their collection was well-known. When Mr. Hyde passed away in 1934, they had already collected about a third of their main art pieces. For the next 30 years, Mrs. Hyde kept adding to the collection. She made sure it included art from many different periods of Western art history. A famous art expert, Bernard Berenson, helped them find amazing Renaissance art.
Opening to the Public
Mrs. Hyde died in 1963. Just three months later, the Hyde Collection opened its doors to the public. In 1984, Hyde House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historic building in the U.S.
In 1989, the museum got bigger! A new part was designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. This new section connected Hyde House to the nearby Cunningham House, which the museum had recently bought. This expansion added four new art galleries, an auditorium, classrooms, and a museum shop. It helped the museum do even more for visitors.
Today, this expanded space allows the museum to host many special art shows. These shows feature different art styles, time periods, and types of art. They might focus on one artist, like Winslow Homer or Auguste Rodin. Or they might explore broader art themes. These special shows add a lot to the art you can always see in Hyde House.
In 2004, the Hyde Collection finished more improvements. Hyde House was fully restored, including its outside walls. Inside, the museum worked to make the house look just like it did when the Hydes lived there. This helps visitors feel like they've stepped back in time. In 2010, there was talk about the museum possibly expanding even more into a nearby building.
Images for kids
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Looking east
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Looking west
