The Biography Shelf
Richard Carreno
Camino Books, Inc.
https://www.caminobooks.com
9781680980394 $29.95 hc / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/John-McFadden-His-Age-Philadelphia/dp/1680980394
Synopsis: John H. McFadden (1850-1921) was America's "Cotton King," overseeing a multimillion-dollar empire of cotton, from its baling in Memphis to its immensely lucrative sales in Liverpool. In his native Philadelphia, he was the city's undisputed "cultural czar." In his spare time, he was a museum administrator and hospital trustee, a property developer and a philanthropist, and he even financed an exploration of the Antarctic. Then McFadden got serious. His collection of English art, the largest of his age outside of the British realm, situated McFadden as a key player in the founding of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The John Howard McFadden Memorial Collection was offered as a tantalizing donation to the city of Philadelphia, with one major caveat: that a building must be constructed to hold it. This provision ensured that the museum in progress would indeed open to the public.
Ranging from sweaty sales rooms in Memphis to posh sales offices in Liverpool, from the life of luxury and high culture in London to the domestic life of Philadelphia's rich and privileged, this book explores McFadden's world in fascinating detail. John H. McFadden and His Age, the first full-length biography of the Philadelphia cultural titan, adds McFadden's often-forgotten name to the pantheon of great nineteenth-century art collectors.
Critique: John H. McFadden and His Age: Cotton and Culture in Philadelphia is a fascinating biography of a wealthy American cotton magnate, who became a legendary cultural figurehead of Philadelphia. A museum administrator, hospital trustee, property developer, and philanthropist who even financed an expedition to the Antarctic, McFadden's life is one of extraordinary impact. Notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this welcome addition to personal and public library American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that John H. McFadden and His Age is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Editorial Note: Richard Carreno is a longtime art critic in England and the United States. For many years, he was a journalist and university lecturer in London.
