Jun 8, 2024 – Electra’s Collection in Vermont

The United States is filled with hidden gems and I guarantee you won’t find them unless you travel by RV. It seems every place we visit has a hidden gem and quite often, it comes with a fascinating story and/or fascinating person. And here is one of those hidden gems from Shelburne, Vermont.

Electra Havemeyer was barely 19 years old in 1907 when she purchased a cigar store Indian figure from a storeowner in Stamford, CT. Perhaps it was out of defiance to her mother who would sharply disapprove of such a purchase out of contempt for the commonality. Or maybe Electra, having grown up surrounded by one of the finest collections of European and Asian art including 20 impressionist paintings simply saw the ‘art’ in folk art and had the means to collect it on a whim. For whatever reason she brought home a cigar store Indian figure, it was only the beginning. Over the years, Havemeyer collected American folk art and 18^th & 19^th century American furniture and accessories, so much so that if not for her wealth, she would be known as a hoarder.

That collection grew so much that Havemeyer needed a very large space, preferably where it could be displayed to the public. And that is how the Shelburne Museum came to be in 1947. Purchasing a cigar store Indian figure in 1907 would lead to the acquisition of 45 acres in Shelburne, Vermont near Lake Champlain for the displaying of 35 buildings (most are historic NE structures from as early as 1733), over 150,000 works of art, a covered bridge, the S.S. Ticonderoga sidewheel steamer (yes, the entire boat) and a lovely lawn that encourages the visitor to walk the grasses.

On the grounds, you will find a collection of carriages and sleighs, period homes with early American furniture and accessories, one of the finest collections of 18^th and 19^th century American folk art (including the original cigar store figure), a replica of Electra’s Park Ave apartment including the original fine art pieces, and the 518-ft long Circus Building shaped like a horseshoe and containing the miniature Arnold Circus Parade (One man’s creation) that stretches nearly the full length of the building.

You can easily spend an entire day at the Shelburne Museum, where art and history come together through fascinating stories revolving around one woman’s lifetime collection. When we walked onto the grounds of the Shelburne Museum, we did not know the origin of the museum, nor had we heard of Electra Havemeyer Webb. It wasn’t until we entered the Electra Havemeyer Webb Memorial Building that we learned how one woman’s passion for collecting became Vermont’s largest museum and the largest art and history museum in norther New England. We had only two days to spend near Shelburne and Burlington, Vermont – so glad we spent one of those days at the Shelburne Museum.

Vivian and I love visiting art museums and are constantly amazed by the communities and artists that create them for the public to enjoy. Here are a few we have seen on our travels through the U.S.

Louisiana – not a museum but a plantation where the artist Clementine Hunter learned to paint and created several hundred works. Fascinating story!

Montana – even cowboys can be artists. Meet Charlie Russell, America’s Cowboy Artist.

Iowa – sometimes we unexpectedly stumble upon an art museum with extraordinary exhibits, such as the Figge Museum in Davenport, IA.

Many Places – a nice summary of several places we visited that offered up art in one form or another and sometimes unexpectedly.