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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum company history timeline

1903

The museum was built in 1898–1901 by Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840–1924), an American art collector, philanthropist, and patron of the arts in the style of a 15th-century Venetian palace. It opened to the public in 1903.

1924

When Gardner died in 1924, her will created an endowment of $1 million and outlined stipulations for the support of the museum, including the charge that her collection be permanently exhibited "for the education and enjoyment of the public forever" according to her aesthetic vision and intent.

1990

The collection was altered, however, on March 18, 1990, by a major art heist that stripped the museum of 13 valuable works, including those by Johannes Vermeer, Édouard Manet, and Rembrandt van Rijn.

Early in the morning of March 18, 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers robbed the museum of thirteen works worth some $500 million – the greatest known property theft in history.

2005

The theft, undertaken by two burglars dressed as Boston police officers, was examined in the documentary Stolen (2005). The paintings were never recovered, but most of their frames remain in their original places on the walls in the hope that the art will one day return.

2009

In 2009 a Massachusetts court ruled that the museum could depart from the strict terms of Gardner’s will, allowing for a renovation that included a new building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano.

2012

The new space opened in 2012 and included a music performance hall, an exhibition space, conservation laboratories, and greenhouses.

2017

The museum initially offered a reward of $5 million for information leading to recovery of the art, doubled in May 2017 to $10 million.

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Founded
1903
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Headquarters
Boston, MA
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Founders
Isabella Gardner
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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum may also be known as or be related to Fenway Court, Gardner Cafe, ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM INC and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.