Geesey, Titus C.
Biography
Titus C. Geesey was such an enthusiast of American folk art that in the late 1930s he built his home as a showcase for the extensive collection he and his wife acquired. The result was "Longago," a large stone house situated just outside Wilmington, Delaware, that was reminiscent of the area's early 18th century architecture. Geesey began collecting in 1926, and by the 1940s he had built an important holding of Pennsylvania German (also known as Pennsylvania Dutch) furniture, pottery, metalware, textiles, and other types of decorative and graphic arts.
Geesey lent and gifted many of his objects to museums and historical societies in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia and often supplied magazines such as Antiques and other decorative art publications with photographs. In 1953 the Philadelphia Museum of Art received one of his most generous offerings, which significantly strengthened the institution's rural Pennsylvania collection. In addition to his role as donor, Geesey was a member of the Museum's Board of Governors from 1955 to 1964, a Trustee from 1964 to 1966, and an Honorary Trustee beginning in 1966. He died on December 8, 1969.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Titus C. Geesey Papers
This collection consists of Titus C. Geesey's correspondence with curators, directors and other individuals written from 1945 to 1969, primarily regarding loans and gifts from his collection of American folk art, and in particular, Pennsylvania German objects.