Skip to main content

Clifford, Henry

 Person

Biography

Henry Clifford was born in 1904 in Newcastle, Maine and studied in private schools in the United States and later in Harrow, England. He was married to Esther Harrison Rowland Clifford (1905-1983), a noted scholar and philanthropist, who was educated at Vassar and earned her master's degree and a doctorate in medieval history at Bryn Mawr College. They had two sons (Pier and Nicholas) and eight grandchildren. The Cliffords maintained homes in various locations, including: Rock Rose in Radnor, Pennsylvania; Es Tassoneyres at Mont Pelerin-sur-Vevey, Switzerland; Villa Capponi in Florence, Italy; and a villa at Jonacatapec, Mexico. These locations reflected the Cliffords' scholarly interests, which included Mexican art and European medieval history, as well as "all things modern." Henry Clifford is recognized as one of the Museum's most distinguished curators. He worked in various capacities over time, starting as the Assistant Curator of Paintings in 1932. In 1936, Clifford was promoted to Associate Curator of Paintings; by 1942, he served as full curator. Clifford retired in 1964, so his involvement with the Museum lasted for a total of 32 years. Clifford curated several outstanding exhibitions for the Museum, including: Mexican Art Today (1943); Matisse (1948); Toulouse-Lautrec (1955); Gustave Courbet (1959/60), and A World of Flowers (1963). In collaboration with other museums, Clifford presented Paintings and Drawings by Vincent Van Gogh (1954), Picasso 75th Anniversary Exhibition (1958), and Thomas Eakins: A Retrospective Exhibition (1962). Mr. and Mrs. Clifford's own collection of modern paintings was regularly featured in the Museum's "summer loan exhibitions" in the 1950s and 1960s, and they generously donated several works of art to the institution. At the time of Mr. Clifford's retirement in 1964, former Director Evan Turner said: "Mr. Clifford's connoisseurship and knowledge have unquestionably contributed to the significance of the exhibitions and acquisitions of the Museum during his tenure in office. His example has as well stimulated the considerable growth and quality of private collections in our city." Mr. Clifford passed away in 1974.

Found in 70 Collections and/or Records:

Arensberg Collection to Open October 16 in Philadelphia, 1954

 Object — Box: 181, Folder: 1
Identifier: FKR_B181_F001_053
Scope and Contents

Arensberg Collection to Open October 16 in Philadelphia. Press release from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Dates: 1954

Arensberg Collection to Open October 16 in Philadelphia, 1954

 Object — Box: 181, Folder: 1
Identifier: FKR_B181_F001_054
Scope and Contents

Arensberg Collection to Open October 16 in Philadelphia. Press release from the Philadelphia Museum of Art [draft].

Dates: 1954

Arensberg Collection to Open October 16 in Philadelphia, 1954 March 10

 Object — Box: 181, Folder: 9
Identifier: FKR_B181_F009_001
Scope and Contents

Arensberg Collection to Open October 16 in Philadelphia. Press release from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Dates: 1954 March 10

Arensbergs' Art Given to Museum, 1951 January 18

 Object — Box: 41, Folder: 39
Identifier: WLA_B041_F039_009
Scope and Contents

"Arensbergs' Art Given to Museum." Clipping from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Dates: 1951 January 18

Clifford, Henry, 1934-1947, undated

 File — Box: 140, Folder: 3
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: The bulk of material in this subseries is internal correspondence, most often between Kimball and the particular staff member. Advisers are also represented. Additional correspondence between curatorial personnel and individuals or organizations outside the museum remains in the "General correspondence and related material" series. The "Administrative issues" series, "Personnel" subseries contains Kimball's correspondence with curator/assistant director Henri Marceau as well as any...
Dates: 1934-1947, undated

Clifford, Henry, 1948-1951

 File — Box: 140, Folder: 4
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: The bulk of material in this subseries is internal correspondence, most often between Kimball and the particular staff member. Advisers are also represented. Additional correspondence between curatorial personnel and individuals or organizations outside the museum remains in the "General correspondence and related material" series. The "Administrative issues" series, "Personnel" subseries contains Kimball's correspondence with curator/assistant director Henri Marceau as well as any...
Dates: 1948-1951

Clifford, Henry, 1953-1955

 File — Box: 140, Folder: 5
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: The bulk of material in this subseries is internal correspondence, most often between Kimball and the particular staff member. Advisers are also represented. Additional correspondence between curatorial personnel and individuals or organizations outside the museum remains in the "General correspondence and related material" series. The "Administrative issues" series, "Personnel" subseries contains Kimball's correspondence with curator/assistant director Henri Marceau as well as any...
Dates: 1953-1955

Clifford, Henry, and Esther, 1946-1964, undated

 File — Box: 4, Folder: 1
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: As the correspondents in this sub-subseries make evident, McIlhenny cultivated a social network that reached across noted names in all the arts, as well as titled gentry, royalty and political figures. Whenever celebrities of the stage, screen or concert hall were performing in Philadelphia, McIlhenny would invite them to his home at Rittenhouse Square, just a stone's throw away from the major theatres and hotels. Although they could not always accept the offer, invitees included Noel...
Dates: 1946-1964, undated

Compilation of correspondence from Marcel Duchamp to Barnet Hodes, 1956, 1968, 1983

 Object — Box: 11, Folder: 8
Identifier: MDR_B011_F008_001
Scope and Contents

Compilation of correspondence from Marcel Duchamp to Barnet Hodes [copies] from the Art Institute of Chicago. Includes correspondence from Esther Sparks, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago, to Ann Percy, Curator of Drawings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Dates: 1956, 1968, 1983

Correspondence from Alexina and Marcel Duchamp to Henry Clifford, 1955 February 17

 Object — Box: 3, Folder: 10
Identifier: MAR_B003_F010_001
Scope and Contents

Correspondence from Alexina and Marcel Duchamp to Henry Clifford, Curator of Paintings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Dates: 1955 February 17

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 68
Collection 2
 
Subject
correspondence 57
Philadelphia, United States 44
Hollywood, United States 7
New York City, United States 4
press releases 3