White Fund Paintings

A multimillion dollar collection of paintings was bequeathed to the residents of Lawrence in 1907 by the Rev. William E. Wolcott. Rev. Wolcott willed the paintings to the White Fund, a nonprofit private charity established in 1852 by Judge Daniel Appleton White. The 17 paintings have been in storage at the Boston Museum of Fine Art because there was no suitable place in Lawrence to show or store them. There was a move in 2000 to sell the paintings to raise money for local art programs. The state's highest court ruled that they may not be sold since it would go against the intent of the bequest. The paintings were shown at the Addison Gallery of American Art. "An Impressionist Legacy: Lawrence's White Fund Paintings", April 24. 2007-July 31, 2007. The Addison was not interested in housing the collection since most of it is not American art. The collection includes Monet's Poppy Fileds and two Pissarros.

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