Solomon R. Guggenheim
Solomon R. Guggenheim was an American business magnate and art lover who provided the initial collection and name for the Guggenheim Museum.
Synopsis
Born on February 2, 1861, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Solomon R. Guggenheim worked in his family industry of imports and mining before devoting time to art collecting post-retirement. His friend, Baroness Hilla Rebay, encouraged him to immerse himself in nonobjective art, and the two would go on to establish the Guggenheim Museum in 1939, now an internationally recognized institution.