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Henry Field (1841–1890)

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Henry Field
Born1841
Conway, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedDecember 22, 1890(1890-12-22) (aged 48–49)
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, benefactor
Known forPartner at Field, Leiter & Company; art patron; philanthropist

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Henry Field (1841 – December 22, 1890) was a prominent American entrepreneur and benefactor. As a millionaire, he played a significant role in the business enterprises of his brother, Marshall Field, alongside various other commercial interests.

His 1878 marriage to Florence Lathrop connected him to the distinguished Barbour family.

Early life

Born in 1841 in Conway, Massachusetts, Field's early years set the foundation for his later accomplishments.[1]

Adult life

File:Byrd's Nest chapel 45218057.jpg
Field's nuptials were held at Byrd's Nest Chapel, depicted here in 1900.

In 1861, Field relocated to Chicago, Illinois.[1] There, he secured a position at Cooley, Farwell & Co., where his brother Marshall was also employed.[1]

With the formation of Field, Leiter & Company by his elder brother Marshall in 1869, Henry joined the firm as a partner.[1][2] Over time, he amassed considerable wealth,[3] serving as a junior partner within the company.[4]

On October 29, 1879, at age 38, Field married the 21-year-old Florence Lathrop at Byrd's Nest Chapel in Elmhurst, Illinois.[5][6] Florence was the daughter of Jedediah Hyde Lathrop and belonged to the esteemed Barbour family.[7]

Following their marriage, the couple spent two years living in Paris while Field acted as a foreign buyer for Field, Leiter & Company—soon to be renamed Marshall Field & Company.[8]

Upon returning to Chicago, they established their residence there. In March 1882, Florence gave birth to their first daughter, named after her late sister Minna (later known as Minna Field Page).[9][10] Their second daughter was born in December 1883 and named Florence (who later became Florence Field Lindsay through marriage).[11] A third daughter named Gladys arrived in 1888 but tragically passed away eight months later.[9]

After returning to the United States in 1882, Field took a one-year leave from Marshall Field & Company and briefly resumed work before retiring in 1883 due partly to declining health.[1][12] Following retirement, he traveled through Europe and returned with improved health.[1] He rejoined his brother’s firm from 1885 until retiring again in 1889.[12] Subsequently, he devoted much time to international travel.[1]

Beyond his brother’s enterprise, Field engaged in additional business activities. He held the role of vice-president and was a significant shareholder of Commercial National Bank,[1] maintaining this post until his death.[13] His financial portfolio included substantial holdings in Chicago companies; notably, he was among the largest shareholders of the West Division Street railway company,[1] a cable car operator.[14]

Field counted among several prominent Chicago social clubs.[1]

He was recognized for his philanthropic contributions.[1] During 1883 and 1884, he served as a director of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society and was part of its executive committee in 1884.[1] At the time of his passing, he held the position of treasurer within this organization.[1] Additionally, in 1884 he presided over the Home for the Friendless.[1]

In 1886, Field acted as director for Chicago’s Inter-State Industrial Exposition.[1]

As an art enthusiast and patron, he privately collected one of Chicago’s most esteemed art assortments,[1] served as trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago,[1] and participated on both the art committee and as director for the Inter-State Industrial Exposition.[1] Furthermore, he directed Chicago’s first opera festival in 1885.[1]

Death

File:Grave of Henry Field (1841–1890) at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago.jpg
Field's burial site at Graceland Cemetery

On December 22, 1890, just three days prior to Christmas, Henry Field passed away suddenly following a short illness.[1][13][15] He was 49 years old at the time.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Although he had experienced symptoms for about a week, his condition did not seem critical until shortly before his death.[13] Field was interred at Graceland Cemetery, a resting place established by his wife's uncle, Thomas Barbour Bryan, and then presided over by her brother, Bryan Lathrop.[16]

Legacy

File:Jean Charles Cazin - Tobias and the Angel - 1894.1036 - Art Institute of Chicago.jpg
Tobias and the Angel by Jean-Charles Cazin, one of the artworks donated to the Art Institute of Chicago by Field's widow[17]

In 1893, Field’s widow established "the Henry Field memorial," a dedicated trust managed by her brother Bryan Lathrop, Field’s brother Marshall, along with Owen T. Aldis, Martin A. Ryerson, and Albert A. Sprague. This trust encompassed all of Field's owned oil paintings, excluding those that were family portraits.[18][17] At that time, the collection was appraised at $300,000 (~$Template:Format price in Template:Inflation/year).[17] The assemblage comprised 44 oil paintings, predominantly featuring artists from the Barbizon school. Notable painters included Jules Breton, Jean-Charles Cazin, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, John Constable, Charles-François Daubigny, Joseph DeCamp, Eugène Delacroix, Édouard Detaille, Narcisse Virgilio Díaz, Jules Dupré, Ernest Hébert, Ludwig Knaus, Jean-François Millet, Henri Rousseau, Adolf Schreyer, and Constant Troyon.[18][17] Through this trust arrangement, Field’s widow lent the entire collection to the Art Institute of Chicago.[18][17] This donation was regarded as the most significant acquisition for the Art Institute since its founding fourteen years earlier.[18] Subsequently, on May 26, 1916, she formally transferred ownership of these works to the museum.[19] Included in this collection is Breton’s The Song of the Lark.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Furthermore, in 1893, in honor of Henry Field’s memory, his widow commissioned two lion sculptures by Edward Kemeys for the Art Institute of Chicago; these sculptures continue to flank the main entrance of the museum building.[20][21]

In 1895, Henry Field’s nephew Marshall Field II chose to name his newborn son Henry Field in tribute.

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CTdeath1
  2. ↑ Funigiello p. 27
  3. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ↑ Funigiello pp. 27–28
  7. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ↑ Funigiello pp. 28–29
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Funigiello p. 28
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ Funigiello pp. 28 and 45
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Funigiello p. 29
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named InterOceanobit1
  14. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ↑ Funigiello p. 33
  16. ↑ Funigiello pp. 17–18, 33
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AMagnificentGift
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Funigiello_34
  19. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Funigiello_35
  20. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Geoffrey
  21. ↑ Funigiello pp. 35–36

Works cited

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