Martha Dana Mercer

Martha Mercer, née Dana (1872–1960) was a US art collector and philanthropist.

Martha Mercer, née Dana
Portrait by Anders Zorn
Born21 May 1872
Died21 February 1960
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican

She was the daughter of Charles Stratton Dana of the Dana family of Boston. She became friends with Isabella Stewart Gardner who arranged for her to have her portrait painted by Anders Zorn in 1899.[1]

She married the artist William Robert Mercer of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, who was the brother of Henry Chapman Mercer. Together they designed and built Aldie Mansion in the Tudor revival style, today owned by the Heritage Conservancy of Bucks County.[2] The couple had twins in 1910 who died within a year. Her husband died in 1939 and Martha split her legacy into three equal parts, forming the Martha Dana Mercer Trust. She gave to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Arnold Arboretum (in the name of her father), and the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston.[3] Dana Mercer gave her portrait by Zorn to the museum in 1928. The museum also has another painting formerly in her collection, Man on Horseback by Gerard ter Borch.[4]

Mercer is buried near her parents in Mount Auburn Cemetery.

References
  1. Martha Dana in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  2. Aldie Mansion history
  3. The Charles Stratton Dana Greenhouses of the Arnold Arboretum
  4. Man on Horseback on museum website


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