Networking a national collection: Freer’s diaries, objects, and photographs

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article presents a network analysis of the actors and places associated with Charles Lang Freer’s collecting of Egyptian, ancient Near Eastern and Islamic art between 1907 and 1909, and highlights key developments in the formation of the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art. The authors lay out their research process and findings with two primary goals: to reveal previously unexplored aspects of Freer’s collecting practices, and to demonstrate the value of network analysis for highlighting the personal relationships which often underlie museum collections.