The Newark Museum Association Papers (Librariana B)

The Newark Museum Association was founded by John Cotton Dana and other civic leaders in 1909. It grew out of a series of exhibitions on the fine arts, decorative arts, and natural sciences that were held on the 4th floor of the Newark Public Library from 1902 onward. In 1908 the very successful exhibition of the George T. Rockwell Collection of Japanese Objects caused Dana to convince the City of Newark to purchase this collection for the benefit of the public to be managed by the newly organized non-profit association. For the first 17 years of its existence, it operated out of the Library; then in 1926 it moved into its new building at 49 Washington Street.

Dana was its first director until his death in 1929. Beatrice Winser succeeded him and remained at her post until 1947. Other directors followed