The Crocker Art Museum is a prominent art museum in Sacramento, California. It was built in 1873 and is the oldest art museum in the western United States.
The museum features a wide variety of artwork, including American, European, and Asian collections. It also houses a large number of photographs and artifacts from around the world.
The Crocker Art Museum was founded by Edwin B. Crocker, a prominent businessman and politician from Sacramento. He had a deep appreciation for the arts and wanted to make sure that his hometown had access to some of the best pieces of art available. He began collecting art in 1868 and soon after established the California Museum Association, which later became known as “The Crocker Art Museum.”
Edwin B. Crocker was the driving force behind building the museum. He purchased an existing structure on Second Street that served as a post office at the time.
He then hired architect Albert Bales to design an addition to it that would serve as an art gallery and museum space. Construction began in 1870 and was completed three years later in 1873 at a cost of $70,000. The building was officially opened to the public on March 28th, 1874 by Governor Newton Booth with over 3,000 attendees present for its grand opening celebration.
The Crocker Art Museum quickly became one of Sacramento’s most popular attractions with its expansive collection of artwork from different cultures around the world. Over the years, it has continued to expand its collections with new acquisitions as well as hosting traveling exhibitions from other museums around the world.
Today, The Crocker Art Museum is still one of Sacramento’s most beloved attractions and serves as an important cultural center for its community. It has been renovated multiple times over its long history but remains true to Edwin B. Crocker’s original vision: To provide access to great artwork for generations to come.
Conclusion:
The Crocker Art Museum was built in 1873 by Edwin B. Crocker who had a deep appreciation for art and wanted his hometown to have access to some of the best pieces of artwork available at that time. It has continued to be one of Sacramento’s most beloved attractions and serves as an important cultural center for its community up until today.