Belle Linsky Explained

Belle Linsky (1904–1987) was a Ukrainian-born American businesswoman and philanthropist who was a Swingline Inc. executive with her husband, Swingline's president Jack Linsky. In 1982, she donated much of her art collection, valued at $90 million, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.^{[1] [2]}

Life

Belle Linsky was born in Kiev^[3] in 1904^[4] and came to the United States as a child.^[5] With her husband she owned 19 percent of the stock of the Swingline corporation, based in New York City at the time, which they sold to American Brands Inc. in 1970 for $210 million. She was treasurer of Swingline at the time of the sale and Jack Linsky was inventor, president, and chairman.^{[6] [3]}

She lived in Palm Beach, Florida and New York, where much of her art collection was housed.^{[2] [7]} She died in New York on Monday, September 28, 1987.

Philanthropy and art collection

In 1965, the Linskys endowed for $1 million a pavilion that bears their names at the Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan.^[3]

She and her husband, Jack Linsky, started collecting art during The Great Depression.^[1] After Mr. Linsky died in 1980, much of the art collection went into The Jack and Belle Linsky Foundation.^[1] In 1982, Mrs. Linsky decided to give some to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as a dozen other American museums. The collection includes more than 1000 objects.^{[1] [8]} The bulk of which is housed in the 3,980 square-foot Jack and Belle Linsky Galleries^{[9] [10]} at the museum.^{[11] [12]}

At one point the Linskys had one of the largest Fabergé egg collections in America.^[13]

See Also

• Jack and Belle Linsky Collection

Notes and References

1. News: MET is given $60 million Linsky art collection . Glueck . Grace. March 4, 1982. The New York Times. 2018-07-16. en.
2. Web site: Archives Directory for the History of Collecting. research.frick.org.
3. News: Goldman . Julia . Staples Of N.Y. Jewish Life . 27 February 2019 . The New York Jewish Week . June 21, 2002.
4. Book: Vincent . Clare . Leopold . Jan Hendrik . Sullivan . Elizabeth . European clocks and watches in the Metropolitan Museum of Art . February 2, 2016 . Metropolitan Museum of Art . New York, NY . 9781588395795 . 6 . 27 February 2019.
5. News: Antiques View; Portraits in Porcelain. Rita. Reif. 24 June 1984. The New York Times.
6. News: American Brands Announces Plans to Acquire Swingline. 1970-03-26. The Bridgeport Post. 2019-02-12. Associated Press. 44. Newspapers.com.
7. News: Eubanks . Joyce Rowland . Belle Linsky Donates Fine Art . 3 February 2019 . Palm Beach Daily News . 4 April 1982 . Palm Beach, Florida . 15.
8. Book: O'Neill . John P. . The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection in The Metropolitan Museum of Art . Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1984 . 2018-07-16.
9. Book: MacArthur, John R. . The Selling of Free Trade: NAFTA, Washington, and the Subversion of American Democracy. 16 October 2001. University of California Press. 978-0-520-23178-8. 12–.
10. News: Frederick A.. Winship . Art collected by Horatio Alger-type couple goes on permanent display at Met Museum. June 30, 1984. UPI. 2018-07-16. en.
11. News: Belle Linsky, Philanthropist And Art Collector, Dies at 83. The New York Times. October 1, 1987. 2018-07-16. en.
12. Book: Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.). Annual Report of the Trustees. 1984. Metropolitan Museum of Art..
13. News: Phyllis. Korkki. March 23, 2013 . The Attachment That Still Makes Noise. The New York Times. NYTimes.com.