Edgar Richardson was one of the first historians to make a serious study of American art and to understand its importance. Over a period of almost seventy years, he and his wife, Constance, amassed a relatively small but select art collection, which reflected their intense passion, impeccable taste and broad knowledge of the field. Aside from American art, it was comprised of Old Master paintings, drawings and prints, Greek and Roman antiquities and Renaissance works of art. Dr. Richardson was the director of the Detroit Institute of Arts from 1945-62. He co-founded The Archives of American Art, now part of the Smithsonian Institution and wrote `Painting in America (published in 1956 and revised in 1965), a seminal study for a generation of collectors and students . After leaving Detroit, he became the first professional director of the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, where he played a pivotal role in transforming a private residence into a noteworthy museum