Merchant (Hardware/Cutlery)/Art Connoisseur
Centurion, 1854–1894
Born 23 December 1820 in New York (Manhattan), New York
Died 17 January 1894 in New York (Manhattan), New York
Buried Green-Wood Cemetery
, Brooklyn, New York
Proposed by Abraham M. Cozzens
Elected 7 January 1854 at age thirty-three
Archivist’s Note: Birthdate calculated from his reported age at death of 73 years, 0 months, and 25 days
Seconder of:
Century Memorial
John Wolfe, one of the old merchants of New York, was distinguished as one of the ablest connoisseurs of art in this country. From his early youth he was a collector, and the several galleries which he has accumulated establish his reputation as an art patron and critic. Some of the most notable paintings in this country were originally in his collections; and the noble gift of his cousin, Miss Catherine L. Wolfe, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, of paintings and endowment fund, was largely inspired by him. He was of a modest and retiring nature, and found the chief pleasure of his life in surrounding himself with the beautiful creations of the artists of all times.
Henry E. Howland
1895 Century Association Yearbook
