Man who gave Brooklyn Museum restricted gifts in 1930s leaves no heirs, so Surrogate Court to decide outcome
Like many noted and reputable institutions, the Brooklyn Museum relies, among other factors, on the generosities of donors and art collectors. Benefactors bequeath large art estates to the museums upon their death. These donations often come with strings attached, restrictions on how the gift of art is to be used.
What does an institution do when those restrictions are counter-intuitive to the museum’s purpose and objective? This is what the Brooklyn Museum is attempting to determine in a case involving a 1930s gift to the museum.
In 1931 Col. Michael Friedsam, a quartermaster general of the New York State Guard, gave a collection of art and collectibles to the Brooklyn Museum.
“The gift of Col. Michael Friedsam was given to the museum as part of a charitable trust in 1931,” Sally Williams, the museum’s public information officer told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. “The requirement of the trust was that Friedsam’s collection be kept intact … kept together.”