The Wallace Collection in the 20th Century
Following the announcement of Lady Wallace's bequest, the Government decided, rather than constructing a new museum, to acquire the freehold of Hertford House which, over the course of the next three years, was converted for use as a museum.
The Wallace Collection opened, to great acclaim, to the public as a national museum on 22 June 1900.
Since then the collections have been enjoyed by millions of visitors and have remained constantly open to the public except for periods during the two World Wars, when the collections had to be removed to safe storage.
The Wallace Collection has been fortunate to have had a succession of distinguished Keepers’ later Directors, of the Collection, who have maintained its traditions of liberal access combined with the highest standards of display and scholarship
Keepers and Directors of the Wallace Collection: 1897-1911 - Sir Claude Phillips
1912-1924 - Dugald Sutherland McColl
1924-1936 - Samuel Camp
1936-1962 - Sir James Mann
1963-1974 - Sir Francis Watson
1974-1978 - Terence Hodgkinson
1978-1992 - John Ingamells
1992-Present - Dr Rosalind Savill CBE FSA FBA
Dr Rosalind Savill, Director of the Wallace Collection
