Gallery Talk: Tracing Ownership through Collectors’ Marks

Name: Gallery Talk: Tracing Ownership through Collectors’ Marks
Start: 2025-10-07T12:30:00-04:00
End: 2025-10-07T13:00:00-04:00
Location: Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138

Schedule

Tue Oct 07 2025 at 12:30 pm to 01:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138 | Cambridge, MA

Have you ever wondered about the tiny, stamped marks that are often seen on prints and drawings? They are called collectors’ marks: unique stamps or inscriptions that signal ownership. The marks range from initials to coats of arms, animals, plants, and celestial bodies, and they offer important clues in tracing part of the provenance, or history of ownership, of the works. Curator Miriam Stewart will discuss the marks and their collectors and will introduce a fascinating published catalogue of over 6,000 known marks.
Led by:
Miriam Stewart, Curator of the Collection, Division of European and American Art
Please check in with museum staff at the Visitor Services desk in the Calderwood Courtyard to request to join the gallery talk. Space is limited, and talks are available on a first-come, first-served basis; no registration is required.