Ferdinand Blumenthal (1847-1914)

He was born in Frankfurt to a wealthy mercantile family who had been leather merchants since 1715. He came to New York City (becoming an American citizen) where he established a branch of the family business, F. Blumenthal & Co., and opened a factories in Wilmington, Delaware. His success allowed him to retire at an early age and while he often returned to New York City, he and his wife spent more time at their Paris home, L'Hôtel Blumenthal-Montmorency, where he kept, “a famous collection of art.” He was a well-known collector and his Paris home was filled with paintings of the Barbizon school including a number of Corots. He was decorated as a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur for his support of the arts in France and although his sons inherited the most part of his collection, three Corots and one Delacroix are now in the National Gallery of Art at Washington, D.C. He married Cecilia Ulman and they were survived by two sons, William and Cecil (who anglified his name to "Blunt"). After his death, his widow married Louis de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duc de Montmorency.