Helen Swift Neilson (1869 – 18 June 1945) was an American writer and art collector.

Biography

Neilson was the daughter of Annie Maria (née Higgins) and

Gustavus Franklin Swift Gustavus Franklin Swift, Sr. (June 24, 1839 – March 29, 1903) was an American business executive. He founded a meat-packing empire in the Midwest during the late 19th century, over which he presided until his death. He is credited with t ...

, founder of the meatpacking company Swift & Co. Her first husband was Edward Morris, son of Nelson Morris, the founder of Morris & Company, a competitor to her father. They had 4 children: Edward Morris, Jr., Nelson Swift Morris,

Ruth Morris Bakwin Ruth Morris Bakwin (1898 – July 31, 1985) was a noted pediatrician and child psychologist and the first woman intern at the Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York City (now the New York Medical College). Bakwin and her husband, also a pediatrician, w ...

, and Muriel Morris Gardiner Buttinger. In 1913, her husband died and in 1917, she remarried to British politician and writer

Francis Neilson Francis Neilson (26 January 1867 – 13 April 1961) was an accomplished actor; playwright, stage director; political figure; member of the British House of Commons; avid lecturer; author of more than 60 books, plays and opera librettos and the ...

, with whom she founded the weekly paper ''

The Freeman ''The Freeman'' (formerly published as ''The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty'' or ''Ideas on Liberty'') was an American libertarian magazine, formerly published by the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). It was founded in 1950 by John Chamberl ...

'' in 1920. She is perhaps best known for her book about her parents called ''My Father and My Mother''.My Father and My Mother
The Lakeside Press, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Chicago, 1937 Neilson died in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. She bequeathed several notable paintings to the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

: File:Rembrandt, Portret van een jonge vrouw met waaier, 1633, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.jpg, '' Portrait of a Young Woman with a Fan'', by

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

File:The Lovesick Maiden MET DP147594.jpg, '' The Lovesick Maiden'', by

Jan Steen Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. Life ...

File:Janet Law MET DP162154.jpg, ''Portrait of Janet Law'', by

Henry Raeburn Sir Henry Raeburn (; 4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Biography Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a fo ...

File:Mrs. Thomas Pechell (Charlotte Clavering, died 1841) MET DP162153.jpg, ''Portrait of Mrs. Thomas Pechell'' (Charlotte Clavering, died 1841), by

John Hoppner John Hoppner (4 April 175823 January 1810) was an English portrait painter, much influenced by Reynolds, who achieved fame as a brilliant colourist. Early life Hoppner was born in Whitechapel, London, the son of German parents – his moth ...

File:Major Thomas Pechell (1753–1826) MET DP162152.jpg, ''Portrait of Thomas Pechell (1753–1826)'', by John Hoppner

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neilson, Helen Swift 1869 births 1945 deaths People from Barnstable, Massachusetts American women writers American art collectors People associated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art Wellesley College alumni Morris family (meatpacking)