Robert Gilmor Jr. (1774–1848) was an American merchant, shipowner, East-India importer and art collector from

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. He was regarded as "one fthe most significant art collectors and patrons in the United States before 1850." His collection included art, antiquities, rare books, autographs, coins, stamps, rocks, and minerals. His collection included 14th century Old Masters and 17th century Dutch and Flemish works. Thomas Sully, Mrs

He was a son of Revolutionary War leader, Robert Gilmor, Sr. (1748-1822). He married

Sarah Reeve Ladson Sarah Reeve Ladson (1790-1866) was an American socialite, arts patron, and style icon. Born into a prominent Charleston family, she was an influential member of the South Carolinian planter class. She was regarded as one of the most fashionable A ...

in 1807; his second wife was a daughter of South Carolina

lieutenant-governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

James Ladson James Henry Ladson (1753 – 1812) was an American politician, wealthy plantation owner from Charles Town and officer of the American Revolution. He served as the Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina from 1792 to 1794, and was a member of the ...

and Judith Smith. Portraits by

Thomas Sully Thomas Sully (June 19, 1783November 5, 1872) was a portrait painter in the United States. Born in Great Britain, he lived most of his life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He painted in the style of Thomas Lawrence. His subjects included nationa ...

of both Gilmor and his wife are owned by the

Gibbes Museum of Art The Gibbes Museum of Art, formerly known as the Gibbes Art Gallery, is an art museum in Charleston, South Carolina. Established as the Carolina Art Association in 1858, the museum moved into a new Beaux Arts building at 135 Meeting Street, in t ...

. Gilmor and Sarah Ladson had no biological children, but they raised her niece Isabel Ann Baron and "treated her as a daughter," and later supported the business endeavours of her husband John McPherson Brien. Isabel Ann Baron's daughter Isabel Ann Brien was married to Major William Henry Ladson, the son of

James H. Ladson James Henry Ladson (1795–1868) was an American planter class, planter and businessman from Charleston, South Carolina. He was the owner of James H. Ladson & Co., a major Charleston firm that was active in the rice and cotton business, and owned ...

, Sarah Ladson's brother.Humphries, Lance Lee, ''Robert Gilmor, Jr. (1774–1848): Baltimore Collector and American Art Patron'', pp. 86–89, University of Virginia, 1998

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmor, Robert 1774 births 1848 deaths Businesspeople from Baltimore 19th-century American businesspeople American merchants American art collectors