"To beautify his house" : Rodman Wanamaker’s sacramental silver commissions
Date
2012
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
In 1901, Rodman Wanamaker, son of department store magnate John Wanamaker, added a newly-built and fully furnished Lady Chapel to the existing building of St. Mark's Church (Episcopal) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The gift was in memory of his late wife, Fernanda Henry Wanamaker. This set in motion a steady stream of bequests and donations to not only St. Mark's, but also to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene and the English royal family, as well as to Westminster Abbey. Wanamaker was a prolific and generous donor -- specifically, in this case, of religious materials -- who remains largely an enigma.
This paper seeks to understand the reasons behind Rodman Wanamaker's gifts and to place them within the larger history of the Anglican Church, as well as within the context of transnational trade and patronage.