Sarah and Charles amassed a unique and unusually broad art collection. They preferred paintings from the West, while they sought out their ceramics from the East. Although the art collection is in Charles’ name, he and Sarah collected art together. Sarah Allis had a keen eye for collecting prints, as well as accumulating an impressive array of thirty-five bronze animals by the much sought-after sculptor Antoine-Lois Barye. Charles was particularly interested in paintings from the French Barbizon School, American Hudson River School, and the Hague School. He also had a love of East Asian ceramics.
They also purchased lamps and household ornaments from the famous Tiffany Studios of New York and even considered engaging the firm to produce a large landing window for their new residence.
As a result of Sarah and Charles' keen collecting instincts, the couple built a world-class art collection. Together, these objects speak of an insatiable curiosity about the world and its artistic output. The couple also built a mansion to display their collection, with the intention of bequeathing their home and its contents to the public in order to delight, inspire and educate.
Highlights of the Allis collection are available to view on The Collection page.