Museum Collections
American Art
William Merritt Chase,
In the Studio Corner, c. 1881
The American painting collection was established by Bartlett Arkell, the founder and first president of the Beech-Nut Packing Company. The paintings he collected are recognized today as some of the best works created by leading late 19th- and early 20th-century American artists. Arkell built the art gallery attached to the Canajoharie Library in 1927, and worked with MacBeth Galleries in New York to acquire a remarkable collection of American paintings. The collection includes 21 works by Winslow Homer, and important paintings by George Inness, William M. Chase, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Andrew Wyeth, Maurice Prendergast, Robert Henri, and other members of The Eight.
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Mohawk Valley History
Van Alstyne House
The museum has a growing collection of Mohawk Valley history material that includes photographs, diaries, letters, and portraits of individuals and businesses of both local and national importance.
The Beech-Nut Packing Company Archives, a major resource within this collection, includes photographs of early factory life, company scrapbooks, and marketing materials.
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Questions about the museum collection should be sent by email to the Chief Curator Diane Forsberg: dforsberg@arkellmuseum.org.
