Thomas Hart Benton Home: lovely library!
I recently took a tour in Kansas City area of the home of
the artist Thomas Hart Benton. What a wonderful home and tour.
I found it particularly marvelous and inspiring that the household
library seems intact.
I sure hope no one uses this as an excuse to go pilfer, but it was
just a wonderful chance to get a feel for his period of fine arts
and literature.
There are many full bookshelves in the public area so I felt free
to take a look at a few. Many are signed first editions from authors
who were obviously sincere friends and acquaintances and many
others were simply copies belonging to him and his family, signed
as their own. It was wonderful to see the range of reading, from
the classics to fairly recent thriller paperbacks. (As I recall, THB
lived to the 1980’s perhaps.)
The families belongings appear as they were when the last member
left the home. The artist’s studio is as it was when he died while
working in it.
I really appreciated this level of access and hope that anyone else
who visits the home equally respects such a privilege. It was truly
inspiring.
