Wallace Collection of the wealthiest families in Europe. They owned large properties in England, Wales and Ireland, and increased their wealth through successful marriages. Politically of lesser importance, the 3rd and 4th Marquess and Sir Richard Wallace became leading art collectors of their time. The Wallace Collection, comprising about 5,500 works of art, was bequeathed to the British nation by Lady Wallace in 1897. The state then decided to buy Hertford House to display the collection and it was opened as a museum in 1900. As a museum the Wallace Collection's main strength is perhaps its extraordinary array of 18th-century French art:
Firestone Collection of Canadian Art wished for. To increase the accessibility of the Collection, pieces from the collection have toured overseas as well as continuing to travel throughout Canada to art institutions. The 2004 exhibition "Full Space: Modern Art from the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art" curated by Emily Falvey, was the Ottawa Art Gallery’s first national touring exhibition of the Firestone Collection of Canadian Art. The 2005 exhibition "Private Eye: Choosing Ottawa for a National Collection" curated by Catherine Sinclair and coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the City of Ottawa aimed to display never before seen works from the Collection. The 2008 exhibition