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 Art Collection, the exhibition emphasized its size and breadth and included works by prominent Canadian artists Maurice Cullen, Lawren S. Harris, Emily Carr, Paul-Émile Borduas, and David Milne. This 1992 exhibition was part of the Ottawa Art Gallery’s re-opening after renovations to the gallery spaces including the creation of the Firestone Gallery, marking a pivotal moment in the history of both the Firestone Art Collection and the Ottawa Art Gallery. O.J. Firestone commented on the significance of the relocation himself at the event when he declared, "The collection is now standing on its own feet…here it has room to breathe."