Annie S. Kemerer (1865–1951) was an art collector who founded the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts in

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Bethle ...

, upon her death in 1951. Annie Grim (Kemerer) was one of three daughters born in 1865 to Ellen Fogel Grim and Jacob Grim whose parents owned the Grim farm, which is now part of the Saucon Valley Country Club, where their home serves as the clubhouse. Kemerer enrolled at Hackettstown Academy in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

and then Hagerstown Female Seminary, a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

school, in Maryland. In 1890, she married Albert Kemerer, the son of State Senator Jacob Kemerer, who employed Albert in the real estate division of his law firm. The Kemerers lived on W. Broad Street near the movie theater. The Kemerers had one son who served stateside during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, but committed suicide in 1921. Albert Kemerer died in 1927, and after his death Annie Kemerer became more reclusive but continued to acquire a large collection of antiques until her death in 1951 at age 85. She bequeathed her $300,000 and her collection to start a decorative arts museum which became the Kemerer Museum in 1954.A legacy lives on ** Kemerer Museum's founder may have been a mystery, but the appeal of her collection reaches out to all By Marguerite Smolen Special to The Morning Call - Freelance The Morning Call • Oct 03, 2004 https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-2004-10-03-3579221-story.html

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kemerer, Annie S. 1865 births 1951 deaths People from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Museum founders American art collectors Centenary University alumni