June 9, 2005 - September 4, 2005

We are proudly celebrating the tenth anniversary of the John and Peggy Maximus Gallery dedicated to the display of antique works of art. After 15 years of exhibit programs in the Changing Gallery, the Maximus Wing was added to the Museum in 1995. The new space consists of an elegant gallery, office space and climate-controlled vault for storing our growing collection of prints. The gallery owes its existence to the vision, dedication, and financial support of Peggy Maximus.

John and Peggy lived for many years in New York City, where he was a commercial artist and illustrator. Before their marriage, Peggy was an interior designer in Beverly Hills, well known for her modern furniture design. The pair began collecting antique prints— seeking out antique shops and bookstores on their travels and going to auctions. The images were inspiration for their work, and together they built a picture reference library of natural history art. These were objects they acquired over a lifetime that had special meaning and represented many memories.

Peggy eventually donated the remarkable collection they assembled, containing over 2000 prints of birds, shells, botanicals, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, to the Museum.
Dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, these historical prints show the contribution that art has made to our understanding of the natural world.

This summer, as a special tribute to our patrons, you can see selected images from their collection as well as examples from their own work and careers. Peggy Maximus gave not only a collection, but the space and means to display and interpret this work for future generations.