William N. Copley (1919-1996) was an art collector, writer, philanthropist, and painter, known by the artistic moniker CPLY. He assembled a prominent collection of Surrealist and Dada works through his close connections with fellow artists.

The Abrams family introduced millions of readers to art through their authoritative art books and illustrated volumes. Over eight decades, the father-son duo Harry N. Abrams and Robert E. Abrams, known as Bob, amassed a collection of 20th-century artwork of the same remarkable quality and depth. 

Emily Fisher Landau’s art collection was accelerated, ironically, by the disappearance of another treasure trove. In 1969, burglars disguised as air-conditioner repairmen broke into her Upper East Side apartment and stole an entire safe of jewelry. Luckily, the diamonds were insured, but when the settlement arrived, Landau had a new direction in mind.

“I was devastated,” Landau said of the heist in interviews conducted for a Whitney catalog, “Legacy: The Emily Fisher Landau Collection.” But, she added, “I decided that I didn’t want the jewelry any more. I now had seed money for a collection.”

“What I really wanted to buy was paintings,” she said, “so probably the theft was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”