Abstract
This work will examine John Ringling’s impact on the urbanization of Sarasota while exploring his marginalization in the history of American museums. After living in the Midwest, Ringling decided to move to Sarasota and transform it into a cultural destination. A great museum was a central component of his vision. Scholarship that mentions Ringling describes him as either the circus man or art collector, but not both; however, the two personas were inextricably linked. The same qualities that made him a success in the business world made him an excellent art collector. Compiled and designed to be Ringling’s lasting legacy, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, was given to the State of Florida upon his death, a gift unprecedented in the state’s history. Ringling’s museum bequeath was meant to serve as his lasting legacy. By doing so, Ringling wanted to reserve a permanent place for himself in history among the great businessmen and art patrons he revered.
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