The Presidential Portraits Collection at Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College's Collection of Presidential Portraits includes notable paintings by prominent artists, especially the earliest portraits of James E. Rhoads by William Merritt Chase and of M. Carey Thomas by John Singer Sargent. The portrait of Rhoads was donated to the College by family or friends. Since then, most portraits, including that of Thomas, have been class gifts commissioned through the Alumni Association. Occasionally, other portraits were commissioned to honor members of the Board of Trustees, Professors, and Deans, including that of Dean Marion Reilly by Cecilia Beaux, completed in 1918 as a gift from the class of 1901. As many still do today, these portraits have hung in the Great Hall of Old Library since its construction was completed in 1906 and when it was referred to as the Reading Room of the Library.
