Lucy Aldrich

Who was Lucy Aldrich?

Lucy Truman Aldrich was a philanthropist and art collector who was the eldest daughter of U.S. Senator Nelson W. Aldrich of Rhode Island.

Lucy was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1869 to Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich and Abigail Pearce Truman "Abby" Chapman.

She never married, and lived in the family home at 110 Benevolent Street in Providence, Rhode Island for most of her life, but traveled extensively in Europe and Asia. She often retold the story of one trip to China in 1923, when she was captured by armed bandits and held for two days before her release.

Lucy was an active art collector, especially in the fields of porcelain and Asian textiles. She donated much of her collection to the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, and was a member of its Museum Committee as well.

Her sister philanthropist Abigail Greene "Abby" Aldrich married philanthropist John Davison Rockefeller, Jr..