Author Description

This revised, greatly expanded social and architectural history traces the first 135 years of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, from its beginning as a repository for a lone armor collection to its current status as one of the world's leading arts institutions. Informal, anecdotal, and profusely illustrated, ''Invitation to Art'' sketches Boston's transformation from the post-Civil War era to the present, showing how the Museum's role has changed with the times. Richly illustrated with rare archival documents, this is both an informative history of a major museum and a delightful souvenir for anyone who has ever enjoyed a visit to the MFA.