Exceptional Fund-raising Campaign

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The Paderewski Association instigated an exceptional fund-raising campaign to support the Conservation Program of the important collections of Ignacy Jan Paderewski memorabilia.

Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) was a pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and humanitarian. As Prime Minister of Poland during its independence between the World Wars, he was one of the signers of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Five American Presidents—Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, Hoover, and Roosevelt–acknowledged him as a great statesman and he was respected by leaders throughout the world.

Paderewski was likely the most famous and admired pianists of all time. His popularity, bolstered by his dynamic personality, reached rock star proportions at the beginning of the 20th century. He swept the world with his performances (he gave more than 1,500 concerts in the U.S.). Paderewski was admired for his playing of Bach, superlative Beethoven renditions, and as the best interpreter of Chopin at the time. As early as 1895 he founded the Paderewski Fund in New York to establish triennial prizes to American composers, regardless of race or religion.

The Polish Museum of America is the repository of a rich collection relating to the Maestro’s multifaceted endeavors. Sadly, The Polish Museum does not have adequate financial resources to ensure proper display, storage, and conservation of these objects. The mandate of The Paderewski Association is to assure that the legacy of I. J. Paderewski is preserved and maintained. Financial support is essential to accomplish this goal, but equally important is genuine interest on the part of the public. Specifically, there is great urgency for the completion of the appropriate renovation of the Paderewski Room at the PMA, as well as for the conservation and proper display of the priceless objects it contains. Among the most valuable items in the Paderewski Room collection are: the gilded pen that Paderewski used to sign the Treaty of Versailles, the splendidly embellished pocket watch that the Maestro received from American Polonia in 1935 commemorating his 75th birthday, as well as his last practice piano, letters, photographs, and personal effects.

Here is the idea of some, not all, of the costs faced: The cost of renovation of the room structurally alone exceeds $100,000; the restoration of the furnishings from Paderewski's last place of residence is $10,0000; the conservation of 2 of several of oil on canvas portraits of Paderewski is ca. $5,000; the deacidification and preservation of numerous documents and documentary photographs is ca. $30,000.

We urge you to be generous and help preserve the legacy of Paderewski, not only for its cultural importance, but as significantly for its example to the humanitarian causes around the world.

As the American Secretary of State, Robert Lansing (1915-1920), wrote about him in his book, The Big Four , "His views were essentially sane and logical. What Mr. Paderewski has done for Poland will cause eternal gratitude. His career is one which deserves to be remembered not only by his countrymen, but by every man whom love of country and loyalty to a great cause stand forth as the noblest attributes of human character."