Jane Harriett Kaufmann

We will always remember Jane and Chuck as people of principle and courage who stepped forward to offer energy and wisdom at a time when Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth was adrift philosophically. Chuck assumed the presidency of the troubled institution, reporting to work every day as if he were a staff member, and overseeing a delicate transition from "project" to museum. Jane applied her intense interest in history and the decorative arts to the research needs of the organization,...

Dear Chip and Susan.
We are so sorry to learn about your Mom. I have fond memories of the times the three Kaufmann brothers and their families got together.

Jane made a most generous gift of a rare and superb set of American-made 18th c. bed hangings to the Warner House in 1996, where they now grace one of our bedchambers. If not for her knowledge and sharp eye, things like our wonderful gift might have been lost forever. Jane's early interest in such unusual collecting fields as old textiles enabled her to reward other museums and institutions in New England as well. These donations are a lasting legacy and will keep her always in our memories.

Jane and her late husband Chuck (d. 1991) were dear friends for 25 years. In 1982 we met them in person at the Skinner Gallery in Boston, MA. Fellow Michigan collectors Patsy and William Porter told them we were coming and we hit it off immediately.

Marianne and I purchased a chair at the 1982 auction and Jane and Chuck volunteered to drive it back to their farm near East Lebanon and store it for us. We later had the opportunity to visit them at their farm and entertain them in...

Susan and Chip,
So sorry to hear of your Mom's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.

Susan and Chip,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your children at this time of sadness.
Love, Patty Pueschner and family

Jane was a brilliant scholar and had a remarkable eye when it came to the decorative arts. I learned a great deal from her over the years, lessons I will treasure always. If something caught her eye, I learned very early on to pay attention. She was such a maverick. It was a privilege to know her and work with her.

And the legacy that she and "Chuck" have left to all the historical societies in New Hampshire and Maine is of the first order---they had tremendous vision and gave...