De Hirsh Margules, Mother Ann Lighthouse, Eastern Point, Gloucester, 1946. Gouache on paper. Gift of Jean M. Horblit, 2002. [Acc. #2002.004.002]
Palmer Magazine: Art On The Road: The Collection of Janet and William “Wilber” Ellery James
By Whitney Schott | August 21, 2026
Palm Beachers may recognize the names Janet & William “Wilber” Ellery James for their contributions to the Society of the Four Arts – where Janet serves as Treasurer, Chair of the Finance Committee, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, and a member of the Executive Committee. What few may know, however, is the historic roots the James family has in New England and what a significant contribution the couple has made to the art community there. In fact, their transformative 2023 commitment to the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts, constitutes the largest single gift of works in the institution’s 151-year history.
Their landmark donation includes over 300 exemplary pieces of American art by Winslow Homer, Paul Manship, Milton Avery, George Aarons, Cecilia Beaux, Stuart Davis, Adolph Gottlieb, Marsden Hartley, Anna Hyatt Huntington, and Jane Peterson, among others, and brings new genres and masterworks to the museum’s holdings.
Winslow Homer (1836–1910), Boy Hailing Schooners, 1880, Watercolor and graphite on paper. Promised Gift of Janet & William Ellery James to the Cape Ann Museum.
Paul Manship (1885–1966). The Moods of Time: Morning, Day, Evening, Night (1938). Bronze, green marble base, The James Collection, promised gift to the Cape Ann Museum by Janet & William Ellery James.
Wilber James has had an extensive career as an entrepreneur, founding multiple companies in the international energy sector as well as in banking and real estate. He serves as Trustee Emeritus of the Cape Ann Museum, the African Wildlife Foundation, is a Peace Corps alumnus (Kenya) and Board member of the Society of the Four Arts.
His family’s legacy on Cape Ann goes back twelve generations – yes, twelve! In fact, there is a famous fishing shack on Cape Ann, called Motif #1 in Rockport where Wilber grew up, known among art students as being “the most often-painted building in America.” The original structure, built in 1884, was owned by Wilber’s mother’s family.
Janet James has a background in finance and investment, both in banking and the private sector. In addition to her roles at the Society of the Four Arts, she serves on the Executive Committee of the Cape Ann Museum, and was formerly a Commissioner of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.
Janet and Wilber James with Henrietta Gates, Cape Ann Museum’s Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Oliver Barker, Director of the Cape Ann Museum, at the 2023 opening reception of the exhibition, “Coming Home: Selections from the Janet & William Ellery James Collection.” (Photo: Sharon’s Studio)
Motif #1, Bradley Wharf, Rockport, Massachusetts. (Photo: Whitney Schott)
Asked about the gift, the Jameses stated, “We view the collection as a gathering of dear friends brought together over time. Recognizing that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, we have a deep wish to keep these pieces together rather than having them disperse and disappear into private hands. We felt that gifting the entire collection to the Cape Ann Museum is the best way to have them “Come Home,” to be shared with and enjoyed by Cape Ann’s residents and visitors. We recognize that we are really not the owners, but rather the stewards of these works, and of the artists’ legacies.”
Frederick Mulhaupt (1871 – 1938) Morning, Gloucester Harbor c. 1920 Oil on canvas 58” x 53” The James Collection, Promised Gift of Janet & William Ellery James to the Cape Ann Museum.
Marsden Hartley (1877-1943). Wind-Bitten Moors, 1931 Oil on academy board, The James Collection, promised gift to the Cape Ann Museum by Janet & William Ellery James.
Mildred Jones (1899 – 1991) Finnish Knitter, Lanesville, oil on canvas 36 ¼” x 30” The James Collection. Promised Gift of Janet & William Ellery James to the Cape Ann Museum.
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