Eugene V. Thaw is well-known as an art dealer, collector, author and philanthropist. He opened his first gallery in New York City in 1950 and began his passionate acquisition of master drawings at this time. In 1981 he established the Thaw Charitable Trust which supported the arts, the environment, and animal welfare. He also collected staircase models, watercolors of interiors, antique metalwork from the Eurasian steppes (present-day northern China and Mongolia), and Native American art. In 2003 he was presented with the Hadrian Award from the World Monuments Fund for his contributions to advancing the understanding, appreciation and preservation of the world’s art and architecture.