Man Behind the Bryan Museum

One man’s hobby is another man’s museum. Well, at least for energy industry mogul J.P. Bryan of Houston. For more than 40 years, Bryan and his wife Mary Jon collected a vast array of 70,000 objects from the Old West. Fine china, saddles, art, books, documents, artifacts from the Battle of San Jacinto. The collection traces the development of the American West across 2,500 years of civilization. After years accumulating more, the Bryans finally decided to move their collection from three of their homes into their new museum in Galveston. A historic building at 1315 21st Street houses the Bryan Museum. Known as the Galveston Orphans Home, builders erected the home in 1895. Just five years later, the great storm of 1900 heavily damaged the building where many children died. Operators rebuilt the orphanage and operated it until 1984. The remains stood for a very long time waiting to be resurrected by someone like J.P.Bryan.

Mr. Bryan will speak at the McFaddin-Ward House Visitor Center On May 11, 2017. As always, our lecture series is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Doors open at 6:00. No saving seats, please.