This guide was produced with much help along the way. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the brilliant Peggy Burchenal at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, who bestowed me with a month-long residency in Boston that allowed me to write this guide. And, in her wisdom and generosity, Peggy also organized a writers’ group that met weekly to assist me while I was in Boston. Each member of that group deserves a big thank you; they were:

Julia Brucker, Jennifer Deprizio, Sara Egan, Michelle Grohe, Madeleine LePere, Sarah Margerum and Jessie Smith of the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, Diana Clarke of MassArt, Willamarie Moore and Adam Tessier of the MFA Boston, Juliette Fritsch and Susanna Brougham of the Peabody Essex Museum, and Corinne Zimmermann of Harvard Art Museums.

Tamatha Perlman assisted in the design of both the online guide and the printable PDF, as well as proof reading and solid advice. Thanks to her, everyone can read it!

And finally an enormous thank you to Holly Witchey, my brave and generous friend who agreed to be an outside reader on the project and shared her wise and gentle feedback about drafts sent to her.