James McNeill Whistler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1834. While growing up, because of his father’s job, he moved with his family to Saint Petersburg, Russia, and then to London. Whistler was sent to the Christ Church Hall School to study for a religious career, and when that didn’t work out, it was on to West Point. It soon became clear that art was his calling. After four years study in Paris, Whistler decided London would be his home. He painted shopfronts, streetscapes, parks, and houses—in oils, watercolor, and pastels—and was aware that many picturesque neighborhoods were being razed to the ground for redevelopment, sending working-class people to ever smaller quarters. Drawing from the museum’s unparalleled holdings, this exhibition focuses on Whistler’s role as a historical conservationist. —Elena Clavarino