Name Antonis Benakis Role Art collector | Died 1954, Athens, Greece | |
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Parents Virginia Choremi, Emmanouil Benakis Siblings Penelope Delta, Constantine Benakis, Argine Benakis, Alexander Benakis, Alexandra Benakis Nieces Virginia Zannas, Sophia Mavrogordatos, Alexandra Papadopoulos People also search for Emmanouil Benakis, Penelope Delta | ||
Grandparents Konstantinos Horemis | ||
BENAKI MUSEUM [Μουσείο Μπενάκη]
Antonis Benakis (Greek: Αντώνης Μπενάκης) (1873–1954) was a Greek art collector and the founder of the Benaki Museum in Athens, Greece, the son of politician and magnate Emmanuel Benakis and the brother of author Penelope Delta. He is the hero of Delta's book "Trellantonis" (Crazy Antony), a literary account of the sundry, mischievous adventures of children growing up in Alexandria, Egypt, in the early 20th century.
He moved permanently to Athens in 1926. It is certain that Antonis Benakis, the founder of the Benaki Museum, was influenced by the example of his father Emmanuel Benakis (1843–1929), and the great statesman Eleftherios Venizelos (1864–1936), a close friend and colleague.
During his own lifetime Benakis donated the museum that he created to the Greek state, now the Benaki Museum. Benakis pursued a continuous involvement, until his death, in enriching and improving the organisation of the museum’s holdings, and his role in ensuring its financial security.
Benakis was a member of the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1949 until 1951.