Cooper Hewitt says...
Dr. Walter Leo Hildburgh was born in New York in 1876 into a family which had emigrated to the United States in the early ninteenth century. He attended Columbia University, where he obtained a Ph.D. and afterwards engaged in various forms of scientific research. Since he did not have to depend for his livelihood on the proceeds of his research he was able to find time to become a figure-skater of international status, as well as a first-class swimmer.
He began to travel abroad in 1900 and therafter his life was one of travel. In that year he started a prolonged tour of Japan, China, and India. At an early stage he began to develop as a collectior but his interest was at first attracted by folk-lore and anthropology. Three further visits were made to the same area in the following years and he made a prolonged stay in Ceylon studying magic. After this he passed onto the Middle East and to Europe. In 1912 he established a base in London and therafter he never paid more than fleeting visits to the United States. ...(New York Times 11/28/55)
Dr. Holdburgh became involved with the Victoria and Albert Museum and became more invoved in collecting. The fruits of his collecting can be seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum such as English alabasters, Spanish goldsmiths' work, Dutch, German and Italian silver, English sculpture, ivory and Italian bronzes.
