Janis, Sidney

Janis, Sidney (1896–1989) art dealer, author; born in Buffalo, N.Y. He attended school locally, was a vaudeville dancer, worked in his brother's store, and became a shirt manufacturer in New York City (1925). He retired in 1939 and devoted himself to collecting contemporary and primitive art. Later he specialized in the work of abstract expressionists and established the Sidney Janis Gallery (1948–67). His collection was donated to the Museum of Modern Art (1967). He wrote several books on modern art.