Odd Man In: Norton Simon and the Pursuit of Culture

by Suzanne Muchnic

In 1931, at age 24, Norton Simon invested $7,000 in a bankrupt juice bottling plant. This investment grew into Hunt Foods, which soon ruled California's canned tomatoes empire. With a rare ability to transform laggard companies into highly profitable enterprises, Simon went on to amass a huge fortune. Then, in his late forties, he turned to art collecting and built one of the greatest private collections since World War II. Suzanne Muchnic has written an intimate and very readable biography of Norton Simon and at the same time provides a thoughtful overview of Los Angeles culture in the postwar years.

The tycoon-turned-art-collector was accused of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing, but he pursued art with passion. A shrewd negotiator, obsessed by power, Simon astonished the art world with acquisitions ranging from Old Masters to Impressionists to rare Indian and Asian artworks. Searching for an appropriate home for his 12,000-strong collection, Simon courted (and disappointed) numerous California museums before eventually taking over the floundering Pasadena Art Museum, now the Norton Simon Museum.

Simon's influence extended beyond the business and art as a University of California regent he challenged funding cutbacks, sympathized with student activists, and opposed the firing of Angela Davis. His personal life was equally tumultuous and included a difficult divorce, his 31-year-old son's suicide, a whirlwind courtship and marriage to actress Jennifer Jones, and a run for the U.S. Senate.

Simon died in 1993, and during his last ten years Suzanne Muchnic was the only person to whom he granted an interview. Odd Man In reveals a man very much of his time—brilliant, anxious, powerful, and caught up in the rapid change and cultural ambiguity of Southern California in the second half of the century.

Genres: Biography, Art, Nonfiction

339 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 1998

Reviews

[Craig Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story of a self-made successful businessman turned art collector and driving force behind both the LACMA and Norton Simon museums.

[Kiara Hosseinion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to think about the development of LA’s art museums without landing on Norton Simon.

"I am not essentially a religious person, but my feeling about a museum is that it can serve as a substitute for a house of worship. It is a place to respect man's creativity and to sense a continuity with the past. It is a place to give us a feeling of the dignity of man and to help us to strive towards our own creativity and fulfillment."

[Mhd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ordered from the library after it was mentioned in an newspaper article. Excellent book: well written, lots of detail. Perhaps I enjoyed it so much because, growing up in the area, I remember all the newspaper articles about the Pasadena Museum, Simon, etc. It seems all the news articles were right!

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating biography about a very complex and totally unique person. Also quite an interesting history of the development of the art museums in Los Angeles. A few distracting typos, but overall this an important book for anyone interested in museums, auctions, art or Los Angeles history.

[J R · Rating 5 out of 5]

During my recent visit to The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, I was interested in learning more about this fascinating man.

Good read indeed