In 1869, Judge Edwin B. Crocker and his family assembled a collection of more than 700 paintings and around 1,344 master drawings (one of the finest early collections in the United States) during an extended trip to Europe from 1869-71. Before and after their trip, the Crockers acquired numerous paintings by contemporary California artists, forming the core of what is today one of the state’s premier collections of California art.

The E. B. Crocker Collection was originally installed in 1873 and was one of the largest private collections in this country at that time. While the Crockers frequently opened the gallery building to the public, it remained a privately held collection until Margaret Crocker presented the building and collection to the City of Sacramento and California Museum Association in 1885.

David Lubin, a member of the first Board of Directors of the California Museum Association, became one of the first individual donors to expand the Crocker’s collection. In 1889, he donated marble sculptures, some of which are located in the niches of the grand staircase in the Museum’s lobby. Thus began the community-based contributions which grew the original private art collection to its current size and scope. The Crocker Collection now focuses on California, European and Asian artworks, and International Ceramics.