Queer Places:
Oak Grove Cemetery, 185 Parker St, New Bedford, MA 02740, United States

Richard Albert Canfield (June 28, 1855 – December 11, 1914), widely known as the "Prince of Gamblers" or the "King of Gamblers," was an American gambling entrepreneur, art connoisseur, and businessman of the Gilded Age.

Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Canfield moved to Providence, Rhode Island, at age 11 following his father's death. He finished grammar school at age 14 and later entered the world of professional gaming houses and faro parlors during his late teens.

Canfield built a reputation for operating some of the most exclusive, high-stakes, and opulent illegal casinos in the northeastern United States. His most famous venture was the Saratoga Clubhouse (later known as the Canfield Casino) in Saratoga Springs, New York, which he purchased outright in 1884. He invested heavily to turn it into a lavish European-style resort, helping solidify Saratoga's status as the "American Monte Carlo". He also operated elite establishments in New York City (next to Delmonico's) and Newport, Rhode Island.

Amid Progressive Era anti-gambling crackdowns led by figures like New York District Attorney William Travers Jerome, Canfield closed his clubs and transitioned to manufacturing and Wall Street investments. Outside of business, he became a respected connoisseur and art collector, amassing a celebrated collection of James McNeill Whistler etchings and paintings, tapestries, and early American furniture. Whistler famously painted his portrait, titled His Reverence.

Canfield married Genevieve Wren Martin in 1882, and the couple had two children, Grace and Howland. Canfield died on December 11, 1914, at the age of 59, following a skull fracture sustained from a fall on the steps of a New York City subway station. The standard solitaire card game Canfield is named in his honor.

He was elected a member of the Horace Walpole Society in 1910. Established in October 1909 and formally organized in January 1910, the Horace Walpole Society is an exclusive American organization dedicated to the study and appreciation of decorative arts, architecture, history, and American material culture. Named after the English writer and collector Horace Walpole, membership has historically comprised a select group of prominent scholars, antiquarians, writers, and collectors. Canfield was associated with the group as a notable early member and collector during his later years.

Portrait of Richard A. Canfield by James McNeill Whistler c. 1901-1903

References:

• Alexander Gardiner, Canfield: The True Story of the Great Gambler (Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1930).
• National Cyclopaedia of American Biography and standard contemporary obituary records from The New York Times (December 1914).
• The Frick Collection, Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America (Biographical profile on Richard Albert Canfield).
• Documentation and institutional records concerning James McNeill Whistler’s portrait work and correspondence.
• The Walpole Society Archives, on permanent deposit with the Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera, Winterthur Museum (including membership nomination files, notebooks, and historical rosters noting his election in 1910).

Support this project
This website is a passion project researched, developed, and funded entirely by me. If you find the content valuable and would like to help support the ongoing research and hosting costs, any contribution is deeply appreciated.
Thank you for keeping this independent resource alive!

My books on Amazon: Elisa Rolle's books

BACK TO HOME PAGE