"Born in 1908 in the mining town of Butte, Montana, Emily grew up in a world where the natural was ugly and the abstract, beautiful. She began collecting in the 1930s when she was married to Baron Maximilian Von Romberg, a young dare-devil who flew planes, drove cars, and rode polo ponies, all with reckless abandon. She herself had a wild streak that led her to walk on the wing of a plane, wear shocking outfits to posh parties, and publish a magazine that tweaked the sensitivities of the upper class.".

"After the Baron's death in a plane crash, Emily's fascination with art increased, but it was not until her marriage to Burton G. Tremaine, Sr., in 1945 that she began to collect in earnest.

Eventually the Tremaine collection of more than 400 works became, according to art historian Robert Rosenblum, "so museum-worthy that it alone could recount to future generations the better part of the story of 20th century art." Among its major pieces were Piet Mondrian's Victory Boogie-Woogie, Mark Rothko's Number 8, and Jasper Johns's Three Flags."--BOOK JACKET.