Speakers Bureau

The Winterthur Speakers Bureau assists museums, historical societies and other organizations in locating speakers who can lecture on American decorative arts from the 17^th to the 19^th centuries. The Speakers Bureau can offer a list of lecture topics and supply the name of a qualified speaker. Lectures offered by the bureau span the American decorative arts from the 17^th to the 19^th centuries, including:

• The evolution of style in the American decorative arts, 1640-1860
• The history of Winterthur and the du Pont family
• Collection topics, such as furniture, glass, metals, silver, clocks, needlework, ceramics, Pennsylvania German folk art, painting, prints, textiles, Victorian American interiors
• American Yuletide celebrations and dining customs

Fees: There are two fee structures for Winterthur speakers. Curators, administrators, and guides with curatorial expertise charge $300 (and up) plus expenses per lecture. Winterthur guides who specialize in the selected subject area charge $150 plus expenses per lecture. Under certain conditions, these fees may be negotiated with the speaker. Most lectures are slide-illustrated and last approximately one hour.

Procedure: The Speakers Bureau makes the initial contact with speakers to ascertain if they are available on dates requested. Following the initial contact, the person arranging the lecture is asked to communicate directly with the lecturer. Speakers should be paid their fee as well as their expenses at the time the lecture is delivered. If a lecture must be cancelled for any reason, speakers should be notified at least one week in advance. If a lecture is cancelled within a week of the time scheduled, speakers should be paid for their time in preparing the program.

To contact the Speakers Bureau for further information or to arrange a lecture please contact:

Winterthur Speakers Bureau
Department of Educational Programs
Winterthur DE 19735
phone: 800.448.3883 or 302.888.4996
fax: 302.888.4953
e-mail: continuing-ed@winterthur.org.