Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

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Millions of Bulbs?

The upcoming Bank to Bend event on March 11, 2023, celebrates the snowdrops on the March Bank, which also features winter aconites, snowflakes, and crocuses—and this year, because of the mild weather we are already seeing daffodils, scilla, and squill popping through the leaf litter. One of the questions that comes up often but that I am always a little hesitant to answer is, “How many bulbs are there in the March Bank?” I always say millions, with my fingers crossed behind my back because, after all, I have not counted them.

I finally decided to resolve this nagging doubt. Using Google Earth, I plotted the area of the March Bank, following the general boundaries of the area that we used for its restoration, but decreased them slightly. I drew a line from the Scroll Garden to the 1750 House, then over to Magnolia Bend, but I excluded the Glade. The area enclosed by this measurement is 6.9 acres, or 300,564 square feet.

Looking at one square foot of the March Bank, I chose an estimate of 10 bulbs per square foot. This number is very conservative—some areas have as many as 40–50 bulbs in a square foot, whereas others have only a few or no bulbs, including the paths and watercourses. So, 10 is probably a fair guess.

Next, I multiplied 300,564 (the number of square feet) by 10 (the average number of bulbs per square foot) and got 3,005,640 bulbs. Even if my assumptions are off by half, it would still be more than a million bulbs. I propose that saying the March Bank has “millions of bulbs” is well within the margin of error.

Please join us on March 9 to see these beautiful bulbs for yourself on a guided or self-guided walk.

Post by Chris Strand, Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO of Winterthur

All Under One Roof: The Architecture of Independence Tour

By Tyler Horne, Winterthur Tour Program Assistant

There are many ways to view Winterthur: as the home of Henry Francis du Pont, as a world-class museum of decorative arts, and as a gorgeous garden and natural landscape. For our current guided tour, Architecture of Independence, we invite you to think beyond a single home and explore the architectural collection H. F. assembled to decorate the walls. The tour traces a patchwork of rooms and fragments brought together from across the young United States. It offers a rare opportunity for visitors to discover the architectural styles and details that represent all thirteen original colonies, all gathered in one museum.

Wentworth Room

Winterthur’s architectural collection contains elements from seventy-seven historical properties: moldings, paneling, mantels, porches, and other decorative details that once belonged to houses across Colonial America. On this tour, we open doors usually kept closed, exploring seldom-seen spaces, and encourage visitors to consider how styles, materials, and craftsmanship reveal social and political life in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

McIntire Porch

Visitors will enter the house through the rarely used South Wing via the McIntire Porch and explore rarely visited spaces, including the Federal Parlor, a masterpiece of Federal architecture designed by influential architect Asher Benjamin.

Federal Parlor

Around the corner, they will also see the Charleston Dining Room, a space decorated with architecture from a historical Georgian hotel operated by Jehu Jones, a free African American man living in Charleston, South Carolina in the early 1800s.

Charleston Dining Room

As Winterthur marks 75 years as a center for decorative arts and scholarship, and as the country commemorates its 250th anniversary, Architecture of Independence offers visitors a timely way to examine how Americans of the founding era expressed ideas through design and consider the many hands that made these expressions possible. We welcome you to experience our collection of colonial architectural treasures, all under one roof.

Explore these rooms and other seldom-seen spaces on the Architecture of Independence Tour.

Winterthur Celebrates Museum’s 75th Anniversary with a Grand Garden Party on May 16

WINTERTHUR, Del. (April 27, 2026)—Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library is celebrating the museum’s 75th anniversary with an elegant garden party on May 16 that features a 20-piece big band, a parade down Garden Lane, picnicking in the meadow by Azalea Woods, and a display of about 15 antique cars and Rolls-Royces on the Conservatory Lawn.

Field & Fête: Winterthur Celebrates 75 Years is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the breathtaking grounds of one of America’s great country estates. Tickets are $29; $15 for members. Rain date is May 17.

“In 1951, Henry Francis du Pont opened his extraordinary 175-room family home as a museum of American decorative arts, an act of remarkable generosity rooted in his belief that Winterthur’s beauty and history should inspire all who encountered it,” said Chris Strand, Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO. “A true Renaissance man, ‘Harry’ pursued three great passions here: agriculture, horticulture, and collecting. He became an innovator and icon in all three.

“Today, his legacy continues through nearly 90,000 objects artfully displayed in the rooms where he once lived and entertained, gardens he considered his greatest canvas, and programs that carry his passion for learning and curiosity forward,” said Strand. “Field & Fête is our joyful tribute to that enduring vision and is an invitation to members and guests to experience everything he made possible.”

A Big Band, Parade, and Rolls-Royce Show
At the heart of the 75th anniversary garden party is the Unforgettable Big Band, a 20- piece ensemble with vocalists who will perform beneath a tent on Azalea Lawn from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The music sets the backdrop for the celebration, with a special performance by the BlueBallRoom Dance Studio swinging onto the floor at 12:30 p.m.

The band is scheduled to play four 15-song sets featuring a mix of popular songs that span the decades from the 1930s onward, with a large selection of music from the 1950s and ’60s, some ’70s and ’80s hits, and several contemporary titles. Styles include swing, ballad, waltz, pop, rock, Latin, and a few country songs.

Titles from 1951, the year Henry Francis du Pont (H.F.) opened his former house-turned museum to the public, include “Blue Moon,” “Blue Tango,” and “Unforgettable.” Other crowd-pleasing titles include Glen Miller’s “In the Mood;” Sinatra classics “Fly Me to the Moon,” “My Way” and “New York, New York;” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” by the Andrews Sisters; and Aretha Franklin’s anthem, “Respect.” Modern crowd participation favorites “Sweet Caroline” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads” are also on the set list.

After the dance team’s performance, all eyes will turn to Garden Lane at 1:00 p.m. for the Chapters of Winterthur Parade, a charming 30-minute procession featuring one of Winterthur’s signature estate vehicles alongside gleaming vintage automobiles, stately Rolls-Royces, tractors, and the Delaware State Police Mounted Patrol.

Vintage Rolls-Royces and more will be lined up on the Conservatory Lawn from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., showcasing the du Pont family’s passion for automotive excellence and luxury engineering. H.F. and his wife Ruth Wales du Pont owned more than 40 luxury vehicles during their lifetime, notably several Cadillacs and three Rolls-Royces, including a Phantom V.

Among the cars scheduled to be displayed by private collectors are a 1996 Bentley Brookland and 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith. Winterthur currently owns two Rolls Royces built in the United States, a 1927 dark green Phantom I Ascot Tourer and a 1927 burgundy Rolls-Royce Phantom I Pall Mall. These were donated to Winterthur and not owned by the du Ponts. The Ascot Tourer is scheduled to be in the parade and will be parked outside the Port Royal Entrance Hall.

Bring Your Own Picnic or Book a Private Tent

Guests can bring their own chairs and/or blankets and pack their own picnic or purchase food and beverages under the food tent. A limited number of 10-foot by 10-foot private picnic tents are available for rent, situated right in the center of the music and merriment. Guests in private tents, which include a 48-inch round table with linens, six chairs, and flowers, can opt for butler service.

Restaurant Associates, Winterthur’s on-site catering partner, brings an upscale grazing menu for purchase to the fields, including lobster bao buns, salmon rillettes, franks in a blanket, French-inspired charcuterie boxes, and truffle potato chips.

Winterthur’s culinary team will be on the grill serving Wagyu beef sliders, classic hot dogs, and hamburgers, alongside a skewer station featuring rhubarb miso-glazed shrimp, chicken with herbs de Provence and ramp chimichurri, along with tomato-marjoram glazed vegetables with halloumi cheese.

The frankfurters are a nod to the museum’s early days, when H.F. reportedly sold hot dogs to guests from the side porch of the Cottage, the 50-room English Regency-style residence designed by Thomas Waterman that H.F. and Ruth moved into in 1950, a year prior to the museum opening to the public.

For dessert, Field & Fête guests can savor chocolate strawberries layered with pistachios and shredded kataifi, beautifully presented in stemless wine glasses for strolling and savoring.

In addition, Woodside Creamery in Hockessin, Del., is crafting two small-batch, hand dipped ice cream treats for the event, available only at Winterthur. The Winterthur Swiss Avalanche flavor, originally created to commemorate the museum’s 50th anniversary in 2001, pays homage to both the origin of the estate’s name and its early days as an award-winning dairy farm. When H.F.’s ancestors Jacques Antoine and Evelina du Pont Bidermann settled the property in 1839 and built the original 12-room Greek Revival manor house, they named it Winterthur after the Swiss town where Jacques Antoine’s family originated.

Cows were a part of the Winterthur landscape since its earliest days. H.F. became farm manager in 1914, and in 1917, after much research and experimentation, he began breeding Holstein-Friesian cattle to improve the herd’s butterfat content.

Winterthur Swiss Avalanche ice cream is made from sweet cream and features mini chocolate cows made from Neuchatel chocolate. The moniker Neuchatel was taken from the Swiss city of Neuchatel, which is also known for its chocolates. Neuchatel chocolatier Albert A. Lauber V happens to have settled locally in Oxford, Pa. The limited-edition flavor will be featured at Winterthur throughout the year while supplies last.

The Winterthur Faeries flavor is a mint chocolate chip ice cream that Woodside Creamery originally created for May Day as an ode to Enchanted Woods children’s garden, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this June. This limited-time special flavor features Swiss chocolate leaves and bugs mixed in with white chocolate toadstools. Vanilla ice cream with sprinkles and Rita’s Italian cherry water ice will also be available for purchase.

Toasts to Winterthur’s anniversary will be raised at the Sparkling Wine Bar. Options include Chandon Garden Spritz, Torresella Prosecco, and Chandon Sparkling Rosé, along with two signature cocktails, an Elderflower Spritz and H.F. du Pont 75. The latter is Winterthur’s version of the classic French 75, a popular cocktail in the 1950s that includes gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup combined in a shaker and topped with a splash of champagne.

Wilmington Brew Works, a local microbrewery with two taprooms in Wilmington, Del., has joined the celebration by issuing their Superfluous Nomenclature American pale ale with special-edition labels that honor Winterthur’s museum collection and 75 years of art, history, and nature. Featured are images of silver tankards made by Paul Revere on display in the museum’s Du Pont Dining Room; the sweeping, spiral Montmorenci staircase from North Carolina and installed in the family home-turned-museum; rare books from the Winterthur Library collection; and a photo of Winterthur’s daffodil drifts that have dazzled garden guests for more than 120 years.

Secret Spaces Tours — Limited Availability
Available only this weekend, the Secret Spaces Tour will take guests on a rare behind-the scenes journey through Winterthur’s hidden museum spaces, conservation areas, floral processing room, and more, concluding with a sparkling toast overlooking the Reflecting Pool. Limited tickets remain for 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Friday, May 15, and Sunday, May 17. ($110; $100 for members. Includes Field & Fête admission on May 16.) Reservations required.

While The Court is a surprising delight seen on the More to Explore Tour, those on the Secret Spaces Tour will get to peek inside the Banister House and Montmorenci facades. Tourgoers will also get an insider view of the Flower Room and cold storage, which H.F. added during the 1928 expansion of the house. This was the main base of operations for former estate staffers who would follow his meticulous instructions for creating floral arrangements when the house was a home.

Textile and design lovers will get rare access to Winterthur’s Curtain Storage, which gives insight into H.F.’s design aesthetic and belief that textiles brought his collection and home to life. He developed detailed plans for changing elements like curtains and bedcovers for each season. This space houses curtains and valances that reflect the design tastes and history of textile collecting and use at Winterthur. See the work of Ernest LoNano, Winterthur’s upholsterer and curtain maker when the mansion was a family home.

Secret Spaces also includes a tour of Winterthur’s Needlework Storage, where guests will see exquisite examples of the textiles in the vast collection. These objects are often not on view due to the delicate nature of the fabrics, which are susceptible to light and other stressors.

More to Discover Throughout the Day

Beyond the big-ticket highlights, Field & Fête is packed with memorable experiences:
• Garden Exploration (10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.): Spring blooms will be on full display primrose in the Quarry Garden, late-flowering rhododendrons and azaleas through Enchanted Woods and Azalea Woods, Jacob’s ladders and Spanish bluebells in the woodlands, and a showy Peony Garden (if weather is consistent with past bloom cycles!). Guests can stroll around the Reflecting Pool and East Terrace, where staff have reinstalled newly restored lead garden ornament.
• Guided Garden Walks (11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.): Guided walks through the best of what’s in bloom. Included with admission.
• Live Fashion Illustration by Dallas Shaw: Illustrator Dallas Shaw, known for live-sketch events around the world with clients Dior, Gucci, and Louboutin, will transform guests’ garden-party looks into one-of-a-kind keepsake illustrations. Available for a fee; spaces fill quickly. Find the artist day of to reserve.
• Bouquet Making with Barb’s Backyard Blooms: Guests can visit Barb’s Flower Bar to create their own fresh bouquet after strolling the gardens. Available for a fee, while supplies last.
• House Tours (10:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.): Self-guided and guided tours of Winterthur’s celebrated house collection, including An American Legacy (self-guided, included with admission) and Architecture of Independence (guided, reservation required).
• Library Open House (11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.): Special collections on view, including stylish 1950s catalogs and archival photographs. Included with admission.

About Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Winterthur—known worldwide for its preeminent collection of American decorative arts, naturalistic garden, and research library for the study of American art and material culture —offers a variety of tours, exhibitions, programs, and activities throughout the year. Admission includes a self-paced house tour, exhibitions, a narrated tram ride (weather and space permitting), and the Winterthur Garden.
Winterthur is located on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington, Del., and five miles south of U.S. Route 1. Winterthur is committed to accessible programming for all. For information, including special services, call 800.448.3883 or visit winterthur.org. Winterthur is closed seasonally from early January through late February.

Beyond Bones, Shells, and Teeth

By Ellery Coleman

Wandering around a Winterthur hallway in low-level conservation lighting, you notice a lot of gleaming wood, metal, glass, and porcelain. However, sometimes (even as a guide) you might come across an object where the material is a bit of a mystery. Very often what you have found is an organic material. Is it bone? Horn? Porcupine quill? Shells? On our latest tour, Focus on Bones, Shells, and Teeth, you can learn more about these unusual materials which were once popular and are often absent from our homes today.

*Combs, Eastern United States, 1850–1900. Tortoise shell. Gifts of Greta Layton Schutt in memory of Greta Barksdale Brown 1994.0055 and 1994.0056*

Organic materials (organic meaning something that came from an animal) are often unfamiliar, sometimes even unrecognizable to us at first because many of these substances are legally protected today. Some of the most valuable and beautiful organics—tortoiseshell, ivory, and rhino horn, for example—come from animals that are critically endangered, like the hawksbill sea turtle, the African elephant, and the white rhino (the northern variety of which is extinct). Other materials like porcupine quills and ostrich feathers are not endangered but rarely appear in a modern home. The exception is leather, also an organic, which is almost as ubiquitous now as it was in the past.

*Figure of a woman, Eastern United States, 1760–1850. Earthenware, shell, glass, wood, paint, and mica. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1959.1596*

Animals and art intersect on this tour, which also features some of my favorite rooms in the house. It was a delight to research and come to understand objects like horn cups and flasks, elephant ivory chess pieces, leather chairs and pitchers, engraved whale teeth, statuettes made of seashells, and more. Many of these pieces are stunningly beautiful not only for their aesthetic value, but also because of the sad yet resilient story of the species sacrificed for the object.

Of course, the topic of organic materials raises questions about sustainability and reducing our reliance on plastics and petroleum-based materials. Before modern plastics existed, people used natural materials like horn, tortoiseshell, and leather because they offered the flexibility that plastics have; for example, when heated, horn and tortoiseshell can be molded much like plastic. Ironically, plastic waste now harms some of the very animals whose materials it was meant to replace.

Today we commonly see plastic versions of natural materials—faux tortoiseshell glasses, imitation bone buttons, and plastic “mother-of-pearl.” Even leather can be synthetic, and many types of vegan leather are made from plastics rather than plants.

*Chess pieces, China, 1800–1900. Ivory (white pieces) and horn (black pieces). Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 959.0539 A-P and 1959.0539 AA-PP (set)*

Although attitudes toward using organic materials have changed over time, the aesthetic appeal of these traditional materials remains strong, and designers continue to replicate their look in new, modern forms.

Join me or one of my colleagues for a thought-provoking tour of unique objects located on four floors of the house. Lions and tigers and bears—not quite. Whales and rhinos and cows, oh my!

NOTE: CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), signed in 1973, is an international agreement that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. It accords varying degrees of protection to more than 40,000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs

Bringing Lead Garden Sculptures Back to Winterthur

By Lauren Fair, objects conservator and assistant director of conservation

At Winterthur, art conservation doesn’t stop at the museum and gallery doors; it also extends into the garden. With more than 450 garden items—including fountains, cisterns, and sculptures as well as planters, gates, chairs, benches, and more—caring for these objects requires continual collaboration.

Over the past two decades, a team led by the conservation and garden departments has developed a robust maintenance program and a system for tracking object moves. The team has also been restoring pieces that were relegated to storage, preparing them to return to their original design locations.

An ongoing project involves restoring two dozen lead garden objects that once embellished spaces such as the Reflecting Pool. Historical images bring to life how these sculptures complemented the landscape, enhancing the overall garden experience.

East end of Reflecting Pool, 1932, showing various lead garden objects: two fountains against the stone wall, two Warwick vases flanking the stairs, and one rooster above the covered walkway.

Restoring the lead collection has become an international collaboration. Winterthur is partnering with H. Crowther Ltd. in London, the studio where Henry Francis du Pont originally purchased most of the museum’s lead garden objects. Crowther’s head restorer, Peter McBride, visited here in 2023 and offered critical insights into our sculptures’ provenance, distinguishing 18th-century originals from 19th-century assemblages and copies.

Peter McBride at H. Crowther Ltd. Studio in October 2025, showing the first group of restored lead sculptures to Linda Eirhart, Winterthur’s Alice Cary Brown Director of Garden, and Objects Conservator and Assistant Director of Conservation Lauren Fair.

Thanks to generous donor support, twelve lead objects from Winterthur were recently restored at the Crowther studio and will be reinstalled around the Reflecting Pool in late March. Another group of twelve has recently arrived in London and will be restored and returned later this year.

Lead is surprisingly stable outdoors, developing a protective patina over time. Its vulnerability lies in its softness, internal reinforcements that can fail, and—unexpectedly—squirrels. Their extensive chewing damage prompted the conservators to adopt a cayenne-infused wax coating, now applied annually, which has successfully deterred them.

William McHugh, preventive technician, applying protective pepper wax to lead garden objects at Winterthur.

Lauren Fair applying protective pepper wax to lead garden objects at Winterthur.

These treatments mark a major step toward reinvigorating historic garden spaces, while reminding us that restoration also brings responsibility. Each returning sculpture requires long-term planning, resources, and consistent care to ensure it can be safely enjoyed outdoors for generations to come. Our conservation and garden teams are committed to doing just that.

We are pleased to welcome our freshly restored sculptures back over the coming months and invite you to enjoy them as they return to their places at Winterthur—as beautiful as ever.

#AllinfortheSemiquin

By Eleanor Shippen, a Lois. F. McNeil Fellow in the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture

Flickering candlelight illuminates the soft red, white, and blue hues of an American flag. While this might at first seem to be a scene from a bygone colonial past, the object at the center of this patriotic vignette was created nearly two hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This hold-to-light postcard, produced for the Bicentennial in 1976, is one of many commemorative objects that visitors will see in #AllinfortheSemiquin: Postcards and Public Memory at Delaware 250. On view just outside the library, the exhibit explores how people commemorate the past through objects and reveals how postcards, despite their small size and ephemeral nature, can carry complex layers of meaning and memory found at the heart of commemoration.

Postcard of the monument at Cooch’s Bridge. c. 1900–1910. Gordon A. Pfeiffer Delaware Postcard and Ephemera Collection, Box 7, Folder 9. Courtesy of the University of Delaware Special Collections.

This exhibition considers those questions as Delaware—the first state to join the Union—marks 250 years of independence alongside the nation’s own semiquincentennial (250th), anniversary. My experience as both a Lois F. McNeil Fellow in the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture and the marketing and engagement intern for Delaware 250, the state’s commission for celebrating both semiquincentennial anniversaries, inspired this exhibition as I had a unique opportunity to examine firsthand the intersections between commemoration, materiality, and meaning in the First State as experienced by its citizens.

Eleanor Shippen stands next to the display case for *#AllinfortheSemiquin: Postcards and Public Memory at Delaware 250*, which she curated.

While the postcards, handkerchiefs, embroidery kits, and other souvenirs on display by no means illustrate the breadth of commemorative objects or fully represent the diverse ways people have used such objects to celebrate the 1876 centennial, 1926 sesquicentennial, and 1976 bicentennial, these objects demonstrate shifting state, national, and commercial interpretations of which histories are commemorated, and how those histories were communicated to the American public. Other objects draw attention to the everyday, highlighting the ordinary yet incredibly special moments where someone, somewhere, felt something was worth remembering. Delaware 250’s “To me, Delaware is…” initiative prompted me to consider how postcards speak directly to moments like these and add to our understanding of past commemorations.

Camille Williams, Lois F. McNeil Fellow, completing a “To me, Delaware is…” postcard at the library’s recent program Off the Shelf: Greetings from Winterthur!

This Delaware 250 public outreach program was created to promote the semiquincentennial celebrations, encouraging participants to reflect and share on a postcard what Delaware means to them. These postcards describe Delaware as everything from a “world of history” to “home.” Submitted at local festivals, museum programs, and state fairs, the postcards are a record of how today’s Delawareans view the state, understand the role their memories play within its history, and share their hopes for the future. When considered alongside early twentieth-century postcards, it is clear that generations of Delawareans have and will continue to add their own interpretations of the past to their local memory of historical sites, figures, and events.

Working with such an actively growing archive has been both a privilege and a challenge. While this exhibition reflects only a fraction of the commemorative celebrations and postcards shared by Delawareans across decades, everyone has the opportunity to help shape what the state’s future holds and create their own piece of Delaware history.

In Her Own Key: The Life of Ruth Wales du Pont

By Ellery Coleman, Tour Program Assistant at Winterthur

Ruth Wales du Pont was “musically gifted, industrious, and intelligent,” endowed with a witty sense of humor, and perfectly paired with her husband, Winterthur Museum founder Henry Francis du Pont.

Born into New York high society in June 1889, Ruth grew up in Hyde Park, near Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s family. An only child, she was raised primarily by her mother, and they were very close. Even as an adult, she and her mother wrote to each other daily any time they were apart, correspondence Ruth’s daughter later described as “unfailingly tender.” Her grandmother, and to a much lesser extent, her father, also played a role in her upbringing. Ruth attended Miss Spence’s School in New York City, where she excelled in her studies and made many lifelong friends. As a child, she took to the piano easily and began taking lessons at thirteen, cultivating a lasting love of music.

She and Henry Francis du Pont met and started developing a friendship when she was twenty, and in 1912, she attended her first of several house parties at Winterthur. Ruth’s daughter recounted in her book that her mother “never expected to marry,” and had once even tried to play matchmaker for Henry Francis, who was nine years her senior. They eventually fell in love and tied the knot in June 1916.

*Ruth and her husband, Henry Francis du Pont*

In their early years of marriage, H. F., not yet invested in collecting antiques, was focused on his cattle and the dairy operation, horticulture, and breaking ground on new garden projects. Ruth, though a city girl by birth and by preference, agreed to live at Winterthur with her husband and father-in-law, Colonel Henry Algernon du Pont. The couple remained close, but her father-in-law proved to be a difficult person, and Ruth’s mental condition suffered as a result.

To help alleviate her distress, the couple bought a Park Avenue apartment in 1921, where Ruth spent much of her time. Over the years, they added more homes, spending winters in New York, summers in Southampton, Long Island, and weekends and holidays at Winterthur, along with an occasional winter retreat in Florida.

Studio portrait of Ruth

During their first year of marriage, Ruth, a skilled pianist and composer, traveled weekly to take lessons at the Peabody Conservatory (now the Peabody Institute) in Baltimore, and wrote various musical compositions. She continued composing throughout the 1920s, including fashionable ragtime music, dances, and part of an opera based on a book by Edith Wharton. In 1918, the couple’s first daughter, Pauline Louise, was born and named after H. F.’s mother and sister. Ruth’s namesake, Ruth Ellen, was born in 1922.

*Henry Francis and Ruth Wales du Pont with their daughters Pauline Louise and Ruth Ellen*

At times, Ruth struggled with her mental health. Beginning around 1918, she took “nerve medicine,” and when Ruth Ellen was still a toddler, Ruth sought treatment at a talk therapy clinic in Massachusetts. A busy mother with many social and household obligations, Ruth set aside her studies at the Peabody, though she continued playing and singing at her grand piano in the Chinese Parlor throughout her life. She and H. F. hosted guests frequently, and she oversaw her daughters’ education, content with letting her husband create the museum. The Winterthur home, which she sometimes called Frog Hollow, was not always a place of refuge for her, as she sometimes found it too expansive.

As she grew older, she continued to travel and entertain. Music was often a respite from her darker moments, and she played piano for her family into her elder years despite arthritis in her fingers. As with her mother, Ruth and H. F. also exchanged letters every day they were apart. Their daughter attributed the success of their long relationship to “an emphasis on loyalty and mutual thoughtfulness.”

Ruth Wales du Pont died in 1967. Her partnership with Henry Francis helped make Winterthur the gracious place it is today.

Ruth Wales du Pont Collegiate Composition Competition

March 29, 2026 | 2:00-5:00 pm

Join the American Pops Orchestra for the premiere of original works by the finalists in the orchestra’s competition. Each composition is inspired by Winterthur’s collections, garden, and history. The competition is named for Ruth Wales du Pont, wife of Henry Francis du Pont, who studied music at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. She composed dozens of musical pieces throughout her life and enjoyed entertaining her family and guests by playing on her grand piano.

Learn more.

1 Peabody Conservatory of Music, Pupils’ Record for Season of 1917, Archives, Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

2 Ruth Lord, Henry F. du Pont and Winterthur: A Daughter’s Portrait (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1999), 95.

3 Ibid., 100.

4 Ibid., 71.

Winterthur Ushers in First Wave of Spring with Bank to Bend on March 14

Event rooted in founder Henry Francis du Pont’s family tradition of walking along the March Bank to Magnolia Bend to marvel at the first waves of color in his wild garden

WINTERTHUR, DE (March 9, 2026)—Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library kicks off the 2026 season and the Museum’s 75th anniversary year with Bank to Bend on March 14, featuring a guided walk through the early spring garden and the bulb display on the March Bank, a plant sale, clivia exhibit, library open house, and a talk by local author and horticulturist Rick Darke, who will speak on the dynamic nature of Winterthur’s renowned “wild garden” and how the style is relevant in a range of modern landscapes.

The event gets its name from the long-standing du Pont family tradition of walking the path along the March Bank to Magnolia Bend to find and report the first flowers of the new year.

Winterthur’s March Bank is a superb example of the wild garden concept promoted by 19th-century British gardener and writer William Robinson, whose 1870 book “The Wild Garden” advocated for planting native and exotic hardy plants in groupings that mimic wild landscapes.

Robinson challenged the English gardening tradition of arranging plants in fixed patterns by suggesting that naturalizing plants in self-perpetuating communities would enable plants to become established, take care of themselves and create durable, resilient landscapes.

Winterthur’s founder Henry Francis du Pont embraced Robinson’s ideas in his plans for the March Bank, which du Pont began planting in 1902 when he was 22 years old. Begun with a few thousand bulbs under a canopy of woodland trees, the bank has grown into an extensive naturalistic display that is now a showcase for millions of late winter-flowering bulbs.

Bank to Bend March 14, 10 am–3 pm

Admission on March 14 includes access to a plant sale of snowdrops, cyclamens, and perennials, a clivia exhibit, and a Director’s Garden and Estate Walk with CEO Chris Strand. Guests can also wander through the garden paths on their own, enjoy the self-paced “An American Legacy” tour of the museum and attend the library open house.

10:00 am–3:00 pm: Plant Sale of cyclamens, perennials and unusual snowdrops. Clivia exhibit

11:00 am–12:00 pm: Talk by Rick Darke “The Wild Garden in Our Time” Copeland Lecture Hall ($10) additional

12:15 pm–1:00 pm: Book sale and signing

1:00 pm: Director’s Garden & Estate Walk: Snowdrops and Other Minor Bulbs (start at Visitor Center Patio)

1:30–3:00 pm: Library Collection Open House

Local Author, Garden Designer to Speak on “The Wild Garden in Our Time”

For an additional $10, visitors can attend “The Wild Garden in Our Time” lecture presented by Landenberg, Pennsylvania-based Rick Darke from 11:00 am–12:00 pm.

Darke is an accomplished design consultant, author, and photographer who blends ecology, horticulture, and cultural geography to steward living landscapes. His projects include public parks and gardens, transportation corridors, and residential landscapes.

In this lecture, Darke will illustrate the dynamic nature and continuing relevance of wild gardening in a wide range of modern global landscapes.

Darke wrote additional chapters and contributed 112 photos to “The Wild Garden: Expanded Edition,” a 2009 redesign of Willam Robinson’s book.

His other books include “The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest;” “The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, co-authored with Doug Tallamy;” and “Gardens of the High Line: Elevating the Nature of Modern Landscapes,” co-authored with Piet Oudolf.

March Bank’s Cascade of Color

The March Bank color scape, which evolves from late January through early May, begins with white giant snowdrops followed by yellow Amur adonis and winter aconite, mixed with white common snowdrops and spring snowflakes. Du Pont planted these bulbs in large drifts of separate mass plantings.

The bank then transitions to a brilliant carpet of lavender blue glory-of-the snow and royal blue squills. Both are excellent multipliers in the wild garden. Interplanted by H. F. du Pont in large numbers, the latter two are delightful when they flower together. In some years, they instead emerge in succession.

Sprinkled along the March Bank are several drifts of yellow daffodils. Purple and white Dutch hybrid crocus then make their appearances, while white bloodroot arrives later. By the end of March, the bank is thick with the leaves of emerging Virginia bluebells, Italian windflowers, and other naturalized plants.

Maintaining the Wild Garden
One of the last 20th century wild gardens in the United States, the practice of managing its authentic wildness remains a core principle of the garden at Winterthur today.

The flora, naturalized exotics and natives planted in large drifts and grouped with other plants that harmonize in color and form, is arranged to appear as if it grew spontaneously.

“Color is the thing that really counts more than any other,” du Pont once said of the garden he designed, grew and maintained for nearly 70 years.

Much evolves on its own. Winter aconites and merry bells continue to spread. Joe-Pye weed and white wood asters add more color now for summer and fall. However, maintaining the full 60-acre garden in the manner du Pont envisioned takes quite a bit of time, expertise and intervention from garden staff.

“It’s a meticulous process that requires an understanding of the original design intent and keen observations to preserve its character,” says Linda Eirhart, Alice Cary Brown Director of Garden at Winterthur. “The wild garden style requires continuous care to maintain its desired appearance.”

Eirhart says garden staff maintain color combinations, historic cultivars, and vistas to ensure the garden remains a true representation of du Pont’s vision.

In April of each year, for example, Garden Manager Carol Long watches for developing seed heads of spring bulbs that she wants to increase on the March Bank. As they ripen, Long distributes the seeds where she wants them to grow. Later in the year, she helps spread wildflowers the same way.

Long calls this practice Johhny Appleseeding. It’s a refinement of the theories of William Robinson, who advocated allowing plants to spread as they would naturally.

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About Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Winterthur is located on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington, Del., and five miles south of U.S. Route 1. Winterthur is committed to accessible programming for all. For information, including special services, call 800.448.3883 or visit winterthur.org. Winterthur is closed seasonally from early January through late February.

John W. Rhoden’s Maquette of Frederick Douglass: Storytelling in Wax

By Kedra Kearis, Ph.D., Associate Curator of Art and Visual Culture at Winterthur

John Walter Rhoden, maquette for Lincoln University Frederick Douglass, 1979. Wax cast. Gift from the John Walter Rhoden and Richanda Phillips Rhoden Collection at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. 2024.0016.001

This wax model of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, presented as an orator, reveals sculptor John W. Rhoden’s skills in subtly manipulating his materials—whether wax, clay, wood, or metal—to tell a powerful story.

Rhoden, who grew up in segregated Alabama, reminisced in a 1966 interview about his early experience with clay:

I think it started when I was just a little boy—on a hill of slippery red clay near the house where I was born in Birmingham. We would spray the hill with water and slide down it. There, I came to know the feel of clay on my feet and hands. It seemed a wonderful thing to take huge handfuls and shape it into different forms. Even then, it was exciting, and even then, I think I knew it was sculpture. Well, I have never lost that excitement. I am still excited by pure form, and shaping it is an act of love. Treat any material with love, and I think you can almost make it come alive.[1]

Bringing the subject to life became his artistic calling throughout his career.

In 1979, Rhoden set to work on a monumental statue of Frederick Douglass, commissioned by Lincoln University, the first degree-granting historically Black college in the United States. New to the Winterthur collection, his wax study, or maquette, also dates from the Lincoln University commission. It presents Douglass as speaking, highlighting how his voice was a crucial element in the abolitionist movement and the fight for racial equality.

Photograph of John Rhoden posing with his sculpture of Frederick Douglass, undated. John Rhoden papers, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

This version and the final full-length statue of Douglass, installed in 1989 at Lincoln University, represent rare instances when Rhoden took up a historical narrative in his sculpture. Another, his bronze work, The Slave Ship (1989, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts), portrays the Middle Passage, the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. Both subjects represent effective and galvanizing images for artists of the African diaspora.

Currently on display in Winterthur’s first-floor gallery, Conversations with the Collection, the wax maquette appears near paintings featuring the Peale family in the exhibit The Peale Painters: Global Perspectives in the Winterthur Collection. One large-scale painting, The Edward Lloyd Family by Charles Willson Peale, represents the Lloyd family’s home, Wye Plantation, in Talbot County, Maryland. Douglass, who was enslaved there, recalled the home in his third autobiography, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, as the “’great house’ with all its pictures within and pillars without.”[2] While Douglass describes how essential goods and basic housing were denied to the enslaved people of Wye, Peale captures the Lloyd family’s display of wealth through their land, clothing, and jewelry.

Charles Willson Peale, *The Edward Lloyd Family*, Talbot County, Md., 1771. Museum purchase 1964.0124 A

Despite the many challenges he faced as a Black man coming of age in Appalachia in the American South in the 1930s, Rhoden went on to become an award-winning sculptor who traveled, studied, and exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. In addition to being awarded fellowships from the Rockefeller and Guggenheim foundations, Rhoden was the first African American visual arts fellow at the American Academy in Rome.

1 “A Visit with John Rhoden,” Topic Magazine, no. 5, special issue, The Negro in the American Arts (1966), 28–29.

2 Frederick Douglass, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (Hartford: Park Publishing Company, 1881), 88.

Self-Paced House Tour: An American Legacy

Explore American history through the spaces, stories, and objects that shaped the nation. Discover the enduring influence of colonial American architecture, an unparalleled collection of decorative arts, and the transformation of a private estate into a museum devoted to preserving and interpreting the American experience. No reservations required; capacity limited. Included with admission. Members free.

Tuesday–Sunday through November 8 | 10:00 am–4:00 pm

Purchase tickets.

Field & Fête: Celebrating 75 Years

May 16, 2026 | 10:00 am–4:00 pm

Pack your prettiest picnic and step into the timeless charm of a country-estate garden party as Winterthur marks its 75th anniversary with live music, vintage automobiles, a parade, and guided garden experiences.

Inspired by the H. F. du Pont family’s love of entertaining outdoors, defined by relaxed elegance, our May garden party takes place amid the scenic open fields alongside Azalea Woods.

Enjoy your own beautifully packed picnic or indulge in upscale small bites, grill classics, and savory skewers, along with signature desserts, cocktail selections, and Winterthur-label beer, all available for purchase. Then settle in for a joyful day with music by The Unforgettable Big Band performing favorites from across the decades.

Adding to the charm, an old-school procession of vintage Rolls-Royces, 1950s automobiles, Winterthur farm tractors, and bagpipers will parade through the garden in a spirited nod to Winterthur’s heritage.

Come celebrate the season—and 75 years of Winterthur—with a gathering that blends nostalgia, style, and the simple magic of celebrating outdoors. Rain date Sunday, May 17. $29; $15 for Members.

Purchase Tickets

Private Picnic Tent

Reserve a 10×10 high-peak tent on Azalea Lawn for an exclusive private picnic experience for up to six guests. Perfectly situated, these tents place you right in the center of the music and merriment. Includes 6 Field & Fête admission wristbands, a beautifully appointed 48″ round table with linens, flowers, six chairs, and dedicated butler service for seamless food and beverage ordering from a curated menu. Food and beverage are not included. Guests may bring their own picnic or indulge in offerings from select on-site vendors. $600 per tent | Additional wristbands: $75 each. Tent reservations will close on May 10. Purchase now. 

Live Music

11:00 am–3:00 pm | Enjoy the toe-tapping rhythms and timeless melodies of the 20-piece Unforgettable Big Band, featuring favorites from across the decades, plus a special performance by the BlueBallRoom Dance Team at 12:30 pm.

Chapters of Winterthur Parade

1:00–1:30 pm | Take your place along Garden Lane as Winterthur’s history comes to life in a spirited 30-minute parade. The estate’s signature vehicles are joined by vintage 1950s cars, Rolls-Royces, tractors, and Delaware State Police mounted patrol creating a procession full of charm and tradition.

Guided Garden Walks

11:00 am and 2:00 pm | Join a guided garden walk beneath the spring canopy. You’ll see the best of what’s in bloom on this special May day and bask in the natural beauty that has captivated visitors for generations. Included with admission.

House Tours

10:00 am–3:30 pm | Explore American History through the spaces, stories, and objects that shaped the nation in our self-paced 45-minute introductory tour, An American Legacy. Or take Architecture of Independence, an upgraded, guided tour exploring the founding of our nation through the stories preserved within the architecture of the original thirteen colonies. Self-guided tour is included with admission and first-come, first-served. Guided tours by reservation only.

Activities & Tours

Chapters of Winterthur Parade

1:00–1:30 pm | Garden Lane

Take your place along Garden Lane as Winterthur’s history comes to life in a spirited 30-minute parade. The estate’s signature vehicles are joined by vintage 1950s cars, Rolls-Royces, tractors, and Delaware State Police mounted patrol creating a procession full of charm and tradition.

Best and Beautiful Garden Walk

11:00 am and 2:00 pm | Visitor Center Patio

Join a guided garden walk beneath the spring canopy. You’ll see the best of what’s in bloom on this special May Day and bask in the natural beauty that has captivated visitors for generations. Included with admission.

Garden Exploration

10:00 am–4:00 pm

Wander the canvas of garden color expected in mid-May! Primrose will be peaking in the Quarry Garden, and late-flowering rhododendron and azalea blooms will weave through Enchanted Woods, Icewell Terrace, the Reflecting Pool, Magnolia Bend, and Azalea Woods. The woodlands will show off the blues of Jacobs Ladder and Spanish Bluebells, and the Peony Garden will be particularly showy (weather dependent).

Flower Bouquet Making with Barb’s Backyard Blooms

After strolling through the blooming gardens, visit Barb’s Flower Bar to create your own fresh bouquet and let your inner artist shine. Custom bouquets available for a fee and while supplies last.

Live Illustrations by Dallas Shaw

You’ve dressed in your best garden-picnic–inspired attire for the day—now take home a one-of-a-kind memento. Dallas Shaw, a luxury fashion illustrator known for her elegant live illustrations at events around the world, will transform your look into a stylish keepsake sketch in just minutes. Watch your look come to life on paper. Live sketches available for a fee. Spaces fill quickly—find the artist day-of to reserve yours.

Rolls-Royce Display

10:00 am–4:00 pm | Conservatory Lawn

Set against the backdrop of the Winterthur mansion, this Rolls-Royce display showcases vehicles from across decades of automotive design and innovation. Experience the cars up close and discover the DuPont family’s long-standing passion for automobiles and the evolution of luxury engineering.

House Tours

10:00 am–3:30 pm | Conservatory

Explore American History through the spaces, stories, and objects that shaped the nation in our self-paced 45-minute introductory tour, An American Legacy. Or take Architecture of Independence, an upgraded, guided tour exploring the founding of our nation through the stories preserved within the architecture of the original thirteen colonies. Self-guided tour is included with admission and first-come, first-served. Guided tours by reservation only.

Library Open House

11:00 am–2:00 pm

See stylish 1950s catalogues and photos from our archives and special collections that capture the midcentury vibes.

Food & Drink

Enliven the senses with a variety of tasting options available for purchase, created by Winterthur’s onsite culinary team.

Tasting Menu

Lobster Bao Buns
Salmon Rillettes
Franks in a Blanket
French-Inspired Charcuterie Boxes
Truffle Potato Chips

From the Grill

Wagyu Beef Sliders
Hot Dogs
Hamburgers

Skewers

Rhubarb Miso-Glazed Shrimp
Chicken with Herbs de Provence & Ramp Chimichurri
Tomato-Marjoram Glazed Vegetables with Halloumi

Signature Desserts & Ice Cream

Chocolate Strawberries and Pistachios, Chocolate & Shredded Kataifi
Winterthur Swiss Avalanche Ice Cream — a rich sweet cream and studded with charming mini chocolate cows. First created by Woodside Farm Creamery in honor of Winterthur’s 50th anniversary.
Winterthur Faeries Ice Cream — a refreshing mint chocolate chip ice cream. Made by Woodside Farm Creamery in tribute to the 25th anniversary of Enchanted Woods children’s garden this June.
Vanilla Ice Cream with Sprinkles
Rita’s Italian Cherry Water Ice

Signature Cocktails

Elderflower Spritz — bright bubbles, zesty citrus, and delicate floral notes come together for a cocktail that’s as refreshing as it is effortlessly chic
H. F. du Pont 75 — our anniversary twist on the classic French 75, a popular 1950s cocktail concocted with gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup combined in a shaker and topped with a splash of champagne.

Sparkling Wine Bar

Where the fizz never stops and the mood is always bright. Our sparkling wine bar brings together bold flavors, fun energy, and a little bit of sparkle in every glass—because every day deserves a pop of excitement.

Available by the glass or bottle:

Chandon Garden
Torresella Prosecco
Chandon Sparkling Rosé

Winterthur Beer

Raise a glass to 75 years of beauty, history, and inspiration at Winterthur Museum, Garden, & Library. This American Pale Ale brew celebrates the unique convergence of art, nature, and history that come together in full bloom on Winterthur’s grounds. Cheers to the past we preserve, the present we serve, and the future we hope to create. Brewed locally by Wilmington Brew Works.

Live Music & Entertainment

Unforgettable Big Band

10:00 am–3:00 pm

Enjoy the toe-tapping rhythms and timeless melodies, soundtracked by the 20-piece Unforgettable Big Band as they perform favorites from across the decades.

BlueBallRoom Dancers

12:30 pm

Catch a performance by the talented dancers of the BlueBallRoom Dance Studio & Dance Club at 12:30 pm as they swing to the Unforgettable Big Band’s tunes.

Information for Members

On May 16, Winterthur will host Field & Fête, commemorating the museum’s opening in 1951 and honoring Winterthur’s rich history and vibrant present. We hope you’ll join us. When you purchase a ticket for Field & Fête, you help support the museum, garden, and library and ensure that future generations can enjoy and celebrate Winterthur well beyond its 75th year.

During Field & Fête, some areas of the estate will be restricted for non–ticket-holding visitors, including Members.

Free Member-Exclusive Guided Garden Walk

Enhance your visit* with a guided garden walk, departing from the Gate 2 location.

Members free; registration required. Space limited; choose your time slot. Comfortable walking shoes, filled water bottles, sunscreen, and bug spray are recommended. Walk may include uneven ground over dirt and grass, steps, as well as paved paths.

Register now.

Rain date for both event and guided garden walk is Sunday, May 17.

*Field & Fête ticket not required. Members who wish to attend the Field & Fête and take a guided walk may do so by registering for both events. Note that no transportation is provided from event site to Gate 2 area.