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

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—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.

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

*Photos by Becca Mathias, Tisa Della-Volpe, and Eileen Tercha.*

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 seasonal offerings from our curated mobile vendors. Then settle in for a joyful day soundtracked 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, marching bands, 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 linen, 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. Purchase now. 

Secret Spaces Tour

4:00–6:00 pm | A rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into hidden museum spaces and protected places, followed by a sparkling toast overlooking the Reflecting Pool. Includes hidden doors and access points, the former servants’ spaces, collections study and storage areas for glass, ceramics, curtains, and needlework, plus the rooms where flowers are brought in, prepared, and arranged before being displayed in the house. $110; $100 for Members. Ticket includes Field & Fête event on Saturday, May 16.* Please check in at the Visitor Center by 3:30 pm. Limited capacity. Reservations required. Register now.

Live Music

11:00 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.

Guided Garden Walks

11:00 am–12:00 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

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. Included with admission.

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.

Member Access (For All Members Not Attending Field & Fête)

Members who are not attending the event but wish to take advantage of their complimentary access to walk the grounds and take a house tour are welcome do so. Kindly enter through Gate 2— located on Route 52, just south of Winterthur’s main gate. Plan for a ten-minute walk to the museum.

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, offered every hour, on the hour, 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.

Guest Code of Conduct

We commit to providing a safe, secure, and welcoming experience for all. Guests will be treated in a consistent, professional, and courteous manner by all staff.

Our guests, staff, volunteers, contractors, and vendors have the right to an environment free from abusive, harassment, and/or threatening behavior, including unwanted advances, lewd or inappropriate touching, and the use of derogatory or offensive language. In the event that any such behavior or other conduct that is disrespectful takes place on our property, or there is a failure to comply with our rules and code of conduct, we reserve all rights permitted by applicable law. This includes but is not limited to the right to deny admission, prevent entry, require a person already admitted to leave the property, prohibit future ticket purchases and attendance, revoke Membership privileges, and prosecution. Any removal from the property or denial of admission for violation of this Code of Conduct may occur without refund or compensation

We reserve the right to determine what constitutes unacceptable behavior that could otherwise interfere with other guests’ enjoyment of Winterthur. Guests are expected to comply with lawful requests of Winterthur personnel. Guests are also encouraged to report any inappropriate behavior to a staff member. Violations are taken seriously by our team as we work to protect our guests, each other, Winterthur, and the guest experience.

Celebrating Black History Month: The Billiard Table and Frederick Douglass

By Tyler Horne, Winterthur Tour Program Assistant

If you know the Winterthur collection well, you’re probably familiar with one of its most iconic pieces—a billiard table crafted by cabinetmaker John Shaw between 1797 and 1800. Believed to be the earliest surviving billiard table made in America, it’s not just a piece of furniture; it offers a profound connection to the history of the nation and the experiences of African Americans.

John Shaw, billiard table, Annapolis, Md., 1797–1800. Mahogany, satinwood, rosewood, tulip poplar, and hard pine. Museum purchase with funds provided by Henry Francis du Pont 1958.0058

This billiard table was once owned by the Lloyd family at Wye Plantation in Maryland, whose family portraits can also be seen in the Winterthur collection. Constructed from satinwood and mahogany—materials harvested by enslaved people—the Lloyds’ billiard table is displayed alongside cue balls made from ivory, illustrating the interconnected nature of luxury goods and the injustices of the transatlantic slave trade. It also has a direct link to Frederick Douglass, who spent his early years enslaved at Wye Plantation.

Douglass is recognized as one of the most prominent African American abolitionist figures, largely due to his powerful documentation of life under slavery. In each of his autobiographies, he reflects on his time at Wye, where as a child he worked as a footman, among other domestic duties. He describes hearing the sounds of billiard balls echoing through the upstairs room of the plantation’s orangery, starkly contrasting the leisure enjoyed by the Lloyd family with the lives of those living downstairs, who labored to maintain that lifestyle.

In the past year, the billiard table served as a focal point in our Continue the Journey guided tour, which emphasized African American history. This year it will play a significant role in the Architecture of Independence tour, serving as an entry point to discuss African American history in Maryland and across the United States.

With the country’s 250th anniversary just around the corner, the upcoming tour is a good opportunity to look at the larger scope of American history and the diverse groups of people who make us who we are today. Honoring the contributions of African Americans throughout our nation’s history is essential in recognizing narratives that have long been overlooked. Here at Winterthur, we reinforce our commitment to tell a rich and inclusive history of the United States, and we hope you’ll join us in celebrating Black History Month.

Wallcoverings: Histories Behind the Collection

By Emily Bavaria, Winterthur museum guide

Each year thousands of guests stream through the doors of Winterthur, often taking specialized tours, eager to see some of our nearly 90,000 objects on display. While it’s easy to focus on the furniture or the objects placed in the rooms and hanging on the walls, experiencing the rooms fully also includes examining the walls themselves. They contain various architectural elements and, in many, historical wallpapers and wallcoverings. Fifteen period wallcoverings are on display in the museum, including early English ﬂock wallcoverings, French scenic wallcoverings, hand-painted Chinese wallpapers, and some of the earliest American wallpapers.

Wall covering (wallpaper), Pastimes and Leisure Scenes of Chinese Life, China, 1775–1800. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1969.1084

A Brief History of Wallpaper

Wallpaper originated in China, where artists originally hand painted designs on rice paper. Block printing also originated in China, with designs carved into wooden blocks and paint applied to the non-recessed wood, using one block for each paint color. In European homes of the 1500s, wallpaper was considered the poor relation of the decorative arts, and tapestries were still in vogue to cover walls. The earliest decorative papers in Europe were block printed on small sheets and relegated to cupboards and small rooms. By the 1600s, however, wallpaper became common in European homes, some requiring thousands of blocks to create. By the late 1600s, France and England were competing to produce the best wallpapers of the western market, though hand-painted Chinese wallpaper was still considered the ﬁnest.

Around this time, ﬂock papers were also introduced, created by block printing a gluten-based adhesive on paper or canvas, then dragging it through wool waste powder for a damask design. In the mid-to-late-1600s, sheets of paper were joined together to form rolls, which encouraged large repeats, so papering a room became more affordable and common. Wallpaper was imported into the American colonies prior to 1700 but not domestically produced until 1760.

The following are a few examples of the fifteen wallpapers on display in the museum.

Vauxhall Room

This room contains some of the oldest wallpaper in the museum. Dated from 1675 to 1730, these flock wall coverings were invented by Le Francois of Rouen in 1620 and manufactured in England. At Winterthur, the wallpaper was restored and installed by James B. Wilson, a decorative contractor from New York, who placed the period paper on modern backing and glued it to a canvas-prepared plaster wall. H. F. du Pont also hired Wilson to paint the collection’s wallpapers each winter.

Wall covering, England, 1675–1730. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1969.1088.001

Centreville Stair Hall

The concert champêtre wallpaper in this room was made near Lyon, France, between 1783 and 1810. A genre of 16th-century painting, this style emphasized entertainment and refreshment in a picturesque setting, and by the 18th century, women were prominently featured along with allegorical or mythological ﬁgures. As part of Winterthur’s House Lighting Project in the late 1990s, all fifteen wallcoverings in the museum were cleaned and conserved. The lighting project included moving a water main. It failed, and water ﬂowed down the interior walls of Winterthur, severely damaging this lovely example of French wallpaper.

Wallpaper, Concert Champêtre, Lyon, France, 1793–1810. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1969.1096.001 A-G

Federal Parlor

This room features an arabesque-style Parisian wallpaper created around 1791 by Jacquemart et Bernard, produced with Etruscan-patterned wood blocks. Its designs align along a central axis and feature neoclassical themes, influenced by archeological discoveries of ancient art in places like Pompeii in the mid-1700s. It was purchased in 1794 by Oliver Phelps for the dining room in his Suffield, Connecticut, home, and H. F. du Pont acquired the wallpaper when highway construction threatened the house.

Wallpaper, Venus and Cupid arabesque, Paris, France, 1789–91. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1969.1092.001

Philadelphia Bedroom

The Philadelphia Bedroom is papered with hand-painted Chinese wallpaper from the late 18th century, with exotic birds among tree peonies, chrysanthemums, and cherry blossoms. More exclusive and expensive than French or English block-printed wallpaper, it was hand-painted in China and exported to France. This room was installed in the museum by Rudolph Guertler of New York. He mounted the period wallpaper on muslin and rice paper with new paper designed around the old, a common practice used by H. F. du Pont, who often combined contemporary wallpaper with period wallpaper. The room contains 29 panels, 14 of which are original, dating from 1770 to 1790.

Wallpaper, Birds, Butterflies, and Bamboo, China, 1770–90. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1969.1083

Imlay Room

The wallpaper in this room was purchased in 1794 by John Imlay, a Philadelphia shipping merchant, from William Poyntell’s shop on South Second Street in Philadelphia. Winterthur purchased the wallpaper in an upstairs parlor of the Imlay mansion, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art purchased the wallpaper from a downstairs parlor as well as the 1794 receipt. Because the price of the upstairs paper purchased by Winterthur was less expensive than the downstairs paper purchased by the Met, it is generally accepted as domestic wallpaper and among the oldest American wallpapers on display.

Wallpaper border, Philadelphia, Penn., 1790–1931. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1969.1093.004

We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into some of the beautiful wallpapers at Winterthur. As you enter the museum doors, whether on a self-paced tour or one of our specialized tours, be sure to take in the exquisite walls surrounding each carefully designed room, knowing there’s a story behind each one.