WINTERTHUR, Del. (June 18, 2026)—Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library has appointed Luke Pecoraro, Ph.D., as curator of ceramics and glass. An archaeologist and historian with more than two decades of experience excavating and interpreting American material culture, Pecoraro brings a distinctive perspective to Winterthur’s world-renowned collection of American decorative arts.
“Luke’s deep expertise in archaeology and the material culture of early America makes him an exceptional addition to the Winterthur curatorial team,” said Chris Strand, Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO of Winterthur. “His hands-on fieldwork at some of the most significant historic sites in the country, combined with his scholarly contributions to the field, will enrich our understanding of the ceramics and glass collection and strengthen the research mission at the heart of everything we do at Winterthur.”
Pecoraro joins Winterthur from the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust in Charleston, South Carolina, where he served as director of archaeology and collections. His career has taken him across the mid-Atlantic, the Chesapeake, New England, and the Caribbean, leading field investigations at landmark sites in American history. He previously served as director of curatorial services for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and as director of archaeology for George Washington’s Mount Vernon, where he also held the position of assistant director of archaeological research.
Throughout his career, Pecoraro has developed a particular specialization in ceramics as primary historical evidence, presenting at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts and Colonial Williamsburg’s ceramics symposia and delivering presentations on assemblages spanning colonoware to high-style English wares imported into the Atlantic world. His ongoing work as a research archaeologist for the First Colony Foundation continues in the search for the 16th-century Lost Colony on Roanoke Island, North Carolina.
“Winterthur is one of the great institutions for the study of American art and material culture, and I am honored to join the curatorial team at such a pivotal moment,” said Pecoraro. “The ceramics and glass collection holds extraordinary stories about how people lived, traded, and expressed identity across centuries of American history. I look forward to deepening public engagement with these objects while advancing new scholarship rooted in the archaeological and documentary record.”
Pecoraro holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in archaeology from Boston University. He is an associate editor for the journal Historical Archaeology and a course instructor with the National Preservation Institute.
In 2025, he was the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation Scholar for Attingham Summer School. He was named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 40 Under 40: People Saving Places list in 2019 and was the recipient of a residential fellowship from the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello in 2022.
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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.