The Winterthur Garden is the embodiment of Swinburne’s sentiment. Henry Francis du Pont crafted his gardens to provide continuous waves of color throughout the year, with the most stunning display in springtime. What better way to bid winter adieu and herald spring’s reappearance than with a visit to Winterthur? Each year a host of vibrant beauties burst from the thawing ground as yellow aconites join white snowdrops until purple crocus, lavender glory of the snow, and blue scilla arrive to delight on the March Bank. Yellow and white daffodils begin to pop next, with hundreds of thousands emerging in masses thereafter around the estate. As the season progresses, bright red, pink, and white azaleas lure us to wander Azalea Woods in May.
“Blossom by blossom, the spring begins.”
Algernon Charles Swinburne
These are a just a few highlights. Join us all season long for invigorating exploration. Enjoy our annual outdoor spring offerings, including Bank to Bend, Daffodil Day, Sip Among the Blooms, and our exhilarating Point-to-Point steeplechase race. Don’t miss our House of Style Weekend in March and our self-paced spring house tour, Contemporary Art at Winterthur.
We hope you will be inspired and delighted by our many offerings this spring at Winterthur, where there’s always something new to discover!
Andrew Raftery is an artist specializing in fictional and autobiographical narratives of contemporary American life. Andrew loves prints for their ubiquitous role in our world: on wallpaper, ceramics, textiles, and other functional objects, such as bandboxes. He welcomes the challenge of using seemingly antiquated techniques such as engraving to treat contemporary subject matter. Andrew’s studio practice is research based, branching out into collaborations with museums and scholars. He is Professor of Printmaking at Rhode Island School of Design and is represented by Ryan Lee Gallery in New York. His home and studio are in Providence, Rhode Island.
Vues d’Italie by Dufour – Scene I and II in Baltimore Drinking Room
The rooms in this house-turned-museum are filled daily with the modern clothes, technology, and behaviors of the visitors and staff who walk these halls. Artist Andrew Raftery explores this collision of old and new, often adding intentional glimpses of museum life to his recreations of the scenes he observes, which he calls “a pictorial fiction.” In 2021 Raftery first visited Winterthur and, over many visits, spent hours sketching and “reverse engineering” the Vues d’Italie wallpaper in this room. He decided to make sketches “that showed how I see the room, not what it looks like.”
Visit the Transformations exhibit in the Winterthur Galleries from June 8, 2024 – January 5, 2025 to see the Bandbox Project by Andrew Raftery and a collective of printmakers.
Chocolate Set, 1915, Made by Gorham Manufacturing Company, Providence, Rhode Island, gilded silver. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Henry Francis du Pont Collectors Circle, 2023.0003.001-011
Abstaining from hot chocolate should never be a New Year’s resolution!
It’s a new year, and we are welcoming a new addition to our collection. Winterthur recently acquired a one-of-a-kind, gilded silver hot chocolate set with dainty poppy-shaped vessels, made in 1915. While this set does not represent how most consumers sipped hot cocoa in the early 1900s, and certainly not today, antique ceramic and silver chocolate pots remind us how internationally revered this beverage has been throughout its multi-century history. Hot chocolate came to America in the 1600s, and when this set was new, tins or boxes holding cakes of powdered cacao were combined with hot milk and sweetened to taste with sugar. Yum!
This illustrated trade card for Wilbur’s Chocolate Company features Cupid sipping from a gilded white porcelain cup and saucer—likely enjoying the Breakfast Chocolate in the bright blue box behind his head.
Porcelain cups and ceramic mugs are ideal for protecting the lips from that first scalding sip, but the chocolate set we acquired has six silver poppy cup frames with no liners. It is hard to imagine adults drinking from such tiny openings, which seem more to scale for the fairies inhabiting Winterthur’s Enchanted Woods. A porcelain liner creates a fluted opening more apropos for a human and adds another insulating layer to preserve the chocolate’s heat while shielding the lips.
Cup frames of sterling silver, silver electroplated with gold, or silver-plated base metals were not uncommon products in the early 1900s. However, while Europeans drank their hot beverages from a clear glass placed in a metal frame, Americans drank theirs from white porcelain liners set in metal cup frames. This set’s maker, Gorham Manufacturing Company (headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island), worked with Trenton, New Jersey manufacturer Lenox Ceramic Art Company to craft a liner reflecting the American-style hot beverage drinking glass: gold-rimmed white porcelain liners fitted to their coffee, tea, and hot chocolate cup frames.
Although our poppy cup frames no longer contain their original liners, Gorham’s early 1900s sales catalogues survive to help us imagine them. This page shows a chocolate cup and two teacups from the 1908 Catalogue Addenda and was shared by a silver scholar who sourced it in the Gorham Archives, John Hay Library, Brown University.
Since the hot chocolate set we acquired was created as a special order for Anita Baldwin, owner of the historic estate, Anoakia, of Arcadia, California, it never appeared in the Gorham catalogues. Our chances of finding an antique liner with the cups’ exact dimensions were close to zero.
However, we wanted to display these poppy cup frames with a Lenox liner, so a near match was located with this narrow demitasse shape. It extends about one inch above the frame, and you can see how the liners visually complete the set’s overall design. We are delighted to welcome this lovely set into our ever-growing collection. As you gaze at each of its components, you realize that even in small doses the irresistible smell and taste of hot chocolate was a prized indulgence a century ago – just as it is today.
Henry Francis du Pont was an avid collector of American art and antiques representing the finest craftsmanship and styles of early America, and we invite you to come to Winterthur and enjoy our vast collection of treasures like this elegant hot chocolate set. And, of course, to continue to enjoy hot chocolate the way you like it best!
WINTERTHUR, DE (January 22, 2024) – Kirk Trasborg has been selected as Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library’s new chief financial officer. Trasborg brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Winterthur.
Chris Strand, Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO at Winterthur, expressed his enthusiasm about the new hire, stating, “We are delighted to welcome Kirk to our leadership team. His impressive background in financial management, business process redesign, vendor management, and staff development aligns perfectly with our vision for the future of Winterthur.”
Trasborg’s previous role as chief strategy and operations officer at The American College of Financial Services in Philadelphia showcased his ability to lead diverse teams, including Strategy and Operations, Administrative Services, Institutional Effectiveness, Career Services, and the college’s multiple Centers for social impact.
His extensive experience includes notable positions such as chief financial officer for technology services at the University of Pennsylvania, executive director of finance and planning at Laureate Education in Baltimore, and contributions to renowned organizations like Armstrong World Industries, the Hershey Company, and First Data Corporation.
Kirk Trasborg
With multiple degrees, including a Master in Law, a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in accounting, information systems, criminal justice, and behavioral science, Trasborg brings a comprehensive and well-rounded skill set to Winterthur.
Expressing his excitement about his appointment, Trasborg said, “I’m thrilled to be joining an organization that is strengthening its ties with its community through school programs and welcoming events while also expanding its great experiences to an audience that is assuredly worldwide. Winterthur is coming off a year that saw the institution featured on national television, in hundreds of newspapers across the country, in international magazines, and in radio broadcasts on both sides of the Atlantic. It’s truly an exciting time to be arriving at Winterthur.”
Winterthur, currently closed for the season as it prepares for an eventful 2024, offers its members daily, year-round access to the garden and estate. Winterthur is set to reopen its doors to all visitors on March 2, 2024.
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.
Winterthur is located on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington, Delaware, 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, DE (December 12, 2023) – A project to preserve the historic Old Gate House at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library was the only initiative in Delaware to receive funding in a recent round of grants from the National Park Service.
Winterthur requested and received $125,000 for the project, with Winterthur contributing a matching $125,000.
The award was part of $25.7 million in Save America’s Treasures grants from the National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The funding supports 58 projects in 26 states, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
Located on the western edge of Winterthur along Kennett Pike (Route 52), the Old Gate House is one of the more prominent and recognizable parts of the estate.
Winterthur is the former home of Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969), a renowned horticulturist and antique collector. He spent his life managing Winterthur’s estate and its farm, perfecting its gardens, and amassing one of the most significant collections of American decorative arts in the world. He ultimately transformed his magnificent 175-room mansion into a museum in 1951 to display nearly 90,000 objects made or used in America since 1640.
At its peak, the estate had 12 temperature-controlled greenhouses, a 23-acre orchard, a 5.5-acre vegetable garden, and a 4-acre cutting garden. It also had a butcher shop, sawmill, tannery, post office, train station, and a dairy barn where du Pont bred and raised award-winning Holstein cattle. Ninety-nine cottages housed 250 members of Winterthur’s staff and their families.
The Old Gate House was designed in 1902 by Robeson Lea Perot, a Philadelphia-based architect. This two-story colonial/neoclassical revival building served as the main gate entrance to Winterthur and as the residence for the gatekeeper and his family until 1961. Today, the gatehouse serves as offices for some of Winterthur’s development staff.
The gatehouse restoration project will consist of the following tasks:
Restoring the gatehouse’s iron railing and gate
Conserving the historic shutters
Painting the exterior of the gatehouse
Sealing the basement
Repairing the masonry of the outbuildings and a connecting wall
The project will stabilize historical materials and return them to a more original condition, said John Castle, Winterthur’s director of facilities, who will oversee the project.
“This work will significantly improve the appearance of a prominent symbol of the Winterthur estate,” Castle said.
Save America’s Treasures requires applicants to match the grant money dollar-for-dollar with nonfederal funding.
“We’re thrilled that this funding will allow us to immediately begin this work, most of which will be completed by the summer of 2025,” added Danielle Dougherty, Winterthur’s assistant director of grants management.
These grants preserve and conserve nationally significant properties and collections to tell a more complete story of America and its people, said NPS Director Chuck Sams.
“Preserving these historic places and collections ensures the generations of today and tomorrow can enjoy and learn from the diverse stories across time and place in America’s history,” Sams said.
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.
Winterthur is located on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington, Delaware, 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.
Please note: As of 12/19/23, our guests have collected all of the free ornaments that were placed around the estate as part of this initiative.
Samara Weaver often wanders the region during the holidays with her 5-year-old daughter, wearing crowns on their heads and leaving gifts in the Wilmington area for people to take for free.
Now she’s bringing that magical touch to Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library for Yuletide.
Inspired by the joy of giving, Weaver will spread holiday cheer by placing handcrafted ornaments throughout the Winterthur estate for guests to discover and take home as cherished keepsakes.
The Enchanting Hunt
As you stroll along the walking paths of Winterthur between the Visitor Center, the historic 175-room home of Henry Francis du Pont, and the captivating Galleries, keep a keen eye out for the beautifully crafted ornaments that Samara personally made. These delightful treasures, each a unique creation, will be waiting to be discovered and claimed by lucky finders.
Diverse Artistry
Weaver is a previous participant in Winterthur’s annual Artisan Market and a featured artist in the upcoming Transformations exhibition opening on June 8, 2024.
Weaver brings a diverse range of artistic styles to her ornament collection. Starting her initiative on November 18, Weaver engaged Winterthur’s guests in crafting paper snowflakes, which now adorn a tree in the Visitor Center.
These snowflakes also serve as the inspiration for imprints on clay (ceramic) ornaments strategically placed throughout the estate. Additionally, some ornaments feature intricate designs inspired by the architectural elements found in and around Winterthur, adding a touch of historical charm to this festive endeavor.
“I use many different mediums, including paper, watercolor, clay, wood, photography, glass, wool (felt), dyes, oil paint, and metal,” Weaver says of her art. “Using these different mediums allows me to choose the best one for the project I’m working on.”
Weaver graduated with her master’s in architecture in 2013 from Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia. After graduating, she worked in architecture and construction while continuing to develop her unique artistic voice using multiple mediums. In 2017, she took the leap to working for herself and started Design Hues, specializing in large floral installations. In 2018, Weaver applied to and was accepted to a juried show at the Delaware Art Museum.
She says showing her work at the museum was a pivotal turning point in her artistic career. She shifted her focus to her art full-time, creating and selling her artwork, functional ceramics, and porcelain jewelry.
Join the Fun
The spirit of Sprinkle Magic extends beyond a simple scavenger hunt. Weaver’s initiative is a celebration of community, creativity, and the joy of giving. By leaving these handcrafted treasures for Winterthur’s guests to discover, she hopes to foster a sense of shared joy and appreciation for the holiday season.
Much like an old-fashioned scavenger hunt, Sprinkle Magic is designed purely for fun and holiday joy. It’s an opportunity for Winterthur’s visitors to engage in a heartwarming adventure, discovering the beauty of the estate while collecting unique ornaments created with care and creativity. So, come, explore, and let Winterthur’s Sprinkle Magic brighten your holiday season!
Transforming Natural Materials into Fashion Inspired by the Work of Ann Lowe
By Kim Collison
Shoes shaped from leaves and adorned with seed pod heels. A larger-than-life dress crafted from textiles and greenery and bursting with every floral shape. These Transformations works by local artists Lenny Wilson and Katya Roelse join staff-created trees and couture fashion designs for this year’s Yuletide display, inspired by our exhibition Ann Lowe: American Couturier. As part of Transformations: Contemporary Artists at Winterthur,they are the latest in a series of contemporary works reflecting artists’ connection to Winterthur’s collections.
Vivid colors and creative patterns found both indoors and out throughout the Winterthur garden and the collection have inspired floral artists and creators for decades, so it comes as no surprise that the couture works by Ann Lowe in the Galleries have also brought fresh creative vision to many. Henry Francis du Pont said, “I have always loved flowers and had a garden as a child, and in almost every flowering plant there is order, proportion, color, detail and material, and if you have grown up with flowers and really seen them, you can’t help to have unconsciously absorbed an appreciation of [these things].” Surely Ann Lowe could relate to this sentiment, as most of her work features colorful floral elements, including fabric-sculpted roses trailing the length of a dress, Bermuda lilies framing the neckline of a bridal gown, and delicately “fussy-cut” floral appliques hemming a 1930s dress.
No shoes appear with Lowe’s designs, but three pairs of nature-inspired shoes created by Delaware native Lenny Wilson are on view just outside the exhibition. Wilson learned to make shoes at a leather-trades college in London before beginning a career in public horticulture. His artwork combines shoemaking with horticulture, resulting in life-size shoes made from plant leaves and seed pods—a unique biographical expression.
He says, “I believe shoes are a symbol of good luck. Archeologists have found shoes among the ruins of ancient homes that were placed in the walls by their inhabitants. Shoes have been tied to the back bumpers of cars of couples that were ‘just married.’ Dorothy’s ruby slippers protected her and transported her back to safety. Shoes reveal a lot about a person. To walk a mile in another’s shoes is to gain familiarity to that person’s experiences. Even though these shoes have never been worn, they assume a personality all their own.”
Like Wilson’s shoes, the vibrant dress outside the Galleries abounds with personality. A combination of greenery and fabric, it shares design elements with the bridal gown Ann Lowe created for Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s wedding. Designed by Katya Roelse, who recreated Kennedy’s wedding dress on view in Ann Lowe: American Couturier, the 8-foot-tall dress incorporates the gown’s iconic fabric rosettes and features the many floral creations, construction techniques, and decorative elements Lowe used in other gowns. Roelse, an instructor in the Fashion and Apparel Program at the University of Delaware, explains, “I wanted to create a dress that showcases what might have been Ann Lowe’s unbridled imagination and her favorite sources of inspiration. If you look closely enough, it drops clues about her work and the Kennedy gown. You see details about the Kennedy gown that you may not be able to see otherwise.”
On your Yuletide visit, come to the Galleries. Admire Roelse’s artistry in both gowns. Be enchanted by Wilson’s whimsical shoe creations. Explore the gardens and grounds of Winterthur and be inspired as well!
