Page 3 – Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

2025 Yuletide Gift Guide

‘Tis the season of giving, and we believe that gifts should feel as timeless as the moments they celebrate. We’ve gathered a selection of treasures that invite joy, wonder, and a touch of elegance into every home. Whether it’s a delicate accessory, a thoughtful keepsake, or a playful surprise for the little ones, each piece is chosen with care to inspire and delight. Let the art of giving unfold in the simplest, most meaningful way this holiday season.

Visit the Museum Store Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm, with extended evening hours during Holiday Nights.

Gifts for the Nature Lover

Cultivate joy with good-natured gifts for the green thumb in your life. Whether they’re an avid gardener, bird-watching aficionado, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of the outdoors, these items promise practicality while adding a touch of whimsy to any endeavor.

1. Faux Sedum Berry Branch, $13 2. Book Ornament, $6 3. Embroidered Chambray Tree Ornament, $8 4. Glitter Glass Mushroom Ornament, $5 5. Handheld Bulb Planter, $33 6. The Seasonal Gardener: Creative Planting Combinations by Anna Pavord, $49.95 7. My Garden Botanical Plaster Relief, $150 8. The Garden Book by Phaidon Editors, $59.95 9. Jacquard & Velvet Mushroom Clip Ornament, $8 10. Seed Collecting Kit, &32 11. Everyday Garden Gloves, $33 12. Jardinère 2026 Desk Calendar, $20 13. Floral Ceramic Travel Mug, $28 14. Large Gathering Basket, $95 15. Driftwood Bee Skep Ornament, $20 16. Handheld Cultivator, $24 17. Glass Beaded Cotton Ornament, $8 18. Cotton & Velvet Embroidered Tree Ornament, $8

Gifts for the Design Enthusiast

Transform any space into a sanctuary of style with our collection of decorative accents and luxurious home essentials. From statement-making artisanal pieces to cozy blankets, we have everything the design enthusiast needs to elevate their home. Our carefully curated selection of books offers inspiration and expert advice for every decorator.

1. Hand-poured Beeswax Partridge Candle in Terracotta $39 2. Book of Herbs Green Check Enameled Tray $30 3. Hand Carved Wood Heart $6 4. Hand Carved Mango Wood Finial $28 5. Horse Head Bookends, Set of 2 $100 6. Handmade Green Resin Bobbin Box $40 7. Faux Bone Magnifying Glass $34 8. Interiors for Collectors by John Phifer Marrs $50 9. The Well Loved House by Ashley Whittaker $50 10. Woven Wool Blend Plaid Pillow $35 11. Madison 100% Baby Alpaca Wool Throw $362 12. Paperweight Magnifying Glass $16 13. A Christmas Carol Journal $18 14. Hand Painted Stoneware Mug $10 15. Marbled Enameled Tray $20 16. Brass Candle Snuffer, Part of 3pc CandleCare Set $57 17. Rattan Tray, Nesting Set of 2 $180

Gifts for the Host

Elevate every occasion with our distinctive selection of barware and entertaining essentials. From exquisite crystal and porcelain drinkware to stylish bar cart necessities, these beautifully crafted pieces are perfect for the aspiring mixologist. Whether they’re hosting intimate gatherings or grand festive soirées, these personal touches will delight the host and their guests alike!

1. Bunny Handmade Crystal Champagne Flute $295 2. Imperial Blue Porcelain Teacup & Saucer $206 3. Lillian Handmade Crystal Champagne Flute $70 4. Corinne Handmade Crystal Double Old Fashioned Tumbler $55 5. Venetia Handmade Crystal Martini Glass $210 6. Pewter Grape Cluster Champagne Bucket $600 7. Classic Ships Handmade Crystal Decanter $210 8. Set of 24 Ivory Taper Candles $20 9. Brass Tone Candle Holder, 4 in. $10 10. Brass Tone Candle Holder, 3 in. $8 11. Antler Appetizer Picks Set $32 12. Pewter Salt & Pepper Cellar with Spoons $156 13. Blue Italian Porcelain Tray with Handle $43 14. Pewter Ram Stirrup Cup $98 15. Horse Bottle Stopper $16 16. Amalfi White Tablecloth, 65 in. x 65 in. $125

Gifts for Her

From elegant jewelry to elevated home accents, these carefully curated gifts are designed to delight the woman who appreciates life’s finer details. Find delicate accessories, heirloom-worthy keepsakes, and graceful décor pieces that blend classic charm with modern luxury.

1. Royal Extract Bath Salt in Petite Decanter, $88 2. Silk Velvet Infinity Scarf in Pine, $85 3. Royal Extract Iconic Body Cream, $92.50 4. Velvet Tassel Pouch, $8 5. Exclusive Winterthur Garden Spout Pearl Drop Brooch/Pendant Necklace, $198 6. Solitaire Sculpted Bronze & Pearl Ring, $450 7. Sculpted Bronze Dove Ring, $225 8. Ashford Crystal Ringminder, $25 9. Exclusive Winterthur Cottage Lock Plate Ring, $180 10. Glazed Stoneware Trivets, $6 11. Exclusive Winterthur Cottage Lock Plate Necklace, $288 12. Delta Sculpted Bronze and Cubic Zirconia Ring, $295 13. Strawberry Thief Bone China Bauble in Madder, $20 14. Gold Bamboo Tray, $70 15. Gold and White Berry Garland, $35

Gifts for Him

Among our favorite gifts are distinguished treasures for the modern gentleman. From refined sartorial accessories to quality personal items, this collection embodies sophistication and heritage. Each piece tells a story of enduring style and impeccable taste.

1. Cast Iron Mini Car, $18 2. Mars 100% Merino Wool Scarf, $220 3. Embroidered Fox Ornament, $24 4. Ultimate Book of Card Games: The Comprehensive Guide, $26.95 5. Feather Magnifying Glass, $25 6. Locally Made Hand Turned Wood Finial Ornament, $40 7. Squirrel Glass Paperweight, $16 8. Winterthur Exclusive Walnut Fountain Pen, $540 9. A History of Golf Coaster Set, $23 10. Vintage Car 3D Wooden Puzzle, $28 11. Woodsman Ornament, $6 12. Brass Fox Letter Opener, $18 13. Cobalt & Gold Florentine Wood Tray, $166 14. Gold and White Berry Garland, $35

Gifts for Kids

Presents that are playful and nurture their growth and creativity? Priceless. Spark imaginations with our enchanting collection of toys and games. From puzzles and interactive playthings to art supplies and storybooks, each gift is crafted to inspire wonder.

1. Large Holiday Tin Box $22 2. Felt Village Ornament $12 3. Nutcracker Push Puppet $10 4. Little Beetles Memory & Matching Game $16 5. Lionel the Rabbit Plush Toy $34 6. Nutcracker Blocks (6 pc. Set) $35 7. Hand-Painted Paper Mâché Ornament $5 8. Hand-Painted Wooden Tree Ornament $5 9. Santa Christmas Tree Bowling Set $30 10. Striped Paper Mâché Ornament with Tassel $6 11. Holiday Train $8 12. Felt Garland $14

Gift of Membership

Give the gift of memories with a Winterthur Membership today! With a variety of programs and events all year round, a Winterthur gift membership is more than just a gift—it’s a year of experiences. With something for everyone, your loved one will enjoy the opportunity to stroll the garden, explore the mansion, or wander in the galleries. A calendar full of opportunities offers something for everyone from fun family programs to hands-on workshops, specialty tours, and more. Make your holiday shopping a little bit easier by sharing the joys of Winterthur with a gift membership today!

Purchase a Winterthur e-gift certificate or Gift of Membership online and let their fancy take flight in our museum, garden, and library. Gift cards to the Museum Store can be purchased on-site.

Market Vendors

Each year Winterthur presents two fabulous events that showcase handmade crafts by talented regional artisans.

Our Artisan Market in July is a summertime highlight across the garden and estate, and Holiday Market in November is the kick-off event for our annual beloved Yuletide celebration. Both draw thousands to the beautiful setting of our garden and estate in the Brandywine Valley.

We invite you to apply to be part of one or both traditions.

Signature events at Winterthur are rooted in our rich heritage, legacy, and mission. These two events connect you with an appreciative and enthusiastic audience as you present your wares across a variety of disciplines including art, textiles, ceramics, glass, woodworking, antiques, and gardening as well as artisanal and small-batch gourmet goods. Each of these categories reflect the museum’s own collection and/or history.

All interested artisans will submit a vendor application for consideration. Each show has its own deadline. Information, locations, and requirements vary. Click below for details and applications. Please review all information before applying.

Apply to Artisan Market

Applications open on January 12, 2026 and are due March 9. Acceptances sent by April 1.

Learn More.

Apply to Holiday Market

Applications open in July 2026, and are due in early September. Acceptances sent by mid-September.

Learn More.

Step into a Storybook Holiday: Yuletide at Winterthur Returns November 22

WINTERTHUR, DELAWARE (October 27, 2025)—Dazzling decorations and imaginative holiday trees inspired by poems, traditional tales, and children’s books will delight visitors to Yuletide at Winterthur, on view November 22–January 4. During this year’s Yuletide season, Winterthur will offer fun for all ages, including a Holiday Market on November 22, magical garden displays, a large gingerbread replica of the historic train station on the estate, and extended hours on select Friday and Saturday evenings for tours, workshops, live music, shopping, and dining.

Guests will encounter enchanting displays based on A Visit from Saint Nicholas, Alice in Wonderland, C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and other literary classics.

Outside decorations will feature festive lights, antique sleighs, holiday trees suspended above the Reflecting Pool and the front pond, and vignettes inspired by the 1911 novel The Secret Garden. Other nods to literary works include a feast table display and champagne tower in the historic Greenhouse area, and a tree celebrating Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in the Visitor Center.

A Storybook Holiday

Decorated rooms on the self-guided museum tour will feature holiday trees paired with the literary works that inspired them, theatrical props, and museum and library objects, such as Victorian combs, pocket watches, and historic toys, which will bring the stories to life.

In addition, Delaware Shakespeare actors have recorded excerpts from several of the works that served as inspiration for a literary Yuletide, including Macbeth, The Great Gatsby, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Phillis Wheatley’s poems “Hymn to the Morning” and “Hymn to the Evening.”

The Du Pont Dining Room will feature a display inspired by A Christmas Carol. In an opulent scene from the story, Ebenezer Scrooge’s boss, Old Fezziwig, hosts a grand Christmas party for his friends, family, and employees. Delaware Shakespeare recorded a soundscape that will set the mood for the party scene and dining room decor.

In one room, guests will peer through a rendering of an open wardrobe to see the holiday tree inspired by The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. The life-sized illustration is based on a wardrobe from the museum’s renowned furniture collection. With its doors flung open in quiet invitation, the vignette evokes the classic moment when the character Lucy Pevensie first catches a glimpse of another world shimmering beyond.

A purple tree in the Port Royal Entrance Hall will evoke “The Purple Cow” poem by Gelett Burgess. The literary selection is a nod to Winterthur’s early days as a farm, where founder Henry Francis du Pont bred prized Holstein Friesian dairy cattle.

While the poem, published in 1895, begins “I never saw a Purple Cow …,” visitors will indeed see a life-sized purple cow statue in the entrance hall, reflecting the whimsical spirit of Burgess’s famous poem.

As a special treat from 3:00–5:00 pm pm on November 22 during Holiday Market and Yuletide’s opening day, Winterthur’s 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Ascot Tourer will be parked outside the Port Royal Entrance Hall. Just inside, in the exquisite Port Royal Parlor, there will be a holiday tree that pays tribute to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 Jazz-Age classic novel, The Great Gatsby.

Though never as raucous as the parties thrown by Jay Gatsby, a weekend at Winterthur in its heyday was always an affair to remember. During its peak entertainment era, guests would arrive at Winterthur’s Port Royal entrance in their smartly appointed vehicles.

Les Fleurs Animées, a book of illustrations from Winterthur Library’s rare book collection that depicts flowers personified as women, also inspired a Yuletide tree design. Winterthur owns two copies of the book published in the mid-1800s, an original single-volume French edition and a two-volume English translation bound with decorative elements in a striking emerald green on the cover. The vibrant color indicates the use of a pigment historically known to contain arsenic, and these works have become known as poison books. The books will be displayed with the tree in the Empire Parlor.

Other literary works that will be brought to life inside the museum include Gift of the Magi, The Black Tulip, Moby Dick, the life and works of Edith Wharton, including an 1897 edition of Decoration of Houses, and William Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.”

Dried-Flower Tree Anchors Yuletide Display in Museum Conservatory

The iconic Dried-Flower Tree, a focal point of Yuletide at Winterthur, will once again be on display in the soaring, glass-walled Conservatory at the museum entrance. A Winterthur tradition since 1985, the tree is a design masterpiece that showcases over 60 kinds of dried flowers artfully arranged into an unforgettable holiday display.

Colorful flowers have always been a vital part of Winterthur, both inside and out. Throughout the year, flowers are collected from across the estate and, before they wilt, are preserved and dried by members of the floral design team.

Holiday Market at Winterthur on Yuletide Opening Day, November 22

A Holiday Market, with more than 50 artisans selling hand-crafted goods, artworks, festive décor, and specialty gift items, takes place on the opening day of Yuletide. Visitors can enjoy live music, roast marshmallows by firepits, participate in a wine-tasting workshop, sip hot drinks, and say hello to Santa Claus, who will stroll throughout the market to spread holiday cheer.

Guests can also shop in the Museum Store for all those on their gift list. The store carries products for children, garden lovers, jewelry, decorative objects, and specialty items like handmade soaps, honey made from Winterthur’s bees, and wood products made from fallen trees on the estate.

Annual Gingerbread Display Harkens to Winterthur’s Railroad Roots

Guests will marvel at a grand gingerbread replica of the Winterthur Train Station (c. 1890), adding a sweet and whimsical touch to the festivities, along with a magical dollhouse and an interactive toy train display.

For the fourth year, Bredenbeck’s Bakery & Ice Cream Parlor in Philadelphia will create Winterthur’s Yuletide gingerbread display. The family-run business has been in operation for over a century.

The Winterthur Train Station gingerbread replica will be Bredenbeck’s biggest challenge yet. It took a team of six people more than 100 hours (102 to be exact!) to mix, bake, and decorate the train station. Made with 18 pounds of butter and 62 pounds of sugar, the finished creation, including a special support board, weighs 196.5 pounds.

More for the Train Lovers

Winterthur’s festive toy train display in Brown Horticulture Learning Center will showcase Lionel and other standard gauge trains Tuesdays through Sundays, December 21–December 31. On December 27, members of the Standard Gauge Module Association will give a behind-the-scenes look into how this toy train setup came to life, how they got started in toy train collecting, and the adventures they’ve had in exhibiting their display.

Musical and Theatrical Performances

Yuletide at Winterthur guests can also enjoy musical and theatrical performances, including Gerald Charles Dickens performing A Christmas Carol December 10 and 11 as part of his U.S. farewell tour. 2025 marks his last year performing in the country. Using his own adaptation of his great-great-grandfather Charles Dickens’s classic Christmas tale, Gerald Dickens plays over 30 characters using vocal and physical talents to bring each scene vividly to life.

Experience an unforgettable evening of music surrounded by the warm glow of hundreds of flickering candles during an evening concert wtith OperaDelaware on December 20. Talented vocalists will sing holiday classics like “O Holy Night” and “White Christmas,” along with standards like “Strangers in the Night” and “Some Enchanted Evening” and some of opera’s most beloved songs like “Nessun dorma” and “O mio babbino caro.”

Festive Events and Family Fun

Yuletide offers something for every age and interest, from hands-on craft activities to special performances and shopping experiences:

An Evening with Silver Oak Winery’s Winemaker – December 3
Meet and Greet with Santa Claus – December 5
Latin American Cacao’s Living Legacy – December 6
Today’s Parisian Chocolate Scene – December 13
Brunch with Santa Claus & Tram Rides to Historic Train Station – December 13, 14, 20 & 21
Copper Earring-Making Workshop – December 19
Crepe Paper Orchids Workshop – December 20
Yuletide Card Making, Paper Doll Making Workshops, Library Open Houses, and more!

Plan Your Visit

Don’t forget to enjoy Winterthur’s regular exhibitions, library, and garden programs during Yuletide, including a Director’s Garden Walk to learn about conifers on December 13 and a New Year’s Day Hike on January 1, where estate guides will lead guests on a peaceful, family-friendly hike through scenic meadows, woodlands, and trails.

Yuletide runs November 22, 2025, through January 4, 2026, Tuesdays through Sundays, 10:00 am–5:00 pm.Extended hours are until 8:00 pm on November 28 and December 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, and 20. Enjoy holiday musical performances, and the café will serve seasonal fare, specialty cocktails, and s’mores kits for the outdoor firepits for extended hours.

No evening hours November 22, 29, or December 26.

Closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Open 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Christmas Eve.

For tickets, detailed event schedules, and more, visit: winterthur.org/Yuletide

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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.

Ways to Give

Your support of Winterthur will have direct and immediate impact as we continue to preserve our world-renowned collection of American decorative arts, rare books, and scholarly material, all situated within our idyllic, historic 1,000-acre landscape. Explore the many ways you can give to Winterthur today.

Online

We encourage donors to choose from six areas to support, all of which provide critical resources for all aspects of Winterthur.

Your gift will be acknowledged by mail with appropriate tax language. Thank you!

Check

Please make your check payable to Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library and indicate the area you want to support in the memo line. Your gift will be acknowledged by mail with appropriate tax language. Thank you!

Mail to: Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Attn: Development Office

5105 Kennett Pike

Winterthur, DE 19735

Gift of Stock

We welcome gifts of stock and request information that can ensure accurate gift processing. Please complete this fillable form and email to contributions@winterthur.org.

Wire Transfer

If you would like to make a contribution through a wire transfer, please complete this fillable form and email to contributions@winterthur.org.

Annual Giving

The Annual Fund contributes necessary dollars that help offset our operating costs each year. Your support will have immediate impact. Help us play a pivotal role in preserving our treasured collection, facilitating groundbreaking exhibitions, and ensuring access to Winterthur for generations to come. Your fully tax-deductible gift to the Annual Fund will support our work toward our vision to inspire exploration of American culture and landscapes through compelling stories and experiences.

Give Now!

Planned Giving

Align your legacy with H. F. du Pont’s, ensuring Winterthur endures as a haven for beauty, education, and access to treasures of material culture and the natural world.

Including Winterthur in your estate plans makes donors eligible for inclusion in the Port Royal Society, our dedicated giving society for those who have aligned their legacies with a commitment to Winterthur’s future.

Learn More Now!

For more information, please contact Lucy Mason, Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving, at 302.888.4707 or plannedgiving@winterthur.org.

Corporate Partnerships

By sponsoring a program, event, or exhibition, becoming a corporate member, or entertaining with us, your business provides critical support for our mission to inspire and educate through the collections, estate, and academic programs. Corporate sponsorship helps you to engage our visitors, entertain employees, and spread brand recognition across the region. Each sponsorship package will be customized to meet your company’s goals and also grants exclusive benefits, including general admission passes, discounts on event spaces, and invitations to signature events.

Opportunities range from supporting museum, garden, or library projects to sponsoring events, programs, exhibitions, and more. Please contact the Development Office at 302.888.4878 or Alexandra Izzard at aizzar@winterthur.org for more information about current opportunities.

IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

The IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) allows individuals age 70½ or older to make an outright gift to Winterthur from a traditional IRA (up to $108,000 in 2025). The withdrawal amount may count toward your annual required minimum distribution (RMD). The QCD must be paid directly from your IRA to Winterthur. For more information, please contact Lucy Mason, Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving, at 302.888.4707 or email plannedgiving@winterthur.org.

Donor Advised Fund

A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a charitable giving vehicle created by an individual, family, or organization. It offers an immediate tax benefit and allows donors to make grants over time to nonprofit organizations of their choice. Winterthur can be named a recipient of your DAF. For more information, please contact Lucy Mason, Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving, at 302.888.4707 or email plannedgiving@winterthur.org.

Tribute Gifts

Honor a loved one through a gift to Winterthur. Your thoughtful donation in memory of or in honor of a friend or family member helps Winterthur reach our vision to inspire exploration of American culture and landscapes through compelling stories and experiences. We will notify the honoree’s family of your generous contribution in their memory, without reference to the donation amount.

Gifting an Object

On occasion, Winterthur accepts gifts to the collection that align with our board-approved collections policy. If you would like to inquire about the possibility of an object donation, please contact the Museum Collections Division at museumcollections@winterthur.org. Thank you for your patience as we receive a high volume of inquiries.

About Appraisals

Winterthur Museum staff cannot provide valuations of objects or give references to specific appraisers due to ethical considerations. To find a specialist that might best fit your specific appraisal needs, please consult the following organizations:

• Appraisers Association of America, (212) 889-5404
• American Society of Appraisers, (703) 478-2228
• International Society of Appraisers, (202) 241-0359

If you are seeking a conservation consultation, please visit our on-site monthly Conservation Clinics presented by Winterthur and the University of Delaware.

Winterthur Rolls-Royce Rentals

Historic Automobiles at Winterthur

Henry Francis and Ruth Wales du Pont owned more than forty luxury vehicles during their lifetime, notably several Cadillacs and three Rolls-Royces, including a Phantom V. Thanks to a generous gift in 2008 from the Philip C. Beals estate of Southborough, Massachusetts, and later, a gift in 2018 from the David Lunger estate of Fairville, Pennsylvania, Winterthur is the proud owner of two 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I’s. These exquisite vehicles showcase classic design and engineering elements from the 1920s and 1930s—an important era in the Winterthur story that helped shape the country estate as we know it today.

A Winterthur team comprises members of the museum’s Conservation, Curatorial, Registration, Gardens, and Facilities Departments that oversee the care and periodic display of the car, making it possible to participate in select invitationals and available for hire during private events.

1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I S379FM

This PI sports a 1929 Brewster & Co. green Ascot Tourer body featuring polished aluminum trim, black fenders with ivory pinstriping, light green wheels, a light cloth top, medium-brown leather upholstery, and a wood dash. See more images.

1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I S123PM

Ordered in 1926 and delivered in July 1927, this PI presents a Merrimac maroon Pall Mall body with red accents and pinstriping, black fenders, red wheels with chrome rings, a light cloth top, medium-brown leather upholstery, and a wood dash. See more images.

Historical Background

Rolls-Royce Phantom I series cars were built in the newly created Springfield, Massachusetts, Rolls-Royce of America, Inc., facility. The plant began operations in 1921 with the production of Silver Ghosts and transitioned to building the “New Phantom” in late 1926. Before production ceased in the early 1930s, 1,2411 Phantom chassis were assembled in the Springfield plant. The Springfield-built Silver Ghosts and Phantoms are the only Rolls-Royce chassis ever built outside of the United Kingdom.

To secure superior coachwork in the United States, Rolls-Royce contracted with numerous coachbuilders, including Hibbard & Darrin, Murphy, Smith Springfield, Derham, Rolls-Royce Custom Coachwork, Merrimac, and Brewster.

The Pall Mall coachwork on Winterthur’s S123PM was made by Rolls-Royce Custom Coachwork, Merrimac in Massachusetts. Its tall profile is traditional, very English, and incredibly spacious. The last Pall Mall body was produced in 1928, giving way to the new sleeker, lower, and more American-styled Ascot/Derby line represented by the Winterthur Phantom I, S 379 FM, whose Ascot Tourer body was made by Brewster & Co. of Long Island, New York. Noted as one of the most desirable body combinations of the era, there are twenty-eight Ascot-bodied Phantom I’s recorded as having been built by Brewster & Co. with an undetermined number surviving today.

Learn more.

Winterthur’s 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Cars and Your Special Event

Select one of our 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I cars—the Ascot or Pall Mall—for photographs or photographs and transportation on the estate. These exquisite vehicles display classic design elements from the 1920s and 1930s, showcasing the sophistication of the era’s wealthy trendsetters and helping tell the story of your event in grand style.

Rental Option A:

Photographs only | $1,000/one hour

A member of Winterthur’s Rolls-Royce Stewardship Team will drive the Rolls-Royce (“the Vehicle”) to one location for a photo shoot for the participants (“the Client”). The driver will remain present during the photo shoot to assist and serve as the caretaker of the Vehicle.

Photography to be coordinated by the Client; if pictures of the Client inside the vehicle are desired, the Client must follow the driver’s instructions for how to safely enter and exit. Food and drink are not permitted inside the Vehicle.

Rental Option B:

On-estate transport | $2,000/one hour

Two staff members, including at least one member of Winterthur’s Rolls-Royce Stewardship Team, will operate and oversee the Vehicle for singular one-way transportation of up to two participants within the Winterthur estate. The originating and ending locations must be agreed upon in advance by the Client and the driver. Photography permitted and to be coordinated by the Client. The driver’s assistant will facilitate entering and exiting the Vehicle, while the driver will be focused on Vehicle operation. An auxiliary stool may be needed to enter and exit the Vehicle in some cases. Food and drink are not permitted inside the Vehicle.

For more information, contact Bill White at bwhite@winterthur.org.

Winterthur Announces Point-to-Point Will Not Be Held in 2026 to Make Way for Museum’s 75th Anniversary Celebrations

WINTERTHUR, DE (October 13, 2025)—Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library announced today that its Point-to-Point steeplechase event will not take place in 2026. This decision comes as the institution prepares to mark the museum’s 75th anniversary next year, as well as the nation’s 250th.

While Point-to-Point will not be held, Winterthur will host a special anniversary celebration next spring that commemorates the opening of the museum in 1951 and honors Winterthur’s rich history and vibrant present. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Winterthur will also use 2026 as a transition period to reimagine its signature spring event for 2027 and beyond with a focus on mission, vision, and community engagement. 

“Point-to-Point has been a tradition for many, and we understand this news may be met with some surprise and disappointment,” said Chris Strand, Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO. “However, the museum’s 75th anniversary presents a unique and meaningful opportunity to reflect while looking ahead. We look forward to celebrating the museum’s milestone next year and continuing our work to create memorable guest experiences for generations to come.”

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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 Point-to-Point Steeplechase

As we prepare to celebrate Winterthur’s 75th anniversary in 2026, we will pause Point-to-Point for this milestone year. Next spring, we will host a special anniversary celebration that honors Winterthur’s rich history and vibrant present. As we look beyond 2026, we are exploring fresh and exciting ways to reimagine our signature spring events for 2027 and the years to come.

Stay tuned—we can’t wait to unveil the next chapter of Winterthur traditions.

ptp

In Good Taste: Winterthur’s Mushroom Soup

Recipe by our talented culinary team from Restaurant Associates. Available Tuesday-Sunday in our Visitor Center Café from 11:00 am–3:00 pm.

Taste the season in every spoonful of this comforting autumn favorite—hearty carrots, celery, and onion mingle with earthy mushrooms and garden greens in a rich, savory harmony. Makes 8-10 hearty servings.

Ingredients

2 lbs button mushrooms, sliced (or mix of button & cremini)
2 medium carrots, peeled & diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp canola oil
6 Tbsp butter (¾ stick)
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp dried tarragon (or 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped)
1 quart (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock (plus a little more if needed)
2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
Salt & pepper, to taste
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice (to brighten at the end)

Instructions

Prep the vegetables: Dice carrots, celery, onion, and mince garlic. Slice mushrooms.
Make the roux: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook 3–4 minutes, whisking until lightly golden. Set aside.
Sauté the base: In a large pot, heat canola oil. Add mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook until softened and fragrant, 8–10 minutes.
Build the soup: Add stock and water. Bring to a simmer.
Thicken: Whisk roux into the pot a spoonful at a time, stirring well to avoid lumps. Simmer gently 10 minutes until thickened.
Finish: Stir in heavy cream and tarragon. Simmer 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season: Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and a splash of lemon juice to balance the richness.

Explore the Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens

Artfully crafted in fascinating forms, the Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens features sculpted metals, precious porcelains, and elegant earthenwares among the materials found in this wide range of tureens and soup-related objects made in Europe, Asia, and America. The dates range from 1720 to modern times.

The genesis of the Campbell Collection dates to 1966, when John T. Dorrance Jr., chairman of the Campbell Soup Company, and W. B. Murphy, the company president, decided to begin collecting these splendid pieces. The collection came to Winterthur and the gallery opened in 1997.

Come see for yourself why guests from around the world have enjoyed the Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens at Winterthur. Plan your visit today!

The Story Behind “Unus Americanus ex Virginia”: An Indigenous Encounter in Print from 1645

By Camille Williams, curatorial intern at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library

Print, *Unus Americanus ex Virginia*, Europe, 1645. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Winterthur Founder’s Circle 2024.0009

This recently acquired half-length portrait engraving by artist Wenceslaus Hollar portrays a once-known young Native American man, thousands of miles removed from home, caught up in the Dutch Empire’s fraught colonization of North America (fig. 1). Measuring only 4 inches by 3 inches, this rare depiction came by the deft hand of 17th-century Europe’s most influential and prolific printmaker. Prague-born Hollar, who enjoyed steady patronage in Germany, England, and the Netherlands, distributed his prints widely. But who was this Native man?

Detail, print, *Unus Americanus ex Virginia*, Europe, 1645. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Winterthur Founder’s Circle 2024.0009

With his inscription in the print’s top left, Hollar recorded “Vnus Americanus ex / Virginia, Ætat: 23” or “An American from Virginia, aged 23”. At this time, Europeans used “Virginia” to refer to the territory along the eastern coastline of North America; the subject of the print likely belonged to the Munsee Delaware Algonquin-speaking people who inhabited much of the New Netherlands colony, from modern-day New York to Delaware. From the top right inscription, “Hollar ad vivum / delin: et fecit, 1645,” we know that Hollar drafted and executed the etching in 1645 when he was likely in Antwerp, Belgium.[i]

Using a precise cross-hatching technique, Hollar approached the subject with his characteristic scientific accuracy, drawing attention to the sitter’s musculature, facial tattoos, and shaved hairstyle. The subject wears a headdress of animal teeth, and his earrings and necklace consist of beads and shells. Known as wampum or “sewant” by the Dutch, these colored beads and shells served not only as currency for trade but also held spiritual importance for those who fashioned them.[ii] With his half-open, almond-shaped eyes and closed mouth with upturned corners, the subject is depicted with a peaceful expression. His direct but nonconfrontational gaze invites the viewer to look upon the man with respect and dignity. Yet this representation conceals the dark reality of the circumstances that brought him to Europe.

Scholar George Hamell identified the sitter as a Munsee warrior named Jaques. Legal records from September 1644 document that two soldiers of the West India Company entered into a contract with a Dutchman to exhibit a “wilde Indiaen”—or “savage Indian” named Jaques in exchange for money. According to the contract, Jaques sailed with the men to the Netherlands on the ship Count Maurits in 1644.[iii]

Jaques may have fought in Kieft’s War, a series of Dutch-Indian conflicts in present-day New York between 1643 and 1645, resulting in the loss of more than 1,000 Native lives. Sensationalized accounts of massacres spread across Europe, which perpetuated stereotypes of “cruel” and “ferocious Indians.”[iv] Other sources attested to the kidnapping of Native Americans to the Netherlands, as was the case with Jaques.[v]

*Een Mahakuaes Indiaen, met hun Steden en woningen*, Rare Book Division, The New York Public Library. New York Public Library Digital Collections.

Regardless of whether the man depicted here is truly Jaques, his likeness continued to circulate and came to represent Native Americans in the New Netherlands. When a Dutch missionary in Albany named Johannes Megapolensis wrote to his friends in Holland of his encounters with “savage” and “heathen” Mohawks and Mohicans in August 1644, they published them with a full-length engraving depicting a Native man strikingly similar to the one in Hollar’s print. The reverse orientation of the image and the decreased detail of the hatch marks suggest that the engraver traced and transferred Hollar’s image. Several times over the ensuing centuries, publishers reproduced these textual and visual accounts of the New World, extending the wider impact of Hollar’s original 1645 print.

Today, as Hollar’s print remains coveted in museum collections, it is important to remember Jaques—both the vitality of his image and the dispossession and erasure endured by indigenous people.

[i] Richard Pennington, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Etched Work of Wenceslaus Hollar, 1607–1677 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982), cat. no. 2009, 317.

[ii] George Hamell, “The Iroquois and the World’s Rim: Speculations on Color, Culture, and Contact,” American Indian Quarterly 16, no. 4 (1992): 451–69.

[iii] George Hamell, “Jaques a Munsee from New Netherland,” unpublished; evidence from the translated Dutch contract is published in “Jaques,” New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/new_netherland_settlers/jaques#ftnt1.

[iv] Robert Grumet, The Munsee Indians (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2009), 54–67.

[v] “In October 1644, The Eight Men, an elected advisory council in the New Netherlands, complained about the practice of gifting Native prisoners of war to soldiers,” New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/new_netherland_settlers/jaques#ftnt1

In Memoriam: Charles F. Hummel and His Remarkable Legacy

Winterthur recently lost an extraordinary colleague, mentor, supporter, and friend—Charles F. Hummel. He arrived in 1952 as a member of the second class in the graduate program Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Early American Culture (today American Material Culture) and worked at Winterthur until 2022—the year of his second retirement.

Charlie’s contributions to Winterthur are exceptional. Following his graduation in 1955, Hummel was hired as a curatorial assistant, with steady promotions to assistant curator, associate curator, senior curator and head of the curatorial division, deputy director for collections, and senior deputy director for museum and library. He was also an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware and taught graduate students at Winterthur. At the time of his first retirement in 1991, he was named curator emeritus. But Charlie was only partway through his tenure at Winterthur. He continued to teach, research, and serve as a mentor to hundreds of students for another 31 years.

He played a key role in bringing the Dominy Shops—woodworking and clockmaking shops used by three generations of the Dominy family living in East Hampton, Long Island—to Winterthur. His major books, considered landmarks in the field, include With Hammer in Hand: The Dominy Craftsmen of East Hampton, New York; A Winterthur Guide to American Chippendale Furniture; and, with co-author Beatrice Garvan, The Pennsylvania Germans: A Celebration of Their Arts, 1683–1850.

He also was instrumental in establishing the Scientific Research and Analysis Laboratory in 1969 and the founding of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation in the 1970s.

Perhaps his great legacy, and what his students, colleagues, and friends will remember most are his generosity, his enthusiasm, his warmth, and his genuine and kind personality. Charlie had an agelessness about him, and he enjoyed engaging in ongoing research and mentoring students in both of Winterthur’s graduate programs.

Charlie’s contributions will continue to impact Winterthur for decades to come.