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Bright Red or Scarlet?

Mark Catesby’s The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: Containing the Figures of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, and Plants is the first comprehensive natural history work to appear in print. More than two decades in the making, and published in parts from 1729–1747, Catesby’s Natural History received praise as “the most splendid of its kind that England had ever produced.”

Although this work has been the subject of numerous scholarly studies, none have focused on Catesby’s specific color palette and pigment choices. The text that Catesby wrote to accompany each illustration included detailed descriptions of colors for each figure—flora and fauna. Are Catesby’s particular words for describing color matched by the color palette found in the illustrations? For example, when Catesby used the term “scarlet” or “bright red,” did he mean specific pigments?

Pigment analysis of a first edition of the Natural History in Winterthur’s library collection is under way in the Scientific and Analytical Research Laboratory, using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and fiber optic resonance spectroscopy (FORS).

Study is ongoing and preliminary results are intriguing.  The nuanced vocabulary is somewhat matched by application, where the “bright red” is red lead alone, which tends to orange, and “deep red,” “scarlet,” and “crimson,” are mixtures of red lead and larger portions of vermilion, as shown by the stronger XRF signal of mercury in these color mixes. The shades of red are sometimes visually discernable, as in the “bright red” of the “Red-bellied Wood-pecker,” identified by XRF as red lead alone. “Scarlet,” which is a mixture of red lead and vermillion, appears in the head of the “Gold-winged Wood-pecker.”

Gold-winged Wood-Pecker (detail)
Red-bellied Wood-pecker
Plumeria
Magnolia

Scientists used a relatively new analytical technique, FORS, to identify the insect-based red colorant called cochineal, obtained from insects that live on cactus plants in Central and South America. Carmine, made from cochineal, was a vibrant colorant favored for tinting prints, likely because it was relatively inexpensive and easy to make.  Catesby used the term “purple,” to describe this color, seen in the deep pink-purple hue of the magnolia’s seed pod. He used the term “rose” where he applied a vegetable-based colorant, likely madder, seen in the dark pink petals of the plumeria.

The volumes show a heavy dependence on body color or opaque pigments, particularly in the birds but sometimes in the fish and flowers. Colors such as massicot, red lead, white lead, and “liquid gold,” were generally used more often by the limner or miniaturist than the 18th-century print colorist. These mineral pigments, however, embodied the figures, especially the birds, with vibrant and durable color.  Luminous, yet fugitive, transparent liquid color is occasionally present, most often in the plants, the map, and in very small touches, in a few birds.  Together, these opaque pigments and liquid tinctures produced stunning, corporeal, representations of flora and fauna that may inform our interpretation of the works as illuminated prints, watercolor paintings, or an interesting hybrid of the two.

Bloom Report #05

Winterthur Museum, Gardens & Library

WINTERTHUR BLOOM REPORT #05

 February 10, 2021

36F, cloudy


+: Abundant

fbb: Flower-bud breaking

b: Some bloom

fb: Full Bloom

pf: Petals falling/drying

pb: Past bloom (few remain)

ber: Berries, fruits 

Check these out:

  • Best Show in the Gardens – Witch hazel (Hamamelis species & varieties) are in full bloom in the Visitor Center lawn, waving their yellow or rust colored blossoms that look like clusters of tiny ribbons.  They are magnificent this week!
  • Snowdrops: 
    • Snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii & Galanthus nivalis) leaves and buds and some flowers are emerging throughout the gardens.
    • The snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii) under the shrubs at the east end of Oak Hill are in full bloom this week.
    • Many varieties of snowdrops (Galanthus varieties) in the collection in the raised beds along the East Museum terrace are in full bloom.

ENTRANCE DRIVE AND PARKING AREA

ber       Catalpa species (Catalpa – long, brown, string-bean-like seed pods)

pb        Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ (Pee Gee hydrangea – brown)

ber       Paulownia tomentosa (Princess tree – clusters of round brown seed pods)

LAGOONS

SUMMER SHRUB SLOPE

pb        Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ (Pee Gee hydrangea – brown)

PARKING AREA TO VISITOR CENTER

fbb       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

WALK FROM VISITOR CENTER TO UNDERPASS

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fb         Hammamelis mollis ‘Pallida’ (Pale Chinese witch hazel – light yellow)

fb         Hammamelis mollis ‘Wisley Supreme’ (Chinese witch hazel variety – yellow)

fb         Hammamelis vernalis (Vernal witch hazel – rusty-red)

WALK FROM UNDERPASS TO MUSHROOM

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fbb       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

SLOPE DOWN TOWARDS MUSEUM

PEONY GARDEN

AZALEA WOODS

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fbb       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

LOWER AZALEA WOODS

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

UPPER/EAST TERRACE AND STEPS  

fbb       Camellia japonica ‘April Remembered’ (Camellia cultivar ‘April Remembered‘ – white to pale pink)

fbb       Crocus tommasianus (‘Tommies’ – lavender and silver)

            Galanthus – All under snow cover today

fb         Jasminum nudiflorum (Winter jasmine – yellow)

b          Lonicera fragrantissima (Fragrant honeysuckle – white)

fbb       Pieris japonica ‘Dorothy Wycoff’ (Andromeda cultivar – dark pink buds)

EAST FRONT OF MUSEUM & Around Corner

fbb       Galanthus ‘Bess’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Castelgar’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Cowhouse Green’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus elwesii ‘Green Brush’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus elwesii ‘Grumpy’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus elwesii ‘Natalie Garton’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus elwesii var. monostichtus (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Farmingdon Double’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Fieldgate Prelude’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Fieldgate Superb’ (Snowdrop variety – white – 2 flowers)

pf         Galanthus ‘Gabriel’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus ‘Galatea’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus ‘George Elwes’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus ‘Imbolc’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus ‘John Gray’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Marjorie Brown’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Miller’s Late’ (Snowdrop cultivar – white)

b          Galanthus ‘Mrs. Thompson’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus plicatus ‘Percy Picton’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus plicatus ‘Diggory’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus plicatus ‘Trym’ (Snowdrop variety – white – 1 flower)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Spindlestone Surprise’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Helleborus ‘Brandywine’ (Lenten rose variety – pink, white)

pf         Lonicera fragrantissima (Fragrant honeysuckle – white – along Garden Lane across from Bath House)

WALK FROM GLASS CORRIDOR TO REFLECTING POOL         

            Adonis – Under snow cover today

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fbb       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

WALK FROM FISH PONDS – THE GLADE – TO BRIDGE

fbb,+   Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fbb       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

fbb       Leucojum vernum (Spring snowflake – white)

MARCH BANK

b          Adonis amurensis (Amur adonis – golden yellow)

fbb       Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

b,+       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b,+       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

MAGNOLIA BEND AND WALK ON SOUTH SIDE OF STREAM

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

GARDEN LANE

WINTERHAZEL WALK

fb         Helleborus foetidis (Bear’s foot hellebore – greenish)

ICEWELL TERRACE

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

PINETUM

fbb       Chaenomeles ‘Pink Lady’ (Flowering quince cultivar – pink)

fbb       Chaenomeles x superba ‘Crimson & Gold’ (Flowering quince cultivar – crimson)

fbb       Chaenomeles x superba ‘Texas Scarlet’ (Flowering quince cultivar – scarlet)

bbb      Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose – pink)

b          Viburnum farreri (Fragrant viburnum – pale pink to white)

SUNDIAL GARDEN

ber       Paulownia tomentosa (Princess tree – clusters of round brown seed pods)

TRAFFIC CIRCLE

ENCHANTED WOODS

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fbb       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

pb        Hydrangea serrata (Mountain hydrangea – tan)

OAK HILLEast Side

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fbb       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

OAK HILL-West Side

QUARRY, ADJACENT WALKS, AND OUTLET STREAM

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white – few flowers)

fbb       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

fb         Mahonia bealei (Leatherleaf mahonia – yellow-green)

fbb       Pieris japonica ‘Forest Flame’ (Andromeda cultivar – eye-catching red buds)

SYCAMORE HILL

ber       Cotoneaster salicifolia (Cotoneaster – red berries)

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

WEST FRONT OF MUSEUM, STORE, AND CLENNY RUN

pb        Camellia ‘Survivor’ (Camellia variety – white with pink-tinged buds)

fb         Chimonanthus praecox ‘Lutea’ (Wintersweet variety – pale yellow)

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b          Hamamelis mollis (Chinese witch hazel – yellow ‘ribbons’)

fbb       Helleborus x hybridus ‘Pine Knot Select-Our Best’ (Hellebore varieties/Lenten Rose – apricot, pink, pink spotted)

pb        Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf hydrangea – dried brown – in Clenny Run at Museum bridge)

GREENHOUSE AREA

BACK MEADOW – Top of Sycamore Hill to back ponds

GARDEN LANE MEADOW – below Brown’s Woods


Bloom Report presented by Pauline Myers

Getting Dressed with Ann Lowe

May 20, 2023 through Jan 7, 2024
Second-floor Galleries

In anticipation of the fall opening of Ann Lowe: American Couturier, peek behind the scenes at the work of fabricating, shaping, and dressing the mannequins in the exhibition. Learn about the special collaboration between the University of Delaware MakerGym and Winterthur’s textile conservation lab to create the custom mannequins for the gowns.

This exhibit will be closed on August 25, 2023.

 

 

 

Winterthur Garden & Landscape Society

Make Winterthur Bloom! 

We invite you to join an enthusiastic group of Winterthur Garden supporters! Established in 2003, this generous donor society provides essential resources for Henry Francis du Pont’s naturalistic masterpiece. Join now to help us complete key projects that restore the original design of the historic garden, inspire the next generation of public horticulturists through our internship program, and support ongoing maintenance to keep the estate beautiful year-round for the many visitors who enjoy it today. Membership starts at $2,500 annually and directly supports the garden.

In appreciation for your generosity, Winterthur Garden & Landscape Society donors enjoy unique access to the garden as well as all the benefits of general membership. Highlights include

  • Invitations to exclusive Garden & Landscape Society events
  • Private tours with Winterthur horticulturists
  • Advice on your home garden from our experts
  • Travel opportunities in partnership with the Henry Francis du Pont Collectors Circle, the museum counterpart to the Garden & Landscape Society.

For more information, please contact the Garden & Landscape Society office at 302.888.4673 or contributions@winterthur.org

Annual Giving

Supporting the Annual Fund is a commitment to the future of Winterthur. When you give to the Annual Fund, you commit to the future of Winterthur. Your unrestricted, 100 percent tax-deductible contribution provides necessary support for operating expenses, helping us to fulfill our mission to inspire and educate through our collections, estate and academic programs. 

Your annual gift ensures that: 

  • Our historic and modern buildings are safe, attractive, and welcoming for your next tour or exhibition visit 
  • Our renowned naturalistic garden and landscape are thriving and properly maintained for your next garden walk
  • Our incomparable collection of objects and historic interiors are preserved for generations to enjoy 
  • Our educational and public programming remains relevant and engaging

For more information, please contact us at 302.888.4673 or contributions@winterthur.org.

To give, please click here.

Winterthur Primer Articles in Incollect Magazine (formerly Antiques & Fine Art)

Winterthur and Incollect magazine have had a special arrangement since 2005.  For each issue, a Winterthur staff member provides an article for the series entitled “A Winterthur Primer.” Links to most of these articles may be viewed below.

2022

Designing History at Winterthur and the White House

2020

Fade to Black: Reflections on the Aging Process of Mirror Glass

2019

“Winterthur Primer: Luxurious Lighting

“Hamilton & Burr: Who Wrote Their Stories?

“Winterthur Primer: An English Lady Inspires a Chinese Artist”

“Winterthur Primer: The Byrdcliffe Library”

2018

“Winterthur Primer: Nature Displayed on the Dinner Table”

“Winterthur Primer: Picturing China”

“Blossoming Prints: The Proliferation of the Dutch Flower Still Life”

2017

“Freak Pictures? The Needlework Paintings of Margaret Ansell”

“Winterthur Primer: Fakes, Forgeries, And the Art of Detection”

“Unmasking A Clock Dial: The Gentle Art of Cleaning a Clock”

“Revealing Restorations Through Analysis and Collaboration”

2016

“Rethinking The Origin of an Early Silkwork Picture”

“A Woman Lithographer in Nineteenth-Century New York”

“Early American Trade Cards”

“Nothing To Sneeze At: Commemorative Handkerchiefs for the American Market”

2015

“Worsted Pattern Books of Norwich, England”

“Elegant Eighteenth-Century Flower Vases”

“Matchsafe Mysteries Illuminated”

“A Colorful Folk: Pennsylvania Germans and the Art of Everyday Life”

“Drawn With Spirit: Pennsylvania German Fraktur”

“Silent Companions

2014

“Chinese Export Wares in an Americana Collection”

“Needlework and Their Frames: Multimedia Objects”

“Faux Fraktur”

2013

“‘My Dear Mr. Du Pont…’ Connoisseurship of Maps at Winterthur”

“Stretch: America’s First Family of Clockmakers”

“Stamps or Stencils?”

“Common Destinations: Maps in the American Experience

“Arriving in Style: Winterthur’s 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I”

2012

“Scratching the Surface of American Painted Tinware”

“Mirth & Friendship: A Celebration of Humor and Alcoholic Beverages

“The Furniture Designs of Gillow and Company”

“Easter at Winterthur”

“Engraving the Character of Artisans”

“American Blues: Celebrating a Nation”

2011

“Pastors and Patriots, the Muhlenberg Family of Pennsylvania”

“Getting a Handle on Silver Spoon Decoration”

“Blooming Beauties—A Garden of Antiques”

“Weathervane Finish Analysis”

“Blue and White Resist-Printed Textiles”

“Shaker Jesse Patchen’s Account Book”

“Paint, Pattern & People: Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania, 1725–1850”

“A Metamophosis: The Changing Nature of Fraktur Studies”

2010

“Revealed: A Lost Illustration by N. C. Wyeth”

“Reverse Paintings on Glass”

“X-Radiography Examination of an Embroidered Coat of Arms”

“English Regency Wrought Iron Furniture”

2009

“The John and Carolyn Grossman Collection”

“Decoding a Historic Map”

“Taste or Technology? Changing Silver Borders”

“American Portraits in Pastel”

“Mocha and Dipped Wares: Combining Fashion and Fancy” by Leslie B. Grigsby (Winter/Spring 2009): 286–87.

2008

“Decoration for the Everyday: Iron Cooking Utensils of the Early American Kitchen”

“Cleaning Painted Surfaces”

2007

“Invisible to the Eye: The Scientific Analysis of Decorative and Fine Art”

“A Look at Fabrics on Early American Quilts”

“The Winterthur Library: An Invaluable Resource”

“A Timely Discovery: The Story of Winterthur’s Jacob Graff Clock”

2006

“Acquiring and Researching Portraits”

“Underglaze Blue English Transfer-Printed Earthenware” by Patricia Halfpenny. (August/September 2006): 190–91.

“Alight with Style: Candlesticks of the 17th and 18th Centuries”

2005

“English Creamware: A Colonial American Passion” by Leslie B. Grigsby. (Autumn 2005): 218–19.

“What is Original?” by Wendy A. Cooper. (6th Anniversary 2005): 272–73.

Henry Francis du Pont Collectors Circle

Help steward Henry Francis du Pont’s collections through Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library Donor Societies. 

For those with a passion for American arts…

Henry Francis du Pont Collectors Circle 

Founded in 1984, Collectors Circle enhances Winterthur’s continuing success by funding important additions to the collection and supporting conservation, exhibition development, and curatorial research. 

Donors to Collectors Circle enjoy special opportunities to develop their interests in design and the decorative arts and to meet others who share them. Enjoy access to curators, invitations to exclusive domestic and international travel programs, and in-depth study during Winterthur Weekends. 

Collectors Circle Exclusive Experiences: 

  • Opportunities for domestic and international travel led by curators and senior staff members 
  • Private tours with curators, conservators, and guide specialists through the collection 
  • Invitations to intimate donor events, receptions, and gatherings, including Collectors Circle Weekend 
  • Recognition on annual giving lists 
  • The chance to meet and learn with fellow collectors 
  • Annual contribution is fully tax-deductible 
  • Free admission to the museum and garden and private tour opportunities 
  • 10% discount in Winterthur’s stores and restaurants 

Donor Levels 

Ambassador: $2,500-$4,999 
All the benefits of Collectors Circle, including special events and seminars, the Collectors Circle Weekend, and the opportunity to participate in travel programs. Includes prominent listing in Winterthur’s Honor Roll of Donors 

Curator: $5,000-$7,499 
All the benefits of Collectors Circle at the Ambassador level, plus consultations with Winterthur experts regarding personal collections and the ability to invite a guest to Collectors Circle Weekend 

Founder: $7,500-$9,999 
All the benefits of Collectors Circle at the Curator level, plus an invitation to a reception with the director at Chandler Farm during Collectors Circle Weekend 

Director Level: $10,000-$24,999 
All the benefits of Collectors Circle at the Founder level, plus an opportunity for a tour of the Winterthur Collections with the director followed by cocktails at Chandler Farm 

Chairman Level: $25,000+ 
All the benefits of Collectors Circle at the Director level, plus the opportunity to schedule a private dinner for you and six guests with the director at Chandler Farm 

For more information, please contact the Collectors Circle office at 302.888.4878 or contributions@winterthur.org

Special Events Volunteer

The Special Events Volunteer assists with events and programs such as Enchanted Summer Day, Truck and Tractor Day, lectures and concerts. The volunteer will report to the coordinator of the event, or the Volunteer Coordinator.

Qualifications:
Volunteers must be age 14 and up. All Winterthur volunteers over 18 years old must consent to a background check. Volunteers under 18 must have a permission waiver signed by a parent or guardian. (Form will be provided by Winterthur.)

Interested? Apply now!

If you are already a volunteer, log in online!

Port Royal Society

H. F. du Pont recognized the importance of preserving Winterthur’s extraordinary collection and gardens for future generations. By including Winterthur in their estate plans, the Port Royal Society represents donors who have aligned their legacies with this mission and vision, ensuring Winterthur endures as a beacon of education and inspiration. 

A Lasting Legacy 

Launched in 1996, the Port Royal Society is dedicated to cultivating community among those who have made a legacy commitment to Winterthur. In recognition of this commitment, Winterthur is pleased to host Port Royal Society events and boutique programming designed to connect, educate, and inspire. 

The Society enjoys: 

  • A custom Port Royal Society lapel pin
  • Invitations to the Yuletide Director’s Reception 
  • Private Society Events 
  • Behind-the-scenes access upon request 

To learn more or to discuss your plans in greater detail, please contact Lucy Mason, Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving, at plannedgiving@winterthur.org or 302.888.4707.

We encourage donors in the Port Royal Society to maintain a membership with Winterthur as a form of annual support, which enables unlimited museum & library visitation and dawn-to-dusk access to the grounds.

Upcoming Events

The Port Royal Society is invited to attend Winterthur’s Director’s Receptions. Reach out to learn more about upcoming events.

Lady of the House: Ruth Wales du Pont

Was there a Mrs. du Pont? This exhibit answers that often-asked question. Ruth Wales du Pont was a social figure, talented musician, and hostess of four houses. Devoted wife to Henry Francis du Pont and role model to their daughters Pauline and Ruth, Ruth presided over Winterthur during its heyday as an American country house in the early 20th century. Photographs and documents from Winterthur’s vast archive document Mrs. du Pont’s life of hospitality, music, and travel. A meticulously crafted reproduction of her 1916 wedding gown is showcased for the first time alongside rarely seen personal objects such as her traveling case and sheet music collection. Exhibition is located in the West Gallery.

Delaware Division of the Arts logo

This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com