Page 10 – Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

A Feather in Her Cap

Thousands of hours of work have been reverently spent preparing Winterthur’s new exhibition, Ann Lowe: American Couturier.

The show celebrates the largely unsung achievements of a fashion designer who worked mostly in anonymity—largely because she was black—among high society for decades. One of the highlights of her career was creating the wedding gown that Jacqueline Bouvier wore when she married John F. Kennedy in 1953. The dress had to be recreated in exquisite detail for the Lowe exhibition because the original gown is too fragile to display.

But each of the unique dresses in the exhibition has its own marvelous details.

One such detail is the ostrich feathers that adorn a light salmon dress from the collection of Sharman Stoddard Peddy. Lowe made the dress for Madeleine Couture in New York in 1964.

*The Lowe dress with ostrich feathers, second from right, as it appears in the* Ann Lowe: American Couturier exhibition.

Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, the original feathers on the gown had become fragile and flattened from both storage and time. In conversation with the lender, it was decided that new feathers would better represent the original intention for the dress design.

Someone had to undertake the painstaking process of recreating the authenticity of the original feathers, both in appearance and hue.

That job fell to Andrea Goldstein, a post-graduate textile conservation fellow working in the textile conservation lab at Winterthur.

As she worked on this process over the summer, she commented, “We really want to do justice to the nature of the dress as Lowe intended.”

*Andrea Goldstein, left, post-graduate textile conservation fellow, talks about the ostrich feathers she recreated for* Ann Lowe: American Couturier as Heather Hansen, right, textile conservation assistant, presents an archival photo of the original dress printed in the new exhibition catalog.

Goldstein’s first attempt at dyeing new feathers with acid dyes resulted in a shade of pink that was too dark and too red. With each following attempt, she subjected the feathers to different modifications to the dye recipe for varying lengths of time.

“I’ve been trying a few different color recipes,” Goldstein said.

Finally, after countless hours of dyeing feathers, spraying them with “conservation hairspray,” and curling them, with the assistance of volunteer Gail Bush, she succeeded.

In September as the exhibition opened, a film crew from the Costume Society of America was visiting the exhibition to tell Lowe’s story when they paused in front of the dress during a live webinar.

Kim Collison, curator of exhibitions, noted to the audience: “A real kudos to our conservation labs for the work that they did to recreate this dress.”

Webinar host Graham Wetzbarger, who had interviewed Goldstein weeks earlier, added his approval of how the feathers turned out.

“The feathers,” he said, “for being brand new, they certainly look ‘of the period.’ I think they did a great job of maintaining the integrity of a dress many decades old. It doesn’t pop out to you like, ‘Oh that’s been replaced.’”

Lowe’s dresses were one-of-a-kind.

For instance, a concert dress she created in the late 1960s had a bow at the rear of the dress off to one side so that the pianist could comfortably sit on a piano bench, according to Kate Sahmel, textile conservator and head of the textile conservation lab.

Also, many of Lowe’s dresses have low-cut backs, Sahmel observed.

“Lowe said she wanted a dance partner’s fingers to touch the woman’s skin instead of fabric so that dirt and oil wouldn’t transfer to the dress,” Sahmel said.

Lowe worked hard to satisfy her clients, no matter the level of detail.

That level of detail shines in the exhibition thanks to all those like Goldstein who worked on the show.

The 40 dresses will be on display at Winterthur until January 7, 2024.

*Michelle Miller, left, of* CBS Saturday Morning interviews Alexandra Deutsch, John L. and Marjorie P. McGraw Director of Collections at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, in front of a display featuring the dress with ostrich feathers.

Ghost Stories of Winterthur

Winterthur is many things. On paper it’s a museum, garden, and library, encompassing 60 acres of world-class naturalistic gardens on 1,000 acres of land. Over 100 buildings sit on this estate, one of which being a 175 room, 9 story historic home. Once home to an operating country estate and dairy business, Winterthur is now an independent research library, and one of the most prominent collections of American decorative arts in the world. However, Winterthur has many more stories to tell than just a staid series of facts. In this podcast series, we’re going to share some truly fascinating untold stories of the people and places of Winterthur.

For our first installment, in the spirit of the season, we feature a few ghost stories told by employees of Winterthur.

A search for couturier’s historic works is yielding results

WINTERTHUR, DE (September 6, 2023) – In advance of a landmark exhibition about her artistry, the search for more gowns created by American couturier Ann Lowe is already meeting with success.

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library has gathered nearly 40 examples of Ann Lowe’s work from both private and institutional collections for Ann Lowe: American Couturier, which will run from September 9, 2023, to January 7, 2024.

This is the largest exhibition of Ann Lowe’s work to date, featuring some gowns that have never been on public display, and it will illuminate her evolution as a designer from the 1920s to the 1960s. While she was known in her day among the debutantes, heiresses, actresses, and society brides for whom she designed couture gowns, she has remained virtually unknown to the wider public.

“But with a recent resurgence in interest in Lowe, in part because of the upcoming exhibition, there has been hope that more examples of Lowe’s work will be discovered,” said Elizabeth Way, associate curator at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology and guest curator of the exhibition.

Ann Lowe had a prolific career from the 1910s until her retirement in 1972. Her work graced hundreds, if not thousands, of American women during this time. Research on Lowe carried out by dedicated scholars, writers, and collectors has only begun to uncover the many Lowe clients and their descendants who retain her designs. However, clothing is a category of material culture that is often lost over time, and many more Ann Lowe dresses exist today only in photographs, said Kim Collison, Curator of Exhibitions at Winterthur.

Some of Lowe’s work may be languishing at the back of closets or in attics, and their owners or those who have inherited these dresses may not be aware of their importance and of their maker’s impact on American fashion, Collison said. While some of Lowe’s work bears her name, other pieces are unlabeled or include labels of those for whom she worked, including Madeleine Couture, A. F. Chantilly, and The Adam Room, Saks Fifth Avenue.

Individuals have already graciously shared their stories, photographs, and dresses related to Ann Lowe. Elinor Boushall, a descendant of the Lee family, who were Lowe’s earliest clients in Tampa, Fla., recently brought a dress and jacket to Winterthur for textile conservators to assess. While staff could not definitively attribute the ensemble to Lowe, the complex cut lace technique seen on both pieces was frequently used by Lowe in her designs, Collison said.

*Photo courtesy of Elinor Keen Boushall*

In another instance, Jennifer Bradley shared a photograph of her mother, Judy Thompson, posing with other young women for their 1958 debut. At the time, elite young women who reached maturity were presented to society at a formal “debut,” hence the word debutante. For this memorable event, Thompson wore a white and red lace gown designed by Ann Lowe and recently donated it to The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Leading New York debutantes of 1958. Standing, left to right: Linda McKay Stevenson, Sandra Emerson Topping, Elizabeth Sandra Lipson Huntington, Wendy Maria Vanderbilt. Seated, left to right: Judith Allen Thompson and Alexandra Creel. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Stories and photos like these will be highlighted in a display at the exhibition about “previously unknown” and “recently rediscovered” Lowe items. Way and Collison hope the exhibition and accompanying publication of the same title will bring to light more of Lowe’s work. Lowe’s work and legacy will also be celebrated at a symposium scheduled to be held at Winterthur on October 20 and 21.

Those who have gowns, images, or other information regarding Lowe’s work are invited to share it with Winterthur by sending an email to LoweResearch@Winterthur.org.

Special Event

A special “Evening at Winterthur” will be held from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Friday, September 5.

Visitors will have private access to the Lowe exhibit, including an exclusive tour led by Elizabeth Way, exhibition guest curator and associate curator at the Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology. Afterward, visitors will mingle at the Reflecting Pool while they are treated to live music, a cocktail, and light fare.

There will also be a pop-up jewelry shopping experience with Tony Perrin of Lock and Key Design and a live demonstration of hand embroidery by artist Emily Bach as she creates a piece inspired by one of Lowe’s dresses.

Copies of the new book Ann Lowe: American Couturier will be available for purchase and for signing by Elizabeth Way.

Event cost: $65; $60 for Winterthur members.

For information, call 800.448.3883 or visit Winterthur.org/AnnLowe.

This exhibition is made possible through support from the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Coby Foundation, Ltd., and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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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 an introductory 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, 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.

Press Contact: Jason Brudereck
Communications Manager
jbrudereck@winterthur.org

Winterthur Institute—The Tradition Continues

Winterthur Institute opens a door into the world of decorative arts and material culture through the resources of an extraordinary institution. The tradition resumes in 2024.

From 1982 through 2019, Winterthur Institute offered a multiweek introduction to decorative arts and material culture. The program emphasized unparalleled access to objects through lectures, workshops, and room studies. Each year, twenty to thirty participants—from graduate students, interior designers, and antiques dealers to auctioneers, appraisers, and collectors—interacted with curators, conservators, and other experts, gaining a unique perspective of the Winterthur collection, the world’s largest assemblage of decorative arts made or used in America between 1640 and 1860. Enhancing these encounters were sessions in the Winterthur Library that focused attention on the related areas of design and craft practices. Throughout its distinguished history, the Institute was one of Winterthur’s signature educational events.

The pandemic prompted a pause in the program. It’s coming back! Winterthur Institute will return, April 7–19, 2024.

The focus on Winterthur’s incomparable museum collection, set within historic architecture and surrounded by a naturalistic garden, continues—enriched by a broader global outlook. An outstanding array of specialists from diverse fields will share their insights in small-group settings. Immersive, hands-on sessions encourage close study of objects. Opportunities to explore the expansive holdings of the library and archives will abound, and a field trip to the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—with a focus on the friendship between Henry Francis du Pont and Albert C. Barnes—will add a meaningful frame of reference for better understanding philosophies of self-identity through collecting.

Past participants have praised the stimulating conversations, knowledgeable speakers, and unparalleled access to objects. They were inspired by the wide variety of people that came together from across the country intent to learn from the experts and from each other. As one person noted: “Even though your interests may not coincide exactly with everyone else’s, you are bound to find one or more kindred spirits. It is even more likely that you will learn about subjects, books, or whole areas of study that you never knew existed.”

For application information, visit the Winterthur Institute page, or email ContinuingEducation@winterthur.org.

Brock Jobe

Professor Emeritus of American Decorative Arts

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

An Ann Lowe Inspired Playlist

Ann Lowe / Madeleine Couture Archives 1962 – 1967 in memory of Ione & Benjamin M. Stoddard by Sharman Peddy

“Ann Lowe was an exemplary creator in American fashion who happened to be Black. While this was, no doubt, an important part of her identity, it was only one part. Lowe was a spectacular and multidimensional American fashion designer, and I wanted the exhibition music to reflect other amazing Black artists like her who excelled in their genre. Her work was classical and generally structured, while also embracing organic elements, especially flowers. She was highly technical but prioritized beauty and elegance. I wanted the music to convey these elements of her work.” -Elizabeth Way, guest curator of Ann Lowe: American Couturier

Inspired by Ann Lowe: American Couturier, this playlist celebrates Black creative excellence in fields that are traditionally homogenous with barriers to people of color.

We begin the playlist with Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a Black Creole man who is considered the first classical composer of African descent to receive critical acclaim. Born in 1745 in the Caribbean French colony Guadeloupe, Saint-Georges’s father was a wealthy, white landowner and his mother was an enslaved Black woman on the estate. In 1769, he joined the French orchestra of the Concert des Amateurs as a violinist and became the orchestra’s concertmaster and conductor in 1773. Saint-Georges was a popular choice to take over the Paris Opéra, but several singers sent a letter of protest to Queen Marie Antoinette over his election to the position because they did not want to receive orders from a Black man. While Saint-Georges did not become the leader of the Paris Opéra, he was invited to be one of the private musicians of Queen Marie Antoinette. From 1771 to 1779, Saint-Georges composed and published numerous operas, string quartets, concertos, and symphonies, performing all his violin concertos as the soloist with Le Concert Olympique, an orchestra he also conducted. One of the most well-known creative ventures of Saint-Georges was his commission of Haydn’s Paris Symphonies: Saint-Georges asked Haydn to write six symphonies for his orchestra, which were then premiered and conducted by Saint-Georges.

The next musician on the playlist is Florence Beatrice Price, born Florence Beatrice Smith in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1887. She is credited as being the first Black woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer with a major composition played by a notable orchestra. In 1930, a significant early success kicked off Price’s musical career as a composer: at the twelfth annual convention of the National Association of Negro Musicians, pianist-composer Margaret Bonds premiered Price’s Fantasie nègre [No.1] (1929). In 1931, Price and her husband divorced, leading her to living with Margaret Bonds. While living with Bonds, Price became friends with Langston Hughes and Marian Anderson, prominent figures in the art world who assisted with Price’s future success as a composer. In 1933, Maude Roberts George, president of the Chicago Music Association, paid for Price’s First Symphony to be included in “The Negro in Music” program in the Century of Progress World’s Fair. Price’s First Symphony was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Frederick Stock, making Price the first Black woman to have her work played by a major U.S. orchestra.

Photo by Carl Van Vechten, Courtesy Library of Congress (LC-USZ62-103930)

Next up is William Grant Still Jr., a Black composer of nearly 200 works from Little Rock, Arkansas. Known as the “Dean of Afro-American Composers,” Still was the first American composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera. His most well-known work is his first symphony, Afro-American Symphony (1930), which was the most widely performed symphony composed by an American until 1950. By the end of World War II, this work had been performed in orchestras located in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berlin, Paris, and London. In 1936, Still conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl, making him the first Black composer to conduct a major American orchestra in a performance of his own works.

Photo by Carl Van Vechten, Courtesy Library of Congress (LC-USZ62-105747)

One of Florence Beatrice Price’s peers is next on the playlist: Margaret Bonds, who is most well known for her arrangements of African American spirituals and her frequent collaborations with Langston Hughes. Born in 1913 in Chicago, Bonds’s parents were involved in the civil rights movement and the National Association of Negro Musicians. During high school, Bonds studied piano and composition with Florence Beatrice Price. Bonds attended Northwestern University, where she earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in piano and composition. While attending Northwestern, the environment was incredibly hostile and racist, with Bonds being one of the few Black students. During her studies, Bonds found solace in the poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes. Bonds met Hughes in 1936 and during her career, she set much of his work to music.

Next on the playlist is James Hubert “Eubie” Blake. Born in 1887 in Baltimore to formerly enslaved individuals, Blake is known as a pianist and composer of ragtime, jazz, and pop music. His musical training began when he was four or five years old, when he wandered into a music store and began “fooling around” on an organ. When his mother found him, the music store manager said that Blake was a musical genius and that it would be criminal to deprive him of an outlet. Blake’s first major break in the music industry came in 1907 when world champion boxer, Joe Gans, hired him to play the piano at Gans’ Goldfield Hotel in Baltimore. Shortly after World War I, Blake formed a vaudeville musical act with performer Noble Sissle. The two began working on a musical revue called Shuffle Along, which incorporated their songs and had a book written by F. E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles. Shuffle Along premiered on Broadway in 1921 and became the first hit musical on Broadway written by and about Black individuals.

Following Eubie Blake on the playlist is Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Coleridge-Taylor was a Black British composer and conductor born in 1875, often referred to as the “African Mahler” by white New York musicians. By 1896, Coleridge-Taylor was beginning to earn a reputation as a composer. In 1898, Coleridge-Taylor completed his most well-known work: three cantatas based on the poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. After the popularity of his work on The Song of Hiawatha, Coleridge-Taylor made three tours of the United States, where he became interested in his paternal racial heritage. He was the youngest delegate at the 1900 First Pan-African Conference in London, where he met many prominent Black Americans, like Paul Laurence Dunbar and W. E. B. Du Bois. During his first tour of the United States in 1904, Coleridge-Taylor was received by President Theodore Roosevelt, a very rare event for a Black man. Coleridge-Taylor was well-known for his endeavor to integrate traditional African music into the classical style of music.

*American Musician* (June 17, 1907). Performing Arts Reading Room, Library of Congress.

Closing out the playlist is Scott Joplin, the “King of Ragtime.” Born in 1868 in Texas, Joplin was a composer and pianist, most well-known for his “Maple Leaf Rag,” which is credited as being the first and most influential ragtime hit. Joplin considered ragtime to be a form of classical music, inventing the genre as a blend of classical music, the musical atmosphere in which he grew up—work songs, gospel hymns, spirituals, and dance music—and his own natural ability. Like many of the artists on this playlist, Joplin combined traditional Black musical styles with European forms and melodies. Joplin put his unique blend of Black folk music’s syncopation and 19th-century European romanticism on the map at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

All these artists, like Ann Lowe, excelled in their fields, creating works that were groundbreaking and genre-bending and still resonate with listeners centuries later. Their identities as Black individuals shaped their experience as artists, often creating larger hurdles for them to overcome, but regardless of this fact, they all changed the course of music history in their own ways.

Save the Playlist

Perfect the Art of Picnicking

Perfecting the art of picnicking is more than curating tasty provisions. What truly elevates an al fresco dining experience is the atmosphere. Whether you seek respite under a cool canopy of leaves, in a sun-drenched meadow surrounded by wildflowers, or near the relaxing sounds of a bubbling stream, Winterthur is home to many atmospheric settings that promise to make your picnic unforgettable.

Set the scene with some of our favorite summer picks from our Museum Store, open Tuesday-Sunday from 10:00 am-5:00 pm.

Blue patchwork picnic blanket, $95

Classic wine and cheese picnic basket, $95

Winterthur lemon curd, $13

Bamboo folding food cover, $26

Collected ceramic platter (3-piece set), $54

Sustainable wooden cake stand (small), $68

Ceramic berry basket (assorted colors), $10

Melamine plate (set of 4), $35

Linen embroidered napkins (set of 2), $70

Hand-woven seagrass tote bag, $50

Woven cotton 18” square pillow, $35

Woven French knot lumbar pillow, $48

“Match a Pair of Birds” memory game, $16.99

“Pick a Flower” memory game, $16.99

Unearthing the Secret Garden by Marta McDowell, $25.95

Breeding the Best: The Dairy Herd at Winterthur

By 1926 the Winterthur herd consisted of more than 300 registered Holsteins.

Farming operations—including a dairy herd, animal husbandry, and crops to feed both humans and animals—formed an important component of life at Winterthur while it was a private home. Cows were a part of the Winterthur landscape from its earliest days, when the Bidermann family lived here, grazing contentedly in the shadow of the mansion. H. F.’s father, the next owner, maintained the dairy herd but then began to specialize in Holstein-Friesian cattle, considered to be the most prolific milkers.

When H. F. became farm manager in 1914, he turned his attention to creating a first-class dairy herd. In 1917, after thorough research and investigation, he chose a herd in Minnesota as the best stock to begin his breeding program. He purchased four bulls and two cows for the astounding sum of $70,000 (about $1.6 million today). That group became known at Winterthur as the “Foundation Herd.”

Although long prized for the amount of milk they provided, Holsteins did not produce milk with a high butterfat content, which was a desirable quality at that time. To improve the butterfat content in the milk, du Pont began a program of scientific breeding, mating the best bulls and cows and strictly adhering to an intensive registry-testing program. His farm manager carefully recorded the results in “Herd Books.” The success of du Pont’s scientific approach to breeding, registry testing, and meticulous record keeping resulted in an astonishing number of awards and citations for the Winterthur herd.

By 1926 the herd consisted of 300 registered Holsteins, and average milk production was 11,000 pounds per year per cow. A Winterthur cow, Winterthur Boast Ormsby Ganne, broke the fat yield record in 1933 by producing 1004.2 pounds of butterfat from 23,444.6 pounds of milk.

To house his herd, du Pont constructed a huge barn complex at the top of Farm Hill, including two bull barns, a hospital barn, and a calf barn. After a disastrous fire in 1929 that destroyed most of the Farm Hill complex, the barns were rebuilt on a smaller scale. Staff included a farm manager, resident veterinarian, dairy manager, and herdsmen. A creamery across from the dairy barn could process 10,000 pounds of milk a day. An electric cable tramway capable of transferring six milk cans at a time connected the second level of the dairy barn to the top of the creamery, where the milk was sterilized and pasteurized before being sold to a local dairy and to employees on the estate. Sold as “Winterthur Special Holstein Milk” in bottles carrying the motto “Milk for Better Babies from Winterthur Farms,” the milk was celebrated throughout the local area for its high quality.

The Winterthur dairy maintained strict standards of cleanliness, so it could sell unpasteurized milk. Advertising emphasized the purity of the milk, “produced by cows free from tuberculosis” and “bottled daily at the farm within 30 minutes from the time it was drawn from cows.” Pure, unpasteurized milk, which is easier to digest than pasteurized milk, was promoted as an important factor in the development of healthy children.

Prior to 1929, the cows at Winterthur were milked four times a day. Following that year’s fire, the schedule was changed to twice-a-day milking to save money and to more closely emulate the conditions of ordinary farmers. The herd continued to produce at the same high levels.

Following H. F. du Pont’s death in 1969, and per his instructions, the Winterthur herd was sold at auction, ending a memorable chapter in Winterthur’s history.

Top Places to Picnic at Winterthur

With more than 1,000 acres of land, there are so many wonderful places to set up a picnic at Winterthur. Here are a few of our favorites:

The Bristol Summer House

One of the most iconic spots at Winterthur, the Bristol Summer House was built by Henry Francis du Pont in the 1960s and is based on a structure he saw at The Lindens in Bristol, Rhode Island. It provides shade and a great view. Could you ask for anything more from a picnic spot?

Under the Blue Atlas Cedar in the Pinetum

Feel transported to another world under the cover of this massive tree. A striking conifer with sparkling silvery blue foliage that drapes from the expansive branches, the blue atlas cedar provides wonderful shade and a feeling of privacy.

The grassy lawn near the Reflecting Pool

This spot is perfect if you’re looking for a shorter walk to your destination. Once the du Pont family’s swimming pool, the Reflecting Pool today creates a lovely vista of the East Terrace and is conveniently located just steps away from the library and the Campbell Collectionof Soup Tureens.

Icewell Terrace

If you prefer to picnic at table, look no further than Icewell Terrace. Overlooking the Glade Garden, this spot—once used to store ice for the main house—today is a shady, comfortable spot to picnic and linger.

Sycamore Hill

With views of the meadows and an abundance of shade created by the towering trees (it’s consistently 10 degrees cooler under the canopy of trees!), you’ll love to picnic here.

The Greenhouses

Nestled midway between the Visitor Center and the Museum are Winterthur’s greenhouses. Immerse yourself in this idyllic garden oasis while enjoying the comfort and convenience of traditional seating.

To go along with these picnic spots, here are some do’s and don’ts of picnicking at Winterthur:

Do stop at the Visitor Center Café to pick up picnic foods or snacks.

Do stop by the Winterthur Store to pick up supplies for your picnic.

Do clean up and leave your spot as you found it.

Don’t climb any trees or rocks.

Do make memories that will last a lifetime!

Exploring a Career in Conservation

Winterthur recently welcomed this year’s ten-member cohort for the Six-Week Introduction to Practical Conservation (SIP-C), which will provide them with an overview and introduction to conservation. SIP-C was created in 2017 to increase diversity in cultural heritage conservation and related professions through a partnership of the Alliance of HBCU Museums and Galleries and the University of Delaware, with funding from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

The cohort spent the first two weeks of SIP-C at Winterthur. For the ensuing four weeks, the students are working in pairs in the conservation departments of the Brooklyn Museum, Fisk University, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Yale University Art Museums, and Winterthur to gain more hands-on experience. The two students staying at Winterthur are Dominique V. Goden and Dorian Henry. Dominique is interested in costume and textiles, and Dorian in furniture.

“The first week was packed, with speakers, hands-on conservation activities, and building knowledge of artistic techniques and materials,” said Nina Owczarek, assistant professor of Art Conservation at the University of Delaware. Speakers included Dr. Jontyl Robinson, curator and assistant professor at the Legacy Museum at Tuskegee University, discussing heritage preservation and human preservation there and Dr. Julie McGee, associate professor of Africana studies and art history at the University of Delaware, who discussed David Driskell, an important African American artist, art historian, and curator.

The cohort took a tour of the Winterthur collection with Kathy Gillis, senior furniture conservator. Dr. Melissa Tedone, conservator of library materials and lab head, offered a paper marbling workshop. The students were introduced to preventive conservation concepts and participated in a hands-on seminar about creating protective sealed packages for artwork. In addition, the students mended paper tears and learned the features of print identification.

Photos

Top: William Donnelly, associate preventative conservator at Winterthur, instructs the 2023 SIP-C interns about the technique of sealed packages to help protect artwork.

Bottom left: Kathy Gillis, furniture conservator, points out inscriptions on the interior door of a tall case clock in the collection related to its history of cleaning and repairs.

Bottom, left: Gabrielle Hilliard and Shamica Terry participated in a paper marbling workshop led by Dr. Melissa Tedone, conservator of library materials and lab head at Winterthur.

Learning the Ropes

The muscles in Dennis Coker’s arms tightened as he adjusted his grip on the rope that held him securely from a more-than-100-foot-tall tree at Winterthur.

He looked above him to assess the tree and determine his next move. It’s a skill he learned this week at a three-day tree-climbing school held on the Winterthur estate.

“You have to assess the tree to make your plan of attack,” he said.

His plan was successful, and Coker was soon high among the branches.

“I’ve been wanting to climb a tree my whole life, and learning how to tie three knots was the only thing holding me back,” joked Coker, 71, Chief of the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware.

*Dennis Coker, chief of the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware, prepares to ascend a tree.*

The course taught the 27 participants about tying knots, safety/safe climbing practices, equipment/use of hand tools, tree terminology, tree disease and insect diagnosis, pruning, and more.

Most participants work at landscaping companies, and a handful were from youth programs.

But there was one significant outlier.

“In this tree, we have state park workers, a Longwood Gardens (horticulture) instructor, and a professional chemist,” said Kevin Braun, Winterthur’s supervisor of arboriculture and natural lands. “She took three days off to do this. Yesterday she said she was nervous about whether she’d like it. But then she said, ‘I love it!’”

*Difficult to spot from the ground, Kevin Braun, Winterthur’s supervisor of arboriculture and natural lands, works with ropes in an oak tree.*

Kadine Mohomed said her decision to take a vacation from her work as a materials scientist at W. L. Gore & Associates (the Gore-Tex company) made sense because she’s a rock climber, powerlifter, outdoorswoman, and sustainability enthusiast.

When an ad for the school popped up in her social media newsfeed, she understood why an algorithm had targeted her.

She described her experience at the school as a “happy accomplishment.”

“Something that I’m feeling pretty proud of is when I show my kids pictures when I go home at the end of the day. They get excited,” she told a reporter from DelawareLive.com. “It’s nice for my boys to see that as a woman in my 40s with teenage boys, I could accomplish things that they don’t typically see women doing.”

*Kadine Mohomed, bottom left and facing camera, works with fellow students.*

Mohomed plans to use her new skills to take down dead and loose branches from woods near her house so her kids can be safe when playing there.

A feeling of responsibility for trees and a connection to them was a shared quality among school participants.

“To care for a tree, you must first learn how to care for a tree,” said Coker, the Lenape chief who is retired from a job in road construction.

Coker said he would recommend the course.

“Climb a tree as soon as you can,” he advised.

*Tree-climbing students prepare to ascend towering oaks at Winterthur.*

The school came about due to a request from the Lenape Tribe to put it on as a job-training program. Four tribe members participated.

The one-of-its-kind course may be offered again in Delaware, said James Savage, lead instructor for the school and an assistant professor of plant science for Penn State.

The school at Winterthur was the first ever held in Delaware, Savage said. The school was a joint initiative of Greenbridge CDC, the Penn State Extension, the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.

*James Savage, lead instructor for the tree-climbing school.*

The course takes students from knowing nothing about climbing trees to feeling comfortable maneuvering about in a tree, Savage said.

The waiting list of people to register for the class was just as long as the list of class participants. There’s a strong demand for such courses.

“This is the only class like it in the country because there’s climbing schools, but most of them are, ‘Here’s how you do it, now go home and do it,’” Savage said. “We show you how to climb, watch you and help you do it, and show you what you’re doing wrong.”