Page 12 – Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Scholars to reveal interpretations of unique centuries-old manuscript that illuminates life in the American borderlands

WINTERTHUR, DE (May 9, 2023) – A devotional manuscript made in the 1780s that is too fragile to display is being digitized and will be available to the public in 2024. On May 12, scholars and advisers will gather at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library to discuss what the manuscript has revealed so far. They will share their work and perspectives on the manuscript and how it helps them better understand life and art in an early American borderland: the town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The study day, from 9 am to 12:30 pm, is free to attend, but participants must register in advance at: https://tinyurl.com/denig

Early in 2020, Winterthur was given this extraordinary leather-bound illuminated manuscript made by Ludwig Denig (1755–1830), a shoemaker and apothecary who lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Denig manuscript combines intricate ink and watercolor drawings, personal and devotional texts, and sheet-music hymns, forming a compelling record of art and life in 18th-century America.

“Our job is not only to preserve the manuscript but also to curate it and make sure it’s available and relevant to a wider audience,” said Marie-Stéphanie Delamaire, Curator of European and American Art at the Carnegie Museum of Art. Delamaire, who previously served as Curator of Fine Art at Winterthur, is leading the project. “There’s nothing like it anywhere,” she added.

To experience the manuscript requires carefully leafing through more than one hundred sheets of brittle paper. Given the document’s fragility, each turn of the page threatens its physical integrity. To preserve this remarkable object while continuing to share its story, Winterthur is working with the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, a team of specialists, and community partners to create a digital platform that will allow the public to explore its contents in rich detail through translations of the text, professional recordings of hymns, and essays by leading scholars.

The manuscript reflects the life and times of Ludwig Denig, a Pennsylvania German man born during the French and Indian War. He was a child at the time of the 1763 massacre of the Conestoga Indians in Lancaster, which took place within blocks of his home. Denig also served as a private during the Revolutionary War.

The manuscript was a gift to Winterthur from Alessantrina and David Schwartz and the Schwartz Foundation. An interdisciplinary team has been working on the project, which is funded by the Getty Foundation and the Schwartz Foundation.

Study day presentations and presenters include:

“The Materials and Art of the Denig Manuscript”: Marie-Stéphanie Delamaire and Joan Irving, Assistant Director of Conservation and Senior Paper Conservator, Winterthur
“Ludwig Denig: Cosmic Cobbler”: Alexander L. Ames, Director of Outreach and Engagement, Rosenbach Museum & Library
“Denig and the Specter of the Seven Years’ War”: Will Fenton, Associate Director of Research at the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis, Stanford University
“Denig’s Omnivorous Musical and Spiritual Inspirations”: Christopher Herbert, Assistant Professor of Music and Vocal Area Coordinator, William Paterson University of New Jersey

The study day will begin with an introduction by Chris Strand, Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO of Winterthur. It will conclude with a roundtable of discussion and reflections about the project with the above-named speakers as well as noted scholars and community leaders.

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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, 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.

For immediate release

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

Bearing Witness to History

An Exhibition That Invites Visitors‘ Voices

By Kim Collison, curator of exhibitions

From left: Dish, England, 1720–80; earthenware, lead glaze. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1958.1083 | Campeche chair, Campeche, Mexico, 1760–68; mahogany, original stamped leather seat (finials replaced). Museum purchase with funds drawn from the Centenary Fund 2022.0006 | Fragment of Views of North America (Niagara Falls), Zuber & Cie (manufacturer), Rixheim, France, ca. 1850–1900; woodblock printed wallpaper. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Henry Francis du Pont Collectors Circle 2018.0049.004 | Molding plane, Cesar Chelor (d. 1784), Wrentham, Massachusetts, ca. 1770; wood, iron; stamped “CE [star symbol] CHELOR / LIVING [star symbol] IN / WRENTHAM.” Museum purchase 1959.0074.002

In museums, we are often asked to think about how art makes us feel. Labels created by staff members help us understand what a work may represent or what may have inspired an artist to create it. But what if that work is a dish, a chair that people used for hundreds of years, the wallpaper that hung in a historic house, or a tool that a craftsman used in his workshop? Whose stories do these objects hold? And who should speak for them?

The decorative arts in Winterthur’s collection range from high-style, intricately made objects that few people would have had the means to own to simple everyday items that anyone could have owned and used. Bearing Witness, an exhibition in the First-Floor Galleries, explores what a selection of objects bore witness to over time. These objects help us ask important questions, such as:

Whose stories do these objects tell?

How do they reveal the lives of people who made and used them but may not be remembered?

What do they teach us about the past?

And what do they teach us about today and our own experiences?

Bearing Witness invites visitors not only to think about these questions but also to share their responses, both in the Galleries and online. Here are a few of the responses that visitors have shared.

When asked what emotions were evoked by objects in Bearing Witness, one visitor responded that they felt “intrigue about the human experience.”

*Teaspoon, marked by Hannah Robinson, Wilmington, Delaware, 1845‒55; silver. Gift of Dr. Margaret I. Handy 1961.0429.002*

One visitor reacted to spoons made by Hannah Walker and Hannah Robinson. The label describes them as “exceedingly rare.” The visitor commented, “This is, of course, because women were (and still are) discouraged to work in laborious jobs.”

Another visitor shared, “Art can often sensationalize people’s responses to events. Artists can change people’s minds or further support preexisting ideas.”

In response to the “Liberty Monument,” several visitors appreciated that stories like this one about the Colfax Massacre, a rarely taught event in America’s history, are on view.

“It was surprising and gratifying to see this artist’s depiction of a little-known event in American history. It gives historical context to current events. Thank you for displaying it!”

“Many collections and museums have racist histories, so conflicting and controversial figures like this one need to be included.”

“Artifacts such as this provide witness to the truth and at least stimulate inquiry.”

Visit Bearing Witness in the Galleries or online, and join us in the conversation about these objects. What do they mean to you? Why are they meaningful today? How do they affect us and our experiences?

Pointing to the Future

By Collin Hadsell

Imagine you’re a bird. The soft winds of May hold you aloft. It’s a warm day, and you find yourself flying over a vibrant and lush woodland, shaded by a canopy of new leaves. Nearby is a garden, where azaleas bloom in technicolor—mauve, scarlet, satin pink, peach—and bluebells dot the understory. Pollinators flit from flower to flower, tree to tree. There is life and sound everywhere.

As you soar, sounds arise from the west. You investigate. The usually peaceful stream that ambles along is alive with activity. Your eyes widen at the sight of nature and human celebration colliding in a way that is quietly ignorant of the other but somehow still symbiotic. There is a relationship between these two things: the land and this event. A kinship that goes unspoken or unthought about. Without one of these things, the other might not exist.

Every year in early May, Winterthur holds Point-to-Point, an exciting steeplechase race that draws crowds from all over the country. Our small, beautiful corner of Delaware buzzes with the excitement of tailgaters, the engines of Rolls-Royce automobiles, and the galloping of horses racing toward the finish line. There is food, fun, and an air of celebration that permeates the rolling hills, neighboring woodlands, and wandering waterways that make up the Point-to-Point area of the estate. This is the event of the season.

Amid this excitement, it’s easy for us (and the birds overhead) to overlook the sweeping landscape that sets the stage for the day. But looking so good takes effort!

Point-to-Point is made possible, in part, by teams of trained horticulturists, arborists, and natural lands technicians who meticulously and painstakingly care for the landscape all year long. Countless hours go into to keeping the lawns looking pristine, the miles of fences in tip-top shape, and the neighboring areas well looked after. In turn, Point-to-Point is a wildly successful fundraiser that contributes to the stewardship of the monumental feat of design and care that is Winterthur. Those who attend this event and others here provide immeasurable support, helping us pay for equipment and plants and staff. Ultimately our guests help us achieve a broader goal: the preservation and continuation of the natural setting for this historic estate. All while planting a future for everyone . . . including the birds.

Join us on Sunday, May 7 for the 45th Annual Point-to-Point!

Proceeds from Point-to-Point support environmental and land stewardship initiatives to care for, preserve, and protect the Winterthur garden and the woodlands, meadows, and wetland habitats that surround it—nearly 1,000 acres of conserved land. We are grateful to our visitors and event supporters and encourage you to come back and explore this beautiful Brandywine Valley preserve.

Thank you to our sponsors: Draper & Kramer Mortgage Corp., Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Raw Bar, Woodford Reserve, Constellation, Don Julio, Home Appétit, and King.

Sip Among the Daffodils | Get to Know the Wines

Wine through Winterthur

Winterthur’s founder, Henry Francis du Pont (1880–1969), was interested in wine throughout his life. Today, we continue enjoying this delicious beverage in H. F.’s garden during Wine through Winterthur events.

In the early 1900s, the rise of Prohibition prompted H. F.’s father, Colonel Henry Algernon du Pont, to begin assembling a wine collection. A dozen or so closets, cellars, and storage areas across the estate were used to store wine. When H. F. inherited Winterthur, he continued to enjoy the extensive collection of wines, and add his own, into the 1960s.

There are many interesting examples of 20th-century wine ephemera at Winterthur, from the Prohibition-era Berry Bros. price list from London to inventory lists from the wine cellars on the estate. Over the years, H. F. and museum staff acquired hundreds of wine-related objects that help tell the centuries-long history of this flavorful beverage.

*Design plan for wine cellar (left); Berry Bros. price list (right).*

According to his butler, H. F. preferred Champagne to red wine for his meat course, presumably a holdover from his Edwardian youth. In many turn-of-last-century wealthy American households, Champagne (sweeter than today’s versions) was served as the main dinner wine, with sherry for the first soup course, Rhine wines with fish, and clarets with game. After Prohibition ended on January 1, 1934—and with a wine cellar still heavily stocked with vintage wines of all varieties—H. F. developed a particular preference for Krug, the costliest and most rarified of Champagnes.

H. F. was undoubtedly a man whose many talents and interests made him unique among significant collectors of American decorative arts. His attention to dining supports this claim; despite his many responsibilities, evidence suggests that he was as involved with the meals prepared and served at Winterthur as he was with the running of his farm and the managing of his collection. Throughout his life, H. F.’s remarkable attention to the food served in his home reveals much about his character and temperament, as well as his commitment to creating a way of life and expression of ideas that reflected his personal interests and values.

*H. F. du Pont, c. 1954 (left); Footman mixing cocktails (right).*

H. F. du Pont’s passion for food and dining was a lifelong, profound reflection of his very personality. His commitment to these domestic matters was tireless, extending from his grand public parties to the private, most intimate hours at table with his family. Regardless of whether he dined with an audience or alone, Winterthur remained the stage whereupon he celebrated food and drink in a way that was uniquely his own.

With warmer weather on the horizon, a lighter, crisper, and more refreshing wine pairs perfectly with the season. Daffodils are one of the few plants H. F. wrote about and one in which he maintained a lifelong interest, and Winterthur is one of the few places in the country where you can see so many in bloom at one time. Many types that blossom here are historic cultivars from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Read about the wines you’ll be sipping within the blooming garden below.

Sparkling

Everyone should start their day with some bubbles! From archived wine inventory lists, it’s clear that the du Ponts enjoyed their sparkling wines, especially Champagne. Champagne is a méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine typically made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier from northern France. Other regions around the world also use the traditional method to create sparkling wine with signature flavor profiles of high acidity, notes of apple, and some autolytic flavors (bread, biscuit).

What Pairs Well?

Oysters
Mushrooms
Fried chicken
Creamy, buttery cheeses (brie, gouda, camembert)

The Chandon Garden Spritz puts a modern twist on sparkling wine by incorporating fresh citrus notes to create the perfect bubbly for spring. This wine is a blend of an exceptional sparkling wine and a unique bitters recipe crafted with locally sourced oranges, which are macerated with dry orange peels, herbs, and spices carefully selected from the finest terroirs in the world.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a white wine varietal that has the ability to produce high-quality wines in cool, moderate, and warm climates, making it a highly versatile grape with varying characteristics based on growing conditions.

Cool climate: high acidity, light to medium body, with flavors of green apple, pear, lemon, lime, and wet stones
Moderate climate: medium to high acidity, medium to full body, with flavors of lemon, peach, and melon
Warm climate: full-bodied, medium acidity, with flavors of peach, pineapple and banana

Chardonnay can be oaked (aged in barrels) or unoaked (aged in stainless steel tanks); depending on which fermentation and maturation method is used, the profile of the wine will change accordingly.

What Pairs Well?

Mild and creamy cheeses (brie, fontina)
White fish and shellfish
Creamy or butter-based sauces

The Terrazas Altos del Plata Chardonnay from Mendoza, Argentina, is pale with a hint of green, well-balanced acidity, and full body. Aromas of peach, pear, and pineapple combined with floral notes and undertones of vanilla and coconut create a well-balanced wine.

Rosé

Rosé wine is typically made from black grapes that remain in contact with the skin for a short time, absorbing the color and flavors from the skins. The most common method of making a rosé wine is by short maceration. Fermentation begins the same way as in red wine making, but the skins remain in contact with the fermenting wine for just a few hours, and then fermentation continues at white wine temperatures.

What Pairs Well?

Seafood (salmon)
Grilled meats
Soft cheeses (brie, goat cheese)

The Beach by Whispering Angel Rosé is produced from grapes in the Côteaux d’Aix-en-Provence appellation of France. This wine displays a balanced acidity and a minerality, with delicious citrus and red fruit flavors. It’s the perfect wine to enjoy on a warm afternoon.

Bordeaux Red / Claret

Bordeaux red wines are made from blending certain varietals. The permitted grapes allowed include Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Petit verdot, Malbec, and Carménère. Bordeaux reds are typically medium to full bodied with black-fruit notes of black currant and plum with earthy notes.

Claret is a British term used unofficially to refer to red Bordeaux wines. As evident on one of the inventory lists, H. F. enjoyed Claret / Bordeaux-style wines frequently.

What Pairs Well?

Steak, lamb, red meats
Hard cow’s cheese

Not a true Bordeaux from France but a red blend from the north coast of California, the Skyside Red (Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, Petite sirah) has rich aromas of red currant, plum, and blackberry, followed by warm baking spices including cocoa and mountain sage. The wine enters smooth and fills the midpalate, mingling with the flavors of fruit, spice, subtle oak, and chocolate. The tannins and acidity meet gracefully, extending into a lingering finish.

Join us on April 16 and Sip Among the Daffodils at Winterthur!

Ironing Out a Problem

Some might think there’s a simple solution to saving outdoor sculpture that’s at the mercy of the elements: bring it inside. But H. F. du Pont wanted these particular sculptures—a pair of spectacular iron lilies—on display where they have been for decades, flanking the stairs to the Sundial Garden. Removing them from their location would betray du Pont’s design intent for this area of the Winterthur Garden.

Little is known about the manufacture of these objects. They’re estimated to have been created between 1860 and 1930, probably in New Orleans, and du Pont purchased them from the antiques dealer Churchill Brazelton in 1956.

We also know that they are unique— no other comparable sculptures are known to date. Each one stands about 5 feet tall and consists of meandering hand-wrought iron flowers, leaves, and stems embedded in concrete- and lead-filled bronze vases.

Despite routine conservation care, maintenance, and custom covers for the winter months, over time water infiltration has caused the concrete to expand. This exerts pressure on the bronze urns, cracking them in several locations. Staff has brought the sculptures inside temporarily to examine them and assess treatment options.

So why not just remove the concrete? It’s true that drilling into the urns, removing the concrete, and refilling with an inert material would solve the issue. But that is incredibly invasive, and it’s difficult to know how embedded the iron is within the concrete. It also runs the risk of irreparably damaging the urns, which are integral, original components of the sculptures.

We needed to look inside.

Lauren Fair, Head of Objects Conservation, did just that. She X-rayed the sculptures, working with a team from Baker Hughes, supplier of the imaging software and scanner that Winterthur uses for its radiography. Though the concrete’s density made it difficult to see accurately into the sculptures, some answers could be determined.

*The x-ray setup to examine one of the iron lilies.*

*A collage of X-ray images of the iron lilies.*

“We can see clearly that many of the leaf elements don’t go down very far, but the main central stem likely does,” Fair said.

She and Rob Plankinton, Supervisor of Estate & Landscape, consulted on next steps with Adam Jenkins, a Philadelphia conservator who previously worked on the sculptures, and Warren Holzman, a Philadelphia metalworker. They concluded that the sculptures are entirely handmade, and the bases would be difficult to reproduce. Knowing this information and the radiography results, the team wants to avoid cutting into the urns. Fortunately, it appears that the base plate may be detached without causing significant damage.

Later this year, the sculptures will be transported to Jenkins’s studio, where they will be secured on their sides to access the inside from underneath.

Given the sculptures’ significance, we plan to update the public on our progress to preserve and return these beloved—and photogenic—decorations to the garden.

*Floral sculpture (Lilies), 1860–1930. Iron, bronze, H. 64″ (162 cm). Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont 1969.4178.001, .002*

Remembering the Colfax Massacre

Liberty Monument by Cornwall Kirkpatrick and Wallace Kirkpatrick, Anna Pottery, Anna, Illinois, 1873. Museum purchase 2021.0017

The years after the Civil War were rife with violence and unrest as the country grappled with reunification and creating an equitable society. During the Reconstruction era, the political participation and social status of many Black Americans increased, while domestic-terrorist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan fought to keep white-supremacist policies in place. The bitter resentments of former slave owners and their struggles to retain power erupted in fighting throughout the South, notably in Louisiana in 1873.

The Anna Pottery “Liberty Monument,” on view in the Bearing Witness exhibition in the Galleries, tells the story of the especially violent event that occurred on April 13 of that year. Known as the Colfax Massacre, it is among the worst examples of the systemic brutality perpetrated by white supremacist terrorist groups on Black Americans in U.S. history. What led up to this tragedy?

It stemmed from the 1872 governor election in Louisiana, which had resulted in a split vote between the Democrat and Republican candidates. When President Ulysses S. Grant sent federal military support to support the Republican Reconstructionist candidate, white Southerners retaliated. They created the “White League,” a heavily armed paramilitary group that intimidated Black and white Reconstructionists across the state. Out of fear that the White League would seize control of the local government, an all-Black militia took control of the courthouse in April 1873. A mob of 150 white men, including former Confederate soldiers and members of the Ku Klux Klan and the White League, stormed the courthouse and fired a cannon on the group inside. The two forces fought until the Black militia was forced to surrender. The group of white men then murdered most of the Black men. Historians estimate that between 60 and 150 Black Americans were killed that day.

Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, the potters who made the Liberty Monument in 1873, clearly had a visceral reaction to hearing news about the event. Atop the monument stands Lady Liberty, who ironically watches a violent instance of voter suppression. Inscriptions on the surface state, “Our protection / under the / Civil-right / Bill,” a reference to the Civil Rights Act of 1866 that provided U.S. citizens of all races equal protection under the law. The words “Freedom / in / Louisiana” sarcastically point out the government corruption and social inequity that contributed to the devastation in Colfax.

*Inscription: “Freedom / in / Louisiana”*

The Kirkpatricks also included a depiction of Grant’s vice president, Schuyler Colfax. Although not directly involved with the massacre, Colfax was associated with government corruption, having been implicated in the Crédit Mobilier scandal. The inscriptions “this great / hight makes / me dizzy” and “got his foot in it / Credit Mobelier” appear near Colfax.

*Inscriptions: (left) “this great / hight makes / me dizzy” and (right) “got his foot in it / Credit Mobelier”*

The Colfax Massacre is often left out of history books, even though it fundamentally affected racial relations and altered the fabric of not only Louisiana but the country as a whole. On its 150th anniversary, we remember the single most violent instance of racial violence during the Reconstruction Era, which laid the foundation for segregation in the United States.

Read more and see the Anna Pottery “Liberty Monument” on view in the Bearing Witness exhibition in the Galleries, and watch a video narrated by Jonathan Michael Square.

Gifts for Mothers and the Special Women in Your Life

Finding the perfect present is as easy as a trip to Winterthur! Branch out from the bouquets and choose something that will be cherished for years to come. From tiny tokens to creative keepsakes, a little luxury goes a long way. Choose one or more items from the gift guides curated by our Museum Store staff to make any woman’s day.

Artistic Gifts

Inspiration for painting, journaling, crafting, and flower arranging right within reach

Paint by Number Kit, $29.99

Gold-edge Journal, $16.99

Handmade Embroidered Journal, $17.99

Hand-blown Glass Cup, $50

Debossed Glass Vase, $10

Adornment Gifts

Elegant trinket boxes and delicate catch-all dishes and vessels for vanities and shelves

Hummingbird Trinket Box, $24

Nordic Glass Vase, $27.50

Dragonfly Trinket Box & Matching Necklace, $53

Lily of the Valley Trinket Dish, $62

Bluebird Trinket Box & Matching Necklace, $53

Brass-trimmed Mirror Riser, $105

Wellness Gifts

Luxurious soaps and bath salts, opulent creams and fragrances turn every day into a spa day

Footed Teacup, $16

Royal Extract Soap, $12.50

Royal Extract Salts in Decanter, $312.50

Picture Frame, $50

Royal Extract Dusting Powder, $92.50

Royal Extract Eau de Parfum, $112.50

Royal Extract Body Cream, $92.50

Flower Button Pearl Drop Earrings, $92

Mother’s Love Ring Tray, $50

Flower Blossom Ring, $148

Peace Dove Brooch, $73

Mirror Tray, $113

Louis Sherry Chocolate Tin, $13

Floral Pom-pom Pouch, $12

Tea Time Gifts

Herbals, honey, and a soft blanket—everything needed for a cozy curl up on an overstuffed sofa

Textiles Book, $95

The Interior Design Handbook, $27

Louis Sherry Chocolate Tin, $47

Honey Jar, $18

Winterthur Raw Honey, $18

Covered Bee Mug & Saucer, $25

Brass Bee Spoon, $7

Teapot Spoon Rest, $5

Winterthur Raspberry Curd, $13

Gardener Gifts

Natural and nature-inspired décor and books for planning secret gardens and sending secret messages

Embroidered Round Pillow, $54

Tulip Pillow, $30

Louis Sherry Chocolate Tin, $47

Unearthing The Secret Garden, $25.95

The Posy Book, $24.95

Chenille Fringe Throw, $80

Slow-Living Gifts

Add a touch of beauty and nature to pleasurable pastimes and leisurely free time

Mottahedeh Tobacco Leaf Cachepot, $200

Spring Bouquet Wooden Puzzle, $50

Butterflies & Moths Wooden Puzzle, $50

Stoneware Insect Dish, $9

Old Peking Rose Kitchen Towel, $12

Pocket Guide to Kitchen Gardening, $22.99

Winterthur’s e-commerce shop is not ready yet, but we are still here to help. To purchase any of these gifts, visit our Museum Store Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm, or take advantage of our shopping concierge service! Simply call 302.888.4822 or email museumstore@winterthur.org, and our staff will help you select the perfect gift.

The Gift of Time Spent Together

Give the ultimate gift! Time spent in the company of others or alone at Winterthur will leave her feeling refreshed and relaxed. Spend the entire Mother’s Day Weekend with us. General Admission tickets are valid for two consecutive days (programs have an additional charge).

Wine & Design: Mother’s Day Arrangement | May 12

Go on a floral design date together! Create a beautiful centerpiece while sipping a glass of bubby.

Mother’s Day Concert with the Kennett Symphony | May 13

A celebration of beautiful chamber music by 20th-century women composers.

Discover the Winterthur Garden Tram Tour

See all the bloom highlights and hear about the mansion, garden, and estate.

Learn more.

Still Stumped?

And if you’re still stumped, there’s always the gift that keeps on giving. Purchase a Winterthur e-gift certificate or Gift of Membership online and let her fancy take flight in our museum, garden, library, and store.

Enchanted Woods photo by Annemarie Hamant.

Elegant Entertaining

Designing Winterthur, the new self-guided house tour, features sample table settings created by Henry Francis du Pont. He and his wife, Ruth, loved to entertain, and Winterthur provided a perfect setting. Guests would arrive for a weekend of tea on the terrace, golf, swimming, tennis, countless games of bridge, and more.

A highlight of these weekends was the spectacular dinner parties. The Du Pont Dining Room was the stage on which du Pont created elegant meals for his guests. The tablescapes began with the centerpiece, which usually included fresh flowers from the garden and greenhouses. These blooms provided the cue for the dishes that were selected for the table, chosen from among the 58 sets of china du Pont had available for use.

In Henry F. du Pont and Winterthur: A Daughter’s Portrait (1999), Ruth du Pont Lord wrote about how her father entertained:

Although my mother—and of course the head cook—also participated in the planning of meals, my father alone was in charge of the dining room, and he approached it as if he were designing a stage set. His materials—flowers, china, linen—were assembled days in advance, the availability of flowers determining the other choices. Three or four days before a house party a gardener would bring him samples of outdoor or greenhouse flowers that could be counted on to be blooming that weekend. (A flower to be used on the table was not to be seen “anywhere else in the house that day.”) In the huge china closet, whose shelves were loaded with stacks of dishes, a footman would climb a ladder and perilously hand down several centerpieces and matching plates. My father and the butler would then decide on the combination of china, glass, and linen that would best complement the flowers. My down-to-earth mother teased her husband a bit about his painstaking methods, but she was proud of him and happy to be relieved of many duties generally assumed by the lady of the house…Guests were not permitted to see the room before 8:30, when—with the butler’s announcement of dinner—the curtain went up.

Although most of the food—beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, guinea, duck, vegetables, fruit, and dairy products—was from Winterthur’s farms, it wasn’t served down-home style. The meal was served in separate courses, starting with soup. Lunch and dinner were à la russe, or Russian service, with a uniformed footman behind every other chair who would pour the wine and hold the platters and tureens from which dinner guests served themselves.

Walk This Way

Henry Francis du Pont was the consummate host. He loved showing guests around his beloved country estate, and he spent immeasurable time and energy carefully preparing for visits from close friends and casual visitors alike.

The Spring Tour—a popular event for decades after Winterthur opened as a museum—presented the perfect occasion to show the public his beloved home and garden. As part of his meticulous preparation, H. F. would direct the placement of white wooden directionals throughout the garden, noting that he expected guests to “follow the arrows, which ’show the garden in the best possible way.” The path was charted on his daily tours of the garden and led guests to the must-see flowers that week. As he noted to one correspondent, “If you follow the signs and the arrows, you will see anything worthwhile in bloom.”

Today we continue the tradition of the White Arrow Tour to help our guests make the most of their visit through H. F. du Pont’s naturalistic masterpiece. The tour starts at the Visitor Center Patio and winds through the garden, highlighting the changing colors and combinations that are at their peak. The path will change weekly as the progression of flowering bulbs, plants, and trees dictates.

Thanks to H. F.’s horticultural knowledge and masterful planning, spring appears early at Winterthur and the succession of bloom carries us along from one colorful season to the next. Come today—and often—so you don’t miss the beauty!

Heroine of Horticulture

Landscape Designer Marian Coffin and H.F. du Pont in the Iris Garden, ca. 1930 (left); Portrait, Marian Coffin (right).

Marian Cruger Coffin (1876–1957) was one of the first American women landscape architects and a lifelong friend of Henry Francis du Pont. When H. F. was studying horticulture at Harvard’s Bussey Institution, he reconnected with Coffin, who was pursuing a degree in landscape architecture as a special student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the only professional program open to women at the time. After inheriting Winterthur on his father’s death in late 1926, du Pont planned an expansion of the house, and he commissioned Coffin to design a formal garden adjacent to the house. Drawing inspiration from the great Italian gardens of the Renaissance, with their axial symmetry, classical proportions, and refined architectural features, Coffin created an impressive yet intimate garden that has been called a serene oasis. The triumph of the project was the grand staircase leading down to a swimming pool, now called the Reflecting Pool. The nearby Glade Garden was also designed by Coffin. With its naturalistic pools and waterfalls, this area offers a shady summer refuge.

Coffin’s most prominent project at Winterthur is the Sundial Garden. Du Pont asked for her help with its design in 1955, and it was created expressly for the public. He wanted an April garden, “all pink and white,” as appealing as the azaleas in May. Coffin’s plan featured fragrant trees and shrubs, including magnolias, cherries, quince, crab apples, viburnums, spireas, fothergillas, lilacs, pearlbushes, and roses, which are arranged in concentric circles around an antique armillary sundial. The result is a room made of flowers, known as a “room garden.”

Although their approaches were different—du Pont leaned more to a natural landscape inspired by the writings of William Robinson, whereas Coffin’s approach was more formal—together they created the beautiful garden that visitors still enjoy today.

Coffin’s papers, architectural plans, and photographs of her other garden designs are in the Winterthur Archives, including this Depression-era letter:

May 4, 1933.
My dear Harry,
Every moment spent at Winterthur was a pleasure as always, but this spring to see so much beauty was balm to the spirit. . . . You have been such an extraordinarily understanding client and have given me such a marvelous opportunity to help in creating the new development of the grounds that I can never be grateful enough, so at this time when we are all economizing please accept the suggestions I made as love-taps to Winterthur. . . .
My love to you all,
As always,
Marian Coffin