Fellows can utilize the 20,000 American and European imprints, 3,000 record groups of manuscripts, as well as trade catalogues, ephemera, photographs, and archives of the Winterthur Library, an independent, world-class research collection. They can also examine Winterthur Museum’s expansive object collections of more than 90,000 artifacts that help us broadly understand four centuries of everyday life in America in a global context. They can look at these collections with specialists and experts and consult with conservators and scientific staff to request testing to better understand objects and interpret them at a chemical level. They can explore 7,500 plant specimens and more than 1,000 acres of landscape and gardens, using these spaces and materials for research, or for respite and recharging. Fellowship privileges and policies can be found here.
Winterthur Research Fellowship staff are eager to talk with you about potential projects and your application. Please contact Catharine Dann Roeber and Jackie Killian with any questions.
Applications are due January 15. Applications will be available online on November 1, 2023.
Selected fellows will be notified by April 1, 2024.
Fellowships can be completed between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025.
Fellows are asked to participate in Winterthur’s research community by attending weekly Research Fellowship Program talks.
Fellows will be asked to give at least one presentation at the Research Fellowship Program weekly talks. We prefer this requirement to be completed during the residency but will work with fellows to schedule this at a mutually agreeable time after the fellowship is completed. If interested in offering a workshop or other public presentation, Research Fellowship Program staff are happy to discuss those ideas with you and plan for their experiences in advance of arriving for the fellowship.
Fellows are asked to compose one social media post about their research and share this via their personal social media channels, tagging #researchatwinterthur and the @winterthurmuse social media account.
Fellows cannot accept teaching assignments or undertaking any other major activities during their fellowship tenure.
Residential fellowships require that fellows be on-site at Winterthur at least four days per week in order to fulfill the fellowship. Remote fellows are expected to spend the equivalent time dedicated to their projects.
Fellows may hold non-Winterthur fellowships or grants during the fellowship tenure including sabbaticals and grants from their own institutions so long as they do not conflict with their ability to meet the requirements of the Winterthur fellowship.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Winterthur Postdoctoral Fellowship Stipend: $4,500 per month.
Applicants at any level or rank who have completed their Ph.D. by the start of their residency may apply for a four-month fellowship to pursue advanced research or revise research for publication. The applicant may still be a Ph.D. candidate at the time of the application (January 15, 2024). Please contact us if you have any questions about qualifying for this fellowship based on the timing in which your degree will be conferred.
NEH Postdoctoral Fellowship Stipend: $5,000 per month.
The NEH Postdoctoral Fellowship supports residence at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library for a duration of four or eight months as a junior or senior scholar whose project holds the potential for wider impact upon the humanities, rooted in research using Winterthur’s collections.
The NEH-supported fellowship has its own requirements. Applicants must have their degree in hand by the time of the application. The fellowship tenure must be continuous and last at least four months but not more than twelve. Residential fellows are expected to be in residence during their entire tenure period and to work on their projects on a full-time basis. Likewise, nonresidential NEH-funded fellows are expected to work on their projects on a full-time basis. Please consult the NEH website for additional information.
The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
“Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library Research Fellowship Program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.”
Dissertation Fellowship
Stipend: $2,500 per month
Doctoral candidates conducting research or writing a dissertation receive four to eight month fellowships.
Short-Term Fellowship
Stipend: $2,500 per month
Open to independent or institutional researchers and scholars of all levels, including graduate students. Applicants may apply for fellowship periods ranging from two to six weeks.
Applicants need not apply for a named fellowship, but we do periodically designate the following awards:
Faith Andrews Fellowships for the study of Shaker life and material culture
William Seale Fellowship for research related to architectural, landscape and gardens, and White House/Presidential history.
“My lunchtime talk gave me the opportunity to pose very specific questions to a very knowledgeable audience… hearing from a group of experts has made me feel more confident about my own understanding and interpretations.”
Cambra Sklarz, Ph.D. Candidate, University of California, Riverside, 2023-2024 Short-Term Research Fellow
Maker-Creator Fellowship
Stipend: $2,500 per month
WHAT WILL YOU CREATE AT WINTERTHUR?
Our two to six week research fellowships are designed for artistic and creative professionals to examine, study, and immerse themselves in Winterthur’s vast collections to inspire production of new work. Past fellows have utilized the museum’s landscape, gardens, museum collections, and library for inspiration, precedent, instruction, and material for their creations.
Studio space is not currently available, but program staff are available to talk through your needs to see what is possible in order to accommodate some on-site making. See our Current and Past Research Fellows page for a list of all Maker-Creator Fellowship recipients. The Winterthur Fellows’ Projects page has more information on the range of creative projects shaped by experiences at Winterthur.
Directions to apply can be found here. Maker-Creator Fellowship applicants will need to supply work samples in addition to the application form, essay, bibliography, CV, and letters of reference required for the other fellowships.
“The duet of primary source research and object-driven house tours grounded my time and provided me with a solid, sturdy footing for the next step of translating research into artworks. Without Winterthur’s Maker-Creator Fellowship and all that it encompassed, I know my project might not be a reality.”
Brece Honeycutt, artist and 2023-2024 Maker-Creator Fellow
Remote Fellowship
First created to maintain vital access to collections for fellows during the pandemic, we recognize that other obligations and limits to budgets and time can be barriers to residential research. A limited number of remote fellowships will be offered each year. Research Fellowship Program staff are happy to discuss remote possibilities with you. Reach out to Catharine Dann Roeber or Jackie Killian before you apply for this option.
“[Winterthur staff] did an incredible job with planning my fellowship and assisting me with finding people and resources that could guide my study… [They] pointed me towards seminal information for this last chapter of my dissertation which has enhanced the chapter greatly.”
We reserve a limited number of spaces for Affiliated Researchers who can provide their own financial support to be in residence. We welcome affiliated researchers at any stage of their career or artistic practice. Benefits of Affiliated Researcher status mirror those of funded researchers with access adjusted to the scope and needs of the project.
There is no application form. An email of interest should be sent to Academic Programs with the following information:
details of your current project or research subject
a copy or your current resumé or curriculum vitae
and a letter of reference that addresses your project, record of accomplishment, and ability to work with a collegial group. If you are working closely with Winterthur staff as part of your project, the letter of reference should come from that staff member.
Requests are reviewed by staff on a rolling basis. Please allow at least two months for processing a status request before the intended start date of your research here.
Image (left): Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Smithsonian Institution.
In 1953, American couturier Ann Lowe designed the wedding dress for future First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier’s marriage to John F. Kennedy, a dress that became one of the most recognizable and beloved wedding dresses in America. As a Black designer, Lowe didn’t receive proper credit for her work at the time.
Textile conservator Kate Sahmel accompanied University of Delaware Fashion and Apparel Studies professor Katya Roelse for a recent visit to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston to examine and document the construction of the original dress, which is too fragile to display on a form. Working with University students, Roelse will use the information gathered from this visit to create a reproduction of the dress for the Winterthur exhibition Ann Lowe: American Couturier, opening September 2023.
Katya Roelse (left) University of Delaware Instructor of Fashion and Apparel Studies, with the muslin prototype of the wedding gown she created, and Elizabeth Way (right) Associate Curator, The Museum of FIT, and guest curator of the 2023 exhibition, Ann Lowe: American Couturier, examining the muslin prototype.
The dress features several details characteristic of Lowe’s work, such as the ornate rosettes that embellish the skirt, each with a small spray of wax flowers at the center. A blue ribbon hidden under the skirt at the hem was a delightful surprise and completed the dress with a hopeful charm for her new marriage.
Magnolias in Pinetum. The sight and smell is intoxicating!
Check these out:
Blue carpet: A lavender-blue expanse of glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) extendsthrough Azalea Woods, down the hill towards the Museum and down the March Bank, across the stream and up the hill through Icewell Terrace. In many places, he blue carpet includes royal blue Siberian squill (Scilla siberica).
Dazzling show: This week areas of the garden are aglow in the golden radiance of forsythias (Forsythia x intermedia, Forsythia ovata, Forsythia suspensa, Forsythia viridissima, Forsythia ‘Winterthur’). They start at the upper edge of the visitor parking lot, with masses along the drive behind the carriage houses, along the lower side of Chandler Farm Road below the Fire House, along the Museum lawn edge of the Peony Garden, along the field edge of Azalea Woods, along the Pinetum overlook wall, and on the Quarry edge of Sycamore Hill. The soft yellow glow of winter hazel (Corylopsis ‘Winterthur’, Corylopsis platypetala, Corylopsis spicata, Corylopsis pauciflora) starts with masses of blooms at the upper edge of the visitor parking lot and along the Winterhazel Walk, with accents in the woods from the Visitor Center to the Underpass, at the East Upper Terrace of the Museum, and along the Quarry walkway.
The Flowering Quince in the Pinetum. The wide variety of colors are stunning!
Check these out:
Cherries!: This week the cherry trees are at peak bloom. The white expanse of Yoshino weeping cherry (Prunus yedoensis ‘Shidari Yoshino’) is a cloud of delicate blossoms at the upper edge of the visitor’s parking lot. Along Garden Lane, the performance includes the white large Sargent cherry trees (Prunus sargentii) and the delicate white-to-pink of the Accolade (Prunus ‘Accolade’) and autumn rosebud (Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’) cherries.
Sundial Garden and Quince Walk: A flurry of flowers with the flowering quince (Chaenomeles cultivars) showing off in blazing red-orange, orange, red and cooler pale orange & white with a supporting cast of white spiraea (Spiraea x arguta & Spiraea prunifolium cultivars) and a carpet of pale blue starflower (Ipheion uniflorum).
Funny names: This year there is an abundance of bright white bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) and golden yellow trout lily (Erythronium species). There is a dense group of bloodroot flowers in the lawn at the sidewalk edge of the visitors parking lot midway between the Picnic House and the walkway to the Visitor Center. There is a golden carpet of trout lily flowers on the slope across the stream opposite the Magnolia Bend entrance to the March Walk.
Amazing anemones: Italian windflowers – (Anemone apennina) form a blue & white carpet extending throughout Azalea Woods, down the March Bank to the stream, & up the opposite bank into Icewell Terrace. They accent other parts of the garden.
Spring beauties: The native spring beauties (Claytonia virginica) form a white carpet on the lawn sloping down to the Museum and on parts of Oak Hill. Their small, star-shaped white to pale pink flowers can be found throughout the Estate.
Violets: Blue, blue & white, & yellow violets (Viola species) are blooming throughout the gardens and fields. They are mentioned only here.
Sargent Cherry Tree (Prunus sargentii) on Garden Lane
Check these out:
Cherries!: This week the cherry trees are at peak bloom. The white expanse of Yoshino weeping cherry (Prunus yedoensis ‘Shidari Yoshino’) is a cloud of delicate blossoms at the upper edge of the visitor’s parking lot. Along Garden Lane, the performance includes the white large Sargent cherry trees (Prunus sargentii) and the delicate white-to-pink of the Accolade (Prunus ‘Accolade’) and autumn rosebud (Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’) cherries.
Sundial Garden and Quince Walk: A flurry of flowers with the flowering quince (Chaenomeles cultivars) showing off in blazing red-orange, orange, red and cooler pale orange & white with a supporting cast of white spiraea (Spiraea x arguta & Spiraea prunifolium cultivars) and a carpet of pale blue starflower (Ipheion uniflorum).
Blue carpet: A lavender-blue expanse of glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) extends through Azalea Woods, down the hill towards the Museum and down the March Bank, across the stream and up the hill through Icewell Terrace. In many places, the blue carpet includes royal blue Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) and the blue and white flowers of Italian windflower (Anemone apennina).
Dazzling show: This week areas of the garden are aglow in the golden radiance of forsythias (Forsythia x intermedia, Forsythia suspensa, Forsythia viridissima, Forsythia ‘Winterthur’). They start at the upper edge of the visitor parking lot, with masses along the drive behind the carriage houses, along the lower side of Chandler Farm Road below the Fire House, along the Museum lawn edge of the Peony Garden, along the field edge of Azalea Woods, and on the Quarry edge of Sycamore Hill.
THE 46th ANNUAL WINTERTHUR RACES WINTERTHUR, DELAWARE Sunday, May 5, 2024 First Race: 2:00 pm Total Purses: $60,000 Entries Close: 11:00 am – Monday, April 29 Scratches by: 10:00 am – Wednesday, May 1
FIRST RACE THE ISABELLA du PONT SHARP MEMORIAL (Maiden Timber) Purse $20,000. Timber. For Five Year Olds and Upward that have never won over timber. Five-year-olds, 160 lbs.; older, 165 lbs. Entry fee $200; $200 additional if not scratched on time Wednesday; $200 additional to start. Three Miles and One Quarter over Timber.
SECOND RACE THE WINTERTHUR BOWL Maiden Timber–2:30 pm
The Henry Francis du Pont Challenge Trophy is named in honor of the founder of Winterthur. A maiden timber race is being substituted for a novice race to be ridden at a distance of three and one-quarter miles over fair hunting country by a lady or gentleman.
Purse $25,000. Timber. For Five Year Olds and Upward which have never won two races over timber. Five-year-olds, 160 lbs.; older, 165 lbs. Three Miles and One Quarter over Timber.
THIRD RACE THE VICMEAD PLATE In Honor of Louis “Paddy” Neilson, III (Apprentice Rider Timber) Purse $15,000. Timber.
For Five Year Olds and Upward which have not won a timber or hurdle stakes in 2022-2023. To be ridden by apprentice riders. 170 lbs. Non-winners of two races over timber, allowed 5 lbs.; of a race, 10 lbs. Riders who have never won a race, allowed 5 lbs. No other rider allowances. Entry fee $150; $150 additional if not scratched on time Wednesday; $150 additional to start. Three Miles and One Quarter over Timber.
$5,000 of this purse has been donated by the Temple Gwathmey Steeplechase Foundation, for the promotion of the apprentice rider program.
FOURTH RACE THE MIDDLETOWN CUP (Apprentice Rider Training Flat) For Three Year Olds and Upward. To be ridden by apprentice riders. Three-year-olds, 145 lbs.; older, 155 lbs. Maidens allowed 5 lbs. Riders who have never won a race, allowed 5 lbs. No other rider allowances. The result of this race does not count toward a horse’s official record. Entry fee $100. One Mile and One Half on the Turf.
Viburnum farreri-Fragrant viburnum with pollinator friend on Garden Lane
Check these out:
Ring in Spring: The spring snowflakes (Leucojum vernum) are in full bloom in many areas of the gardens, but most abundantly at Icewell Terrace and along the walk to the Glade and koi ponds. There must be millions of them! Look for their downward facing bells with pointed edges and green markings on the tips.
Terrific Tapestries of color:
The East Upper Terrace of the Museum lawn is covered in lavender blue glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) & royal blue Siberian squill (Scilla siberica).
The early crocus, ‘Tommies’ (Crocus tommasianus) are still blooming in lavender and silver in the lawn at the Parking Lot entrance to the Visitor Center walkway and the sloping lawns at both sides of Chandler Farm Road below the Fire House.
Witch hazel (Hamamelis species & varieties) are in full bloom in the Visitor Center lawn, in the Gallery lawn along Clenny Run, and on the Clenny Run side of the Museum Store, waving their blossoms that look like clusters of tiny ribbons. They look and smell magnificent!
ENTRANCE DRIVE AND PARKING AREA
fbb Corylopsis ‘Winterthur’ (Winterthur winter hazel – pale yellow)
b Sarcoccoca hookeriana var. humilis ‘SarSid2’ (Himalayan mountain sweet box – fragrant white ‘threads’)
Blue carpet: A lavender-blue expanse of glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) extends through Azalea Woods, down the hill towards the Museum and down the March Bank, across the stream and up the hill through Icewell Terrace. In many places, the blue carpet includes royal blue Siberian squill (Scilla siberica). The East Upper Terrace of the Museum lawn is also covered in lavender blue glory-of-the-snow & royal blue Siberian squill.
Magnificent Magnolias! : The magnolias have started their display in the Sundial garden. This week the dramatic white oval of Wada’s Memory magnolia (Magnolia ‘Wada’s Memory’) is impossible to miss. The star magnolias (Magnolia stellata) are in full bloom in white and pink at the edge of the Sundial Garden. And the saucer magnolias (Magnolia soulangeana species and varieties) are in bud and beginning to add their beauty to the scene.
Dazzling show: This week areas of the garden are aglow in the golden radiance of forsythias (Forsythia x intermedia, Forsythia ovata, Forsythia suspensa, Forsythia viridissima, Forsythia ‘Winterthur’). They start at the upper edge of the visitor parking lot, with masses along the drive behind the carriage houses, along the lower side of Chandler Farm Road below the Fire House, along the Museum lawn edge of the Peony Garden, along the field edge of Azalea Woods, along the Pinetum overlook wall, and on the Quarry edge of Sycamore Hill. The soft yellow glow of winter hazel (Corylopsis ‘Winterthur’, Corylopsis platypetala, Corylopsis spicata, Corylopsis pauciflora) starts with masses of blooms at the upper edge of the visitor parking lot and along the Winterhazel Walk, with accents in the woods from the Visitor Center to the Underpass, at the East Upper Terrace of the Museum, and along the Quarry walkway.
Pink Spotted Helleborus X Hybridus Lawn in front of the Museum Store
Check these out:
Terrific Tapestries of color:
The early crocus, ‘Tommies’ (Crocus tommasianus) are blooming throughout the gardens including carpeting the East Upper Terrace of the Museum lawn and the sloping lawns on both sides of Chandler Farm Road below the Fire House in lavender and silver.
The fragrant winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) are creating a carpet of gold from Garden Lane across the lawn down to the East Upper Terrace of the Museum and also along the March Bank, in Azalea Woods, and along the walk to the Glade and koi ponds, in Enchanted Woods and in many other places in the gardens.
The yellow winter aconites and golden yellow Amur adonis (Adonis amurensis) merge into the white carpet of snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii & Galanthus nivalis) along the March Bank.
Snowdrops:
Snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii & Galanthus nivalis) are blooming throughout the estate, from the great drifts along the March Bank to small clumps and even individual flowers.
Many varieties of snowdrops (Galanthus varieties) in the collection in the raised beds along the East Museum terrace are in full bloom.
Witch hazel (Hamamelis species & varieties) are in full bloom in the Visitor Center lawn, in the Gallery lawn along Clenny Run, and on the Clenny Run side of the Museum Store, waving their blossoms that look like clusters of tiny ribbons. They look and smell magnificent!
PARKING AREA TO VISITOR CENTER
fb,+ Crocus tommasinianus (‘Tommies’ – lavender and silver)
Hamamelis ‘Primavera’ Witchhazel Clenny Run, left side of the Museum Store
Check these out:
Ring in Spring: The spring snowflakes (Leucojum vernum) are starting to bloom in many areas of the gardens, but most abundantly at Icewell Terrace, along the walk to the Glade and koi ponds, and along the walk between the Quarry and the east end of Oak Hill. Look for their downward facing bells with pointed edges and green markings on the tips.
Terrific Tapestries of color:
The early crocus, ‘Tommies’ (Crocus tommasianus) are blooming in lavender and silver throughout the gardens including carpeting the Parking Lot entrance to the Visitor Center walkway, the sloping lawns at both sides of Chandler Farm Road below the Fire House, and in the East Upper Terrace of the Museum lawn, where they are now mixing with lavender blue glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) & royal blue Siberian squill (Scilla siberica).
The fragrant winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) are creating a fading carpet of gold from Garden Lane across the lawn down to the East Upper Terrace of the Museum and also along the March Bank, in Azalea Woods, and along the walk to the Glade and koi ponds, in Enchanted Woods and in many other places in the gardens.
Snowdrops: Many varieties of snowdrops (Galanthus varieties) are still blooming in the East Upper Terrace Boxwood Garden and in the collection in the raised beds along the East Museum terrace.
Witch hazel (Hamamelis species & varieties) are in full bloom in the Visitor Center lawn, in the Gallery lawn along Clenny Run, and on the Clenny Run side of the Museum Store, waving their blossoms that look like clusters of tiny ribbons. They look and smell magnificent!
ENTRANCE DRIVE AND PARKING AREA
b Sarcoccoca hookeriana var. humilis (Sweet box – fragrant white ‘threads’
PARKING AREA TO VISITOR CENTER
fb,+ Crocus tommasinianus (‘Tommies’ – lavender and silver)
