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Winterthur Bloom Report

Bloom Report #08

February 23, 2022

67 F, Cloudy

View of the duPont House from March Walk
Winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis)

Check these out:

  • Terrific Tapestries of color:
    • The early crocus, ‘Tommies’ (Crocus tommasianus) are blooming throughout the gardens and are carpeting the East Upper Terrace of the Museum lawn in lavender and silver.
    • The 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!

LAGOONS

ber       Celastrus scandens (American bittersweet – yellow husks, orange berries)

PARKING AREA TO VISITOR CENTER

fb         Crocus tommasinianus (‘Tommies’ – lavender and silver)

fb         Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

fb         Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ (Double snowdrop variety – white & green)

fb         Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

fb         Hamamelis mollis ‘February Gold’ (Chinese witch hazel variety – yellow ‘ribbons’)

WALK FROM VISITOR CENTER TO UNDERPASS

fb         Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ (Double snowdrop variety – white & green)

fb         Hamamelis vernalis (Vernal witch hazel – rusty gold ‘ribbons’)

fb         Hamamelis mollis ‘Pallida’ (Pale Chinese witch hazel – yellow ‘ribbons’)

fb         Hamamelis ‘Wisley Supreme’ (Chinese witch hazel variety – yellow ‘ribbons’)

WALK FROM UNDERPASS TO MUSHROOM

fb         Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fb         Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

b          Leucojum vernum (Spring snowflake – white ‘bells’)

SLOPE DOWN TOWARDS MUSEUM

fb,+     Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

PEONY GARDEN

fb         Crocus tommasinianus (‘Tommies’ – lavender and silver – along lower end of walkway)

pf         Galanthus ‘Faringdon Double’ (Snowdrop variety – white – along walkway at end of Brown Center)

fb         Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

AZALEA WOODS

fb,+     Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

LOWER AZALEA WOODS

b          Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

UPPER/EAST TERRACE AND STEPS  

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

fb,+     Crocus tommasinianus (‘Tommies’ – lavender and silver)

fb         Galanthus ‘Alan’s Treat’ (Snowdrop variety – white – 1 flower)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Blonde Inge’ (Snowdrop variety – white – 1 bud)

b          Galanthus ‘E.A. Bowles’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Gloria’ (Snowdrop variety – white – 1 flower)

fb         Galanthus ‘Louise Ann Bromley’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Madelaine’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Phantom’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

pf         Galanthus ‘Potter’s Prelude’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Primrose Warburg’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Puck’ (Snowdrop variety – double white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Starling’ (Snowdrop variety – double white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Trymlet’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Wasp’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Yashmak’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Hamamelis ‘Princeton Gold’ (Witch hazel variety – yellow ‘ribbons’)

fb         Jasminum nudiflorum (Winter jasmine – yellow)

b          Lonicera fragrantissima (Fragrant honeysuckle – white)

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

EAST FRONT OF MUSEUM & Around Corner

fb         Galanthus ‘Castlegar’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

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

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white – behind Bath House)

fb         Galanthus elwesii ‘Green Brush’ (Giant snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus elwesii ‘Grumpy’ (Giant snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus elwesii ‘Natalie Garton’ (Giant snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus elwesii var. monostichtus (Giant snowdrop variety – white)

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

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

pb        Galanthus ‘Gabriel’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Galatea’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

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

fb         Galanthus ‘Imbolc’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

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

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

fb         Galanthus ‘Mrs. Wrighton’s Double’ (Snowdrop variety – white – 1 flower)

fb         Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white – behind Bath House)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Spindlestone Surprise’ (Snowdrop variety – white – 1 bud)

fb         Galanthus nivalis ‘Elfin’ (Common snowdrop cultivar – white)

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

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

fb         Galanthus samothracus (Aegean snowdrop – white)

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

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

WALK FROM GLASS CORRIDOR TO REFLECTING POOL         

fb         Crocus tommasinianus (‘Tommies’ – lavender and silver)

fb         Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

WALK FROM FISH PONDS – THE GLADE – TO BRIDGE  

fb,+     Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

b          Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

fb         Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ (Double snowdrop variety – white & green)

fb         Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

b          Leucojum vernum (Spring snowflake – white ‘bells’)

MARCH BANK

fb,+     Adonis amurensis (Amur adonis – golden yellow)

fb,+     Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fb,+     Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b,+       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ (Double snowdrop variety – white & green)

fb         Leucojum vernum (Spring snowflake – white ‘bells’)

MAGNOLIA BEND AND WALK ON SOUTH SIDE OF STREAM

fb         Eranthis hyemalis (Winter acontie – yellow)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fbb       Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

b          Leucojum vernum (Spring snowflake – white ‘bells’)

GARDEN LANE

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

WINTERHAZEL WALK

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

fbb       Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose – pink, white – few flowers)

ICEWELL TERRACE

fb         Adonis amurensis (Amur adonis – golden yellow)

fb         Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fb         Galanthus placatus ‘Trym’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus plicatus ‘Trymposter’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus plicatus variety (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

b          Leucojum vernum (Spring snowflake – white ‘bells’)

PINETUM

fb         Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fbb       Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose – pink, white – few flowers)

ENCHANTED WOODS

fb         Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

fb         Hamamelis virginiana (American witch hazel – yellow ‘ribbons’)

b          Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose – dark pink – few flowers)

OAK HILLEast Side

fb          Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite – yellow)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fb          Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

QUARRY, ADJACENT WALKS, AND OUTLET STREAM

b          Cornus officinalis (Japanese cornel – yellow)

b          Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

fbb       Mahonia bealei (Leatherleaf mahonia – green)

fbb       Pieris ‘Forest Flame’ (Andromeda variety – dark rosy-pink buds)

b          Scilla siberica ‘Spring Beauty’ (Siberian squill – royal blue – 1 plant)

SYCAMORE HILL

ber       Cotoneaster salicifolia (Cotoneaster – bright red berries)

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fb         Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

WEST FRONT OF MUSEUM, COTTAGE, AND CLENNY RUN

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

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fb,+     Hamamelis mollis (Chinese witch hazel – yellow ‘ribbons’)

fb         Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Sunburst’ (Witch hazel hybrid – yellow ‘ribbons’)

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

GREENHOUSE AREA

b       Galanthus woronowii (Snowdrop – white)

fbb       Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose – pink)

Bloom Report presented by: Pauline Myers

Artisan Market Vendors

Winterthur’s 2024 Artisan Market Applications

Call for Artisan Market 2024 artisans! Present your outstanding wares to more than 5,000 visitors this summer at the Artisan Market in the beautiful setting of Winterthur’s garden and estate.

Events at Winterthur relate to the history, natural environment, and mission of the museum, garden, and library. Artisan Market evokes the mission of Winterthur by showcasing local artisans through a variety of handmade crafts relating to art, textiles, ceramics, glass, woodworking, antiques, and gardening as well as artisanal and small-batch gourmet goods. Each of these categories connects to Winterthur’s past, and we invite you to make a bit of your own history with us during this special weekend.

Please review all details below before applying to be considered for Artisan Market. All interested artisans will submit a vendor application for consideration. Please note: Deadline for applications is March 11, 2024. Winterthur will review all applications and notify artisans who have been selected by April 1, 2024.

2024 Artisan Market Weekend Schedule

  • Friday, July 19, 2024 | 12:00–6:00 pm
  • Saturday, July 20, 2024 | 10:00 am–4:00 pm
  • Sunday, July 21, 2024 | 10:00 am–4:00 pm
  • Vendor Load-in | Thursday, July 18 between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm. Exact time to be determined based on location of artisan space.

The Details

  • Please review the Artisan Market Vendor Information in its entirety prior to finalizing your application. The answers to many questions and important information about logistics are found in this document.
  • Application deadline is March 11, 2024.
  • Acceptance letters will be emailed by April 1, 2024.
    • Accepted artisans will have five (5) business days to remit payment for their space(s). After April 5, 2024, if payment has not been received, that artisan space will be relinquished.
  • A short waitlist will be kept for any artisans that were not accepted for the 2024 year.
  • Should an artisan no longer be able to attend, written notice must be made to Winterthur no later than May 20, 2024, to receive a full refund. No refunds will be given after May 20, 2024, for any artisans that are no longer able to attend. No exceptions can be made.
  • All artisans are required to have liability insurance and to add Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library to their insurance. Documentation will be required. Please refer to the Artisan Market Vendor Information for insurance company suggestions and a discount code.

For more detailed information, see the Artisan Market Vendor Information.

Artisan Market Vendor Information

For artisans interested in joining the 2024 Artisan Market, please review the Artisan Market Vendor Information document in its entirety prior to submitting your application. The application deadline is March 11, 2024.

Applications

Please review the descriptions for the types of applications being accepted for the 2024 Artisan Market and apply to the one that best corresponds to your wares.

Grant Opportunities

A limited number of financial grants are available for vendors wishing to participate in Winterthur’s Artisan Market. Grants cover the cost of an artisan space in the Enchanted Woods hub ($400 value) for the entire Market weekend (July 19–21, 2024).

To apply for a grant, please complete the Grant Application by March 11, 2024. Grant recipients will be notified by April 1.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Explore our Artisan Market Sponsorship Opportunities and inspire 5,000+ visitors from across the region. The deadline for certain sponsorship levels will be April 1, 2024, to ensure that sponsorship information meets deadlines for printed materials.


 

For questions regarding sponsorship levels and Artisan Market please email artisan-market@winterthur.org


 

Winterthur Bloom Report

Bloom Report #06

February 9, 2022

45 F, Sunny

Magnolia Tree Trichomes

Check these out:

  • Snowdrops:  Snowdrops (Galanthus species and varieties) are in bud or in bloom throughout the gardens. Some blooms can be seen in the Peony Garden along the walkway at the end of the Brown Center, in the Boxwood Garden on the Museum upper terrace, along the March Walk, and in the raised bed in the Museum east courtyard.
  • Winter color:  The willow-leaf cotoneaster (Cotoneaster salicifolia) has brilliant red berries and dark purple leaves for a great show of color in winter.
  • Furry ‘winter coats’:  The buds of the magnolias at Magnolia Bend and in the Sundial Garden are covered by fuzzy bud scales.  The hairs that create the furry look are called trichomes.    

.

ENTRANCE DRIVE AND PARKING AREA

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

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

LAGOONS

ber       Celastrus scandens (American bittersweet – yellow husks, orange berries)

SUMMER SHRUB SLOPE

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

PARKING AREA TO VISITOR CENTER

b          Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

WALK FROM VISITOR CENTER TO UNDERPASS

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

fb         Hamamelis vernalis (Vernal witch hazel – rusty gold ‘ribbons’)

fb         Hamamelis mollis ‘Pallida’ (Pale Chinese witch hazel – yellow ‘ribbons’)

fb         Hamamelis ‘Wisley Supreme’ (Chinese witch hazel variety – yellow ‘ribbons’)

WALK FROM UNDERPASS TO MUSHROOM

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

PEONY GARDEN

fb         Galanthus ‘Faringdon Double’ (Snowdrop variety – white – along walkway at end of Brown Center)

b          Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

AZALEA WOODS

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

pb        Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth hydrangea – brown)

LOWER AZALEA WOODS

b          Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

UPPER/EAST TERRACE AND STEPS  

fbb       Camellia variety (Camellia variety – pink-tinged buds)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Alan’s Treat’ (Snowdrop variety – white – 1 bud)

fbb       Galanthus ‘E.A. Bowles’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Gloria’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Louise Ann Bromley’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Madelaine’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus ‘Phantom’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

pf         Galanthus ‘Potter’s Prelude’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Puck’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus ‘Starling’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Trymlet’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Wasp’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

b          Jasminum nudiflorum (Winter jasmine – yellow)

fbb       Lonicera fragrantissima (Fragrant honeysuckle – white)

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

EAST FRONT OF MUSEUM & Around Corner

fb         Galanthus ‘Castlegar’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

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

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

fb         Galanthus elwesii ‘Grumpy’ (Giant snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus elwesii ‘Natalie Garton’ (Giant snowdrop variety – white)

b          Galanthus elwesii var. monostichtus (Giant snowdrop variety – white)

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

b          Galanthus ‘Fieldgate Superb’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fb         Galanthus ‘Gabriel’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

fbb       Galanthus ‘Galatea’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

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

fb         Galanthus ‘Imbolc’ (Snowdrop variety – white)

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

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

fb         Galanthus ‘Mrs. Wrighton’s Double’ (Snowdrop variety – white – 1 plant, 1 flower)

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

fbb       Helleborus ‘Brandywine’ (Lenten rose varieties – pink, white)

ber       Ilex opaca (American holly – red berries – behind Bath House)

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

WALK FROM GLASS CORRIDOR TO REFLECTING POOL         

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

pb        Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tardiva’ (Panicle hydrangea cultivar – brown)

WALK FROM FISH PONDS – THE GLADE – TO BRIDGE  

b          Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

pb        Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth hydrangea – brown)

MARCH BANK

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

MAGNOLIA BEND AND WALK ON SOUTH SIDE OF STREAM

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

pb        Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth hydrangea – brown)

pb        Hydrangea quercifolia (Oak leaf hydrangea – brown)

GARDEN LANE

ber       Crataegus viridis (Green hawthorn – red berries – few left)

ber       Koelreuteria paniculata (Golden rain tree – brown seed pods)

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

ICEWELL TERRACE

b          Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

TRAFFIC CIRCLE

ber       Viburnum dilatatum ‘Xanthocarpum’ (Linden viburnum variety – ‘rusty’-yellow berries)

ENCHANTED WOODS

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

pb        Hamamelis virginiana (American witch hazel – yellow ‘ribbons’)

pb        Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ (Smooth hydrangea – brown)

pb        Hydrangea arborescens ‘Grandiflora’ ‘Hills of Snow’ (Smooth hydrangea – brown)

pb        Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf hydrangea – brown)

OAK HILLEast Side

b          Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

b          Galanthus nivalis (Common snowdrop – white)

ber       Viburnum dilatatum ‘Xanthocarpum’ (Linden viburnum variety – ‘rusty’-yellow berries)

QUARRY, ADJACENT WALKS, AND OUTLET STREAM

b          Galanthus species (Snowdrop – white)

fbb       Mahonia bealei (Leatherleaf mahonia – green to brown buds)

fbb       Pieris ‘Forest Flame’ (Andromeda variety – dark rosy-pink buds)

SYCAMORE HILL

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

ber       Cotoneaster salicifolia (Cotoneaster – bright red berries)

fbb       Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

WEST FRONT OF MUSEUM, COTTAGE, AND CLENNY RUN

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

fb         Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrop – white)

pb        Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth hydrangea – brown)

pb        Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf hydrangea – brown)

GARDEN LANE MEADOW – below Brown’s Woods

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

Bloom Report presented by: Pauline Myers

Managing Mercury

From the end of the 15th to the mid-19th century, tin-mercury amalgams were most often used to create the reflective surfaces on mirrors. Scientists at Winterthur have found that at least two-thirds of the mirrors in the collection contain these amalgams. Unfortunately, they are inherently unstable. Over time, the amalgam deteriorates, producing dark spots and a less reflective surface due to corrosion of the tin and reversion of the mercury to its natural liquid form.

As the mercury drips from the mirrors, it scatters on surfaces below and evaporates. Due to the toxicity of the mercury, that process is a health and safety concern.

For many years, dripping mercury mirrors in storage have been placed inside plastic bags to contain mercury droplets. Recent projects by conservation students revealed that mercury vapor levels are elevated to unsafe ranges inside storage bags. The mirrors are now stored on wire racks with an acid-free corrugated tray below. The open storage provides airflow around the mirror, preventing buildup of mercury vapors, while the tray captures mercury droplets so they don’t fall onto the floor below.

If you have these mirrors in your collection, be sure to handle them with nitrile gloves and keep them in the display orientation. After handling, dispose of the gloves and thoroughly wash your hands.

Masking a Stain

This rare, red-on-white printed handkerchief from the late 18th century shows General George Washington on horseback—and a large gray stain we wanted to reduce before it was exhibited in Hamilton & Burr: Who Wrote Their Stories? in 2019.

Past attempts to reduce the discoloration were minimally successful, so an unsightly muslin patch had been stitched over it. To improve its appearance, conservators need an exacting treatment to match the exacting block printing on both sides of the handkerchief.

Conservators first applied a series of poultices of cleaning solutions, chelators, and enzymes to the stain. The poultices reduced the gray coloration only minimally, so masking the stain remained the best treatment option.

Conservators created the mask by tinting a sheer Japanese tissue and super-fine silk crepeline with fabric paints and dyes to match the color of the handkerchief. They shaped the tissue with a small, damp brush, then pulled the wet tissue apart to feather the edges. The shaped tissue was fixed over the darkest areas with a water-soluble paste of methyl cellulose and wheat starch, then a patch of crepeline was pasted over the entire stain.

The treatment successfully reduced the appearance of the discoloration while allowing the weave of the fabric to show through. A layer of gray fabric between the handkerchief and its support mount further reduces the appearance of staining. The water-based paste can be reactivated, which makes the treatment reversible.

After its display in Hamilton & Burr, the handkerchief—inconclusively attributed to textile printer John Hewson, of Philadelphia—was returned to its original location in the house in Bertrand Hall.

Uncovering Undercover Toxins

After discovering arsenic in some vintage books, a conservator spreads the word on safety. 

Some people believe the ideas in books are dangerous, but sometimes it’s not the words but the books themselves that are toxic.  

Dr. Melissa Tedone, head of the book and library materials conservation lab, was examining the green cloth on a second edition of Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste from the Winterthur Library when she noticed the starched coating wasn’t behaving like other dyed cover cloths. She knew about widespread use of a pigment called emerald green in wallpapers of the 19th century, and she was familiar with recent literature about its toxicity. She wondered if the book cloth contained the same poisonous compound.  

X-ray fluorescence of Rustic Adornments, conducted by Dr. Rosie Grayburn, head of the Scientific Research and Analysis Laboratory at Winterthur, revealed dangerous copper acetoarsenite, which gives emerald green pigment its peculiar hue. Emerald green was widely used in the 19th century by wallpaper manufacturers and textile makers and caused widespread health problems and even deaths in Europe. Subsequent testing of Tedone’s initial sample revealed toxic levels of arsenic. “It was a lot more than we expected,” Tedone says. 

Testing of other green books in Winterthur’s circulating collection turned up four volumes with the toxic pigment, while another five volumes in the Rare Book Collection tested positive. All were of similar vintage (1840s–1860s) and of American or English imprint.  Further tests revealed that the pigment is highly friable, meaning it offsets easily when handled.   

A later visit to The Library Company of Philadelphia to scan green books of similar vintage revealed 28 arsenical books in its collection, which confirmed the trend. The height of popularity for emerald green pigment in book cloth was in the 1850s in England and the United States. “These bindings are very common in libraries and private collections,” Tedone says.  

Owing to the color’s popularity at the time, an untold number of books could contain the compound, and those volumes are highly desired for their beautiful color and gold-decorated covers. Collectors and others need to know the health risks, as do library professionals and other users.  

Tedone presented her initial findings and then further research at the Smithsonian Safety and Culture Heritage Summit in October 2019, the American Institute of Conservation Annual Meeting in May 2020, The Grolier Club in May 2021, and the Friends of the University of Delaware Library in November 2021. She is currently working with staff at the University of Delaware Library and the British Library to analyze their collections while working with health and safety experts to develop safe strategies for storing and using these books.   

To help librarians, collectors, and booksellers identify arsenical books in their own collections, Winterthur has printed emerald-green color swatch bookmarks with information on identifying and handling these books. 

For more information about the project, including how to request a color swatch bookmark, and safe handling tips for arsenical books, visit the frequently updated Poison Book Project site. 

Object of the Month: Duncanson Painting

Landscape in the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

To me, there are works of art that, because of their technique, novelty, aesthetic, history, or the force of their makers’ vision, are amazing to behold. Robert S. Duncanson’s Landscape in the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee is one of them. The beauty of this painting—the bucolic scene, the easy naturalism, the artist’s amazing technique—make it a standout compared to anything else in its class. I marvel, for example, at the elegant cursive that Duncanson uses to render the riffle and heron in the creek. I love the romantic quality, the way Duncanson amalgamated various parts of different landscapes to create something that is naturally impossible but utterly convincing. And it is so palpable. You can feel the humidity building under the clouds. 

I see Duncanson’s body of work as evidence of a powerful will to self-actualize. His adopted home of Cincinnati was considered an art capital when he lived there in the mid-1800s. While working as a sign painter, he taught himself to paint a la the Hudson Valley School. He surely met the leading Black artists of the city. Supported by the abolitionist community, Duncanson would go on to travel extensively through the South to paint landscapes, which stokes my curiosity about him. I can’t help wondering what would compel a free Black man to risk his life and liberty simply to make art. 

Duncanson may have been trying to build his reputation and increase the value of his work, despite the danger. (Some scholars believe his mixed ancestry may have reduced the risk by allowing him to pass as white.) Perhaps, as some scholars believe, he communicated abolitionist messages to enslaved people through metaphors and visual references in his painting. 

I’m no scholar, so I can’t say. I simply prefer to think Duncanson’s life and work says something about the desire for beauty and the force of the creative urge. Is the drive to make art, is the experience itself, worth all risk? Naively, perhaps, I like to believe Duncanson thought so.

Mark Nardone, communications manager

Robert Seldon Duncanson, Landscape in the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, Circa 1851–53

Museum purchase 2018.0037A


The Needle’s I: Stitching Identity

September 17, 2022–January 8, 2023

The Needle’s I: Stitching Identity examines how we work with needles and thread to create a sense of self. From historic samplers and clothing to contemporary pieces, the exhibition presents stitchers and stitchery from the 18th century to the present day and explores these makers, their marks, and their stories through themes of family, memory, and craft tradition. The exhibit is inspired by The Needle’s Eye: Women and Work in the Age of Revolution, Marla Miller’s important examination of 18th and early 19th-century identity, gender, and craft and moves it to the present day. 

On October 6 and 7, The Needle’s I: Stitching Identity, A Winterthur Conference will explore the themes of the exhibition, further examining how we work with needles and thread to create a sense of self. Join visiting scholars, designers, artists, and Winterthur curators, conservators, and other staff for this two-day conference. Register now.

A True Tour de Force

Jacqueline Kennedy’s 1962 televised look inside the White House influenced a generation. It took some help from Winterthur.

When First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy gave television viewers their first look at the newly restored interior of the White House, she broke ground in many ways—and she made a lasting impression.

“A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy” is considered by some television scholars to be the first prime time documentary targeted to a female audience. Broadcast on the CBS and NBC networks on February 14, 1962, it was the most-watched television program of its day. By the time it was shown on ABC four days later, it had drawn 80 million viewers.

“My mother was still talking about it thirty years later, when I was contemplating a thesis topic and realized the connection between Winterthur and the White House project,” says Elaine Rice Bachmann, a former student in the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture and curator of the upcoming exhibition Jacqueline Kennedy and H. F. du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House. “Because the medium of television was well established by 1962, with one in nearly every home, and in a time before multiple channels were available, it meant that nearly every American watched this program.” Due to syndication, people in 50 countries eventually were able to view the tour.

Winterthur founder Henry Francis du Pont played a key role in the First Lady’s famous restoration of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Kennedy, determined to turn the faded home into a place of beauty and historic value that was worthy of a head of state, undertook the project soon after her husband, John F. Kennedy, was inaugurated in January 1961. She personally invited du Pont, then considered the nation’s greatest collector of, and foremost authority on, American historical decoration, to chair her Fine Arts Committee. The committee—suggested by Winterthur Director Charles F. Montgomery—searched for and acquired the art and antiques needed to realize Kennedy’s vision. Du Pont gave scholarly credibility to the effort.

Seeing a need for a permanent steward of the White House collection, Kennedy named Lorraine Waxman Pearce, a graduate of the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture who worked as a registrar at Winterthur, the first curator of the White House in March 1961. By September of that year, Congress enacted legislation designating the White House a museum, and in November, the White House Historical Association was chartered.

“Everything in the White House must have a reason for being there,” Kennedy told Life magazine at the time. “It would be sacrilege merely to redecorate it—a word I hate. It must be restored, and that has nothing to do with decoration. That is a question of scholarship.”

Within the year, cameras captured the big reveal.

“I think what is important to acknowledge is that this was not just ‘celebrity’ watching, although the enormous popularity of Mrs. Kennedy cannot be underestimated,” Bachmann says. “It was considered an important educational event, watched by many children. The media widely applauded the First Lady for her efforts to share White House history and American history with the public.”

Kennedy’s televised tour was not scripted, Bachmann points out. The First Lady wrote her own notes, which she studied in advance of the taping. She specified the route through the White House—through the State Dining Room, and then through the iconic Red, Blue, and Green rooms—and decided what furnishings and art to discuss. “The producers documented that they never needed to reshoot any scenes with her,” Bachmann says. “She was a one-take wonder.” The performance earned Kennedy an honorary Emmy.

Three pages of Mrs. Kennedy’s handwritten notes for the program, generously loaned by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, will be on display in the Winterthur exhibition, as will correspondence between Kennedy and du Pont from the Winterthur collection. 

The story of Kennedy and du Pont’s relationship and his influence on the restoration will also be told through beautiful objects, photos, and other documents. Jacqueline Kennedy and H.F. du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House opens May 7, 2022.

Until then, you can celebrate the 60th anniversary of the broadcast—and Valentine’s Day—by watching portions of  “A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy” via CBS’s Youtube.com channel.