On Enchanted Summer Day, a group of volunteers will use their hands and tools to turn wooden dowel rods into fantastical magic wands for children. These volunteers hail from the Society of American Period Furniture Makers (SAPFM), a group that is quickly turning into a valued partner for Winterthur.

This will be one of many activities for children during Enchanted Summer Day on June 8.

Charlie Driggs, a board member of SAPFM and co-leader of the Chesapeake Chapter, said of making magic wands: “It’s not hard.” What might be more difficult, Charlie said, is keeping children patient if there is a wait for wands.

Charlie has had a long relationship with Winterthur. This partnership with SAPFM is more of a relaunch, he said, adding, “I didn’t think we’d be at this point for a few years.”

But SAPFM volunteers quickly stepped up and Winterthur staff enthusiastically embraced the partnership.

“This particular program, if it successfully brings people the understanding needed to appreciate how things are made, satisfies… SAPFM’s commitment to providing education,” Charlie wrote in a recent article for SAPFM’s member magazine Pins & Tales.

Charlie is in awe of the furniture-making literature in the Winterthur Library that’s available to anyone from the public.

“Your collection on how to perform techniques from the18th century, 19th century, and some17th century is one of the best in the world,” Charlie said.

SAPFM members can be found in the library poring over works such as With All the Precision Possible, the first English translation of the 18th-century woodworking masterpiece L’Art du Menuisier by André-Jacob Roubo (1739-1791).

So, what does Charlie think about Winterthur’s famed and extensive collection of period furniture?

“I like at least half of it,” he said in all seriousness. “And that’s OK because that’s why there are different styles.”

SAPFM volunteers will also be at several upcoming events, such as Terrific Tuesdays, in July and August, and at  Handcrafted on August 31. Handcrafted is a way to celebrate Labor Day weekend with demonstrations by craftspeople who practice traditional handcrafts dating to preindustrial America.

“This particular event has been supported by SAPFM members several times, and the SAPFM attendees tend to dazzle kids and make adults curious,” Charlie wrote in Pins & Tales.

Sarah Rafferty walks a lot.

“When I walk, I am deep in concentration, looking at plant silhouettes, their form, and how they might render as a future cyanotype,” she says.

Cyanotype photography is a unique, cameraless technique. The process was first used in 1842 by Sir John Herschel, mainly to reproduce documents, Sarah explains. About a year later, Anna Atkins famously used the cyanotype process to document physical algae specimens and became the first person to illustrate a book using photographic images.

Cyanotypes are created using a 1:1 ratio of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. Once combined, they become reactive to the sun.

“Using hand-coated and light sensitive paper, I expose my work to the UV rays of the sun in order to produce the botanical composition of each piece,” Sarah says.

“Each cyanotype is a representation of a moment in time, like a visual poem marking the sun, the wind, and the clouds of a given day,” she continues. “No two are ever the same. These moments get to live on your wall and bring the reminder of the natural world into your home.”

Winterthur is delighted to welcome Sarah Bourne Rafferty of Atwater Designs as our summer Artist-in-Residence. While she is here, Sarah will showcase and teach the fascinating process of cyanotype.

A prolific local artist trained at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC, and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Sarah has extensive experience in both darkroom and digital photography. She launched Atwater Designs after many years of teaching and has since showcased her work globally. Her art has been featured in Town & Country magazine, Ralph Lauren collaborations, and other prominent projects. Sarah, who resides locally, draws inspiration from the beauty of the Brandywine Valley.

Engage with Sarah throughout the Summer

Artist-in-Residence Program, June 8–16: Working in Winterthur’s historic greenhouses, Sarah will create her cyanotypes using elements from the nearby cutting garden and the greenhouse metalwork. Her works on both paper and fabric will be displayed around the greenhouses throughout the week, inviting guests to stop by and learn. As visitors pass, Sarah will demonstrate the cyanotype process and discuss its historical significance and connection to Winterthur and early horticultural specimen collection and recording. This is a drop-in event. No reservations are necessary; just come and watch. Sarah’s work will be available for purchase.

Midsummer, June 22: Celebrate the summer solstice, reconnect with nature, and enjoy bonfires, dancing, food inspired by the garden, and a cyanotype demonstration and display.

Artisan Market, July 19–21: Some of the region’s most talented craftspeople, including Sarah, will present their outstanding wares as tent vendors.

Sun, Cyanotype, and Sundial, August 18: Join us to celebrate the sun! Sarah Bourne Rafferty of Atwater Designs will demonstrate the process of cyanotype against the backdrop of the Sundial Garden, and a gallery of her work will be on display and available for purchase.