Alexandra Deutsch, the John L. and Marjorie P. McGraw Director of Collections, Debbie Harper, Senior Curator of Education and the main Yuletide planner for three decades and Mark Nardone, Communications Manager, discussed historic Winterthur, the former estate of Francis Henry du Pont. Mr du Pont was an avid gardener and collector and in 1951 his 175 room home and its grounds were turned into a museum, showcasing nearly 90,000 prize objects of American decorative arts as well as a 60+ acre “wild garden,” designed a women landscaper, the first to own her own studio, and one of the few surviving examples of the design.
Ms Deutsch discussed the upcoming exhibit Jacqueline Kennedy and Henry Francis du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House, highlighting Jacqueline Kennedy’s Partnership with Henry Francis du Pont in the historic restoration of the White House begun in 1961. The exhibition will run May 7, 2022–January 8, 2023.
They also talked about the annual Yuletide at Winterthur, inspired by the family’s holiday traditions. Rooms are decorated in full holiday mode with multiple trees and exhibits, music presentations, a live one-man performances of A Christmas Carol by Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens; wine and chocolate tastings; and family events with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
For more information visit winterthur.org/holidays.