Friday, November 24, 2023

Winterthur: Yuletide at the Mansion (11/24/2023)

Friday, November 24, 2023 (continued)
The land was purchased by Éleuthère Irénée du Point (E I du Pont) c 1810, and was used for farming and raising sheep. Part of the estate was sold to E I's business partner, Jacques Antoine Bidermann and his wife Evelina Gabrielle du Pont (daughter of E I). A Greek Revival house was built (1839-1842) and the estate was named for Bidermann's ancestral home, Winterthur in Switzerland.
Now, pay attention. Bidermann's son then sold the estate to his Uncle Henry du Pont, who was buying it for his son Henry Algernon du Pont. Henry A and his wife enlarged the house and the property. Their son, Henry Francis du Pont inherited the estate in 1927. Henry Francis and his wife tripled the size of the house, incorporating architectural elements salvaged from 17th, 18th, and 19th century American homes in the region. Plus we know H F is a collector. In 1951, H F opened the home as a museum, and
continued collecting until his death in 1969.
The Winterthur Yuletide at the Mansion tour began in
the Conservatory, and it was touted that there would be
Christmas trees and dresses inspired by Ann Lowe
Inside the Conservatory with Preserving
Beauty
(by Heidi Militana and the Winterthur
Floral Team), the annual Dried Flower Tree
decorated with dried flowers from the gardens
Montmorenci Staircase was purchased
from a plantation in NC in 1897
Patching Together Tradition (2023, by Asata
Maisé Beeks) and the twin trees are by
Heidi Militana and Winterthur Floral Team
All Dressed in White (by Heidi and Team)
was inspired by the wedding
dress of Jackie Kennedy
This room had the Chinese wallpaper with
a non-repeating pattern making it more of
a 360-degree mural; but we are distracted by
the tree (recognize the dress?) and flowers
Another view of the Chinese wallpaper
Magnolia Blossoms Blooming (2023,
by Asata Maisé Beeks)
Magnolia Blossoms Blooming
(tree by Mack Truax)
Complex Narratives (by Heidi and Team)
was inspired by a particular Ann Lowe dress
Candlestick collection
Glamorous Gladioli (2023, by Asata Maisé Beeks)
Woman Behind the Thread (by Jeni Jackson)
Blooming Velvet (2023, by
Shawn Baron Pinckney)
Miniature tree with quilled paper ornaments
Close-up of a quilled paper ornament
Pretty in Pink (by Mack Truax) was
inspired by an Ann Lowe pink satin dress,
and H F perhaps favored pink for his orchids
Feather Fantasy (by Heidi and Team)\
was inspired by a dress Ann Lowe
decorated with feathers
Close up of Feather Fantasy (KSS)
Winter scene in the Mudroom?
No explanation for this tree, but Ann Lowe
herself always wore a hat
The Museum Store
Winterthur Mansion, of which we saw the fifth and
fourth floors out of nine floors; there are 175 rooms
We will have to check out the gardens another day.

Winterthur Museum Galleries (11/24/2023)

Friday, November 24, 2023
An evergreen arch over the path to the Visitor Center at
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library in Wilmington, DE
Tickets were checked, and we boarded a shuttle bus to its first stop at the Galleries (1992), with its special and permanent exhibits.
Garden en Vogue Flower Dress (2023, by
Katya Roelse) was inspired by the sculpture
Winged Victory of Samothrace and also by the
designer Ann Lowe and the Winterthur Garden
The Gingerbread Garden was made for fairies
Impressive flower arrangement
Flutter By, Butterfly Tree is a nod to Ann Lowe
who did not always have a label for the dresses
she designed, but she would sew a cut-work
butterfly appliqué on a hem or train
The dollhouse (created by Nancy McDaniel and
donated to Winterthur in 2015) has 18 rooms
filled with intricate miniature objects
Dollhouse kitchen with a vacuum cleaner
Dollhouse bedroom
Gardens and Gowns (by the Winterthur Floral
Team) was inspired by the use of handmade
floral embellishments by Ann Lowe
Bearing Witness Exhibit: Kendi/a pouring vessel
with a spout but no handle, instead the pot
is held around the elongated neck, from Delft,
the Netherlands is the closest to us,
the others are from China (all are 17-18C)
Conversations with the Collection Exhibit:
Chair (1984, by Robert Venturi and
Denise Scott Brown)
Chocolate set for "Anoakia" (1915, by Gorham
Manufacturing in Providence, RI)
Tureen and sauce tureens (1760-1770, from China) (KSS)
Staffordshire ceramic figures by theme; these
purely decorative items could be afforded by the
growing middle class in England in the late 1700s
Outside In Exhibit: The museum was started with
the collections of Henry Francis du Pont, who began
collecting in childhood: raven's nest and eggs
Sailor's Valentine, a shellwork picture (1814) (KSS)
Tree of Life Quilt (1800-1825) was made from
fabric printed by John Hewson in Philadelphia
Special Exhibit: Ann Lowe: American Couturier
Ann Lowe was a Black seamstress "discovered" in Montgomery, AL and taken to Tampa, FL. She went on to design for high society in New York City, as well as for First Ladies in the White House.
Countess Gown (1961) was worn by
Lynn Neville Robertson for her role in the
Ak-Sar-Ben coronation ball in Omaha, NE
On left: Gasparilla Court Gown (1926) was worn by
Katherine Broaddus in the Tampa, FL pirate-themed ball;
on right: another Ak-Sar-Ben Countress Dress (1961)
worn by Ann Lallman Jessop
A replica (2023, by Katya Roelse) of the
wedding dress of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy;
the original dress (1953, considered too fragile to
display belongs to the John F Kennedy Presidential
Library and Museum in Boston, MA
Debutante dress (1966-1967) was worn by
Barbara Baldwin Dowd
Dress and belt (1930-1934)
Next the exhibit displayed dresses made by Black designers of today, who were inspired by Ann Lowe.
Dress bearing names of Black fashion
designers (2021, by B Michael) worn by
Dawn Davis at a Metropolitan Museum
of Art's Costume Institute Gala
Green halter-dress with lace appliqués
(2021, by Tracy Reese, who has designed
for First Lady Michelle Obama)
Flower Shoes (2023, by Lenny Wilson), note the use of
Southern Magnolia cones for the heels
Next: Winterthur Yuletide at the Mansion.

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Smedley Park Trails (11/18/2023)

Saturday, November 18, 2023
We took advantage of sunny autumn weather to hike at Smedley Park in Springfield, PA, first on the Green Trail, then a portion of the Orange Trail, coming back on a portion of the Yellow Trail/Springfield Trail.
Pedestrian bridge at the far parking lot in Smedley Park
Green Trail marker
The Green Trail went under Route I-476
According to the fallen leaves,
these seemed to be many maple trees
Fallen leaves have formed "terraces" in the creek
Crum Creek appears very placid with
a blanket of fallen leaves (KSS)
Um, the markings are too smooth to
be the work of a beaver
Twiney vines
A small pond was on the other side of a fence
Fallen log has been cut for the trail
Some leftover autumn color
Crum Creek reflection as seen from the pedestrian bridge
Now the Orange Trail goes under Rute I-476
A different way to cross a fallen log
Coming back on the Yellow Trail, we tried to help this fellow 
find his wallet that tumbled down the hill in all these leaves
Armillarea mellea/Honey Mushrooms once grew on this tree,
leaving their long black root like structures called
rhizomorphs that are exposed when the bark rots away
From the other side, we saw fallen logs, so took the high
road, only to find we could have made it through (on left)
Now we have hiked both sides of this section of Crum Creek
Sloan is going off the beaten path
Not a trail blaze!
Brynne with Sloane