Winterthur, Part Two

So, on Friday I attended Winterthur's "Chic It Up!" design conference. Was I inclined to enjoy it because the word "chic" appeared in the title? Perhaps a little. But how could an entire day focused on 1940s design not be fantastic?

When Winterthur was organizing this event, there was discussion as to whether the 1940s had a distinctive style. After hearing the lectures, it seems that much of 1940s design was an extension of the previous decade. World War II played a great role in redefining design. The high style and sophistication of the 1930s fell out of favor as the realities of war set in. And of course after the war, the wealthy found themselves facing a far different society than that from before.



The day began with Pauline Metcalf's lecture on Syrie Maugham. Many of you may recognize Metcalf's name from her book on Ogden Codman; her upcoming book, due to be published next year, is on... Syrie Maugham. Thank goodness she's writing this book! I for one can't get enough of Syrie. Metcalf discussed Syrie's famous white drawing room on Kings Road, seen above. And while we may remember her most for this one room, Maugham's range did include color and non-pickled furniture. While Metcalf conceded that Maugham's heyday was more of the 1930s, she did note that Maugham continued with her design business well into the 1940s. What I found quite interesting were the photos that Cecil Beaton shot of bright young females posing in Syrie's famous room. The space's ramped up glamour was the perfect backdrop for Beaton's chic photographs, like this one of his sister Baba:



Metcalf mentioned that the mirrored screen, quite novel for the time, was a bit dangerous. When the drawing room got warm, the slivers of mirror would pop off and crash to the floor!




Another favorite decorator was also discussed: Dorothy Draper. Donald Albrecht of the Museum of the City of New York certainly knows a thing or two about Draper- it was he who curated the recent exhibition on Ms. Draper. Of course we all know that in Draper's hands, hotels, restaurants, and other public spaces were given the steroid treatment- furniture was large, colors were bold, and statements were made. (Albrecht humorously mentioned The Camellia House at Chicago's Drake Hotel, seen above. The dining room and entryway were supposed to be make one feel as if he or she was in a tropical garden...in the middle of windy Chicago. Albrecht admits it seems a bit implausable. I have a feeling Dorothy probably thought "Well, why not? Get over your will to be dreary!") He also explained that Draper's career hit its peak in 1948 with her decoration of the Greenbrier. Before she was hired for the redo, the Greenbrier was meek and mild mannered. After being Draperized, however, it had more than its share of personality.



There were so many great lectures so it's hard for me to summarize all of them in one post. But just to throw out a few more names- Chick Austin, J.A. Lloyd Hyde, Thomas Waterman, and H. Rodney Sharp were also subjects of discussion. I hope to write posts on them in the future. Oh, I want to leave you with a very fun clip that Albrecht showed to the audience. It's a dance number from the 1940s Fred Astaire movie "Yolanda and The Thief". (And I thought that I knew my Fred Astaire movies! This was a new one to me.) The movie was a box office bomb, but the sets and dance numbers are so evocative of 1930s/40s high style. And Albrecht was right- the dance floor is so very Dorothy Draper!



(Beaton photograph from the Cecil Beaton Photo Archive; Greenbrier image from Winterthur)

Winterthur, Part One

I just returned from two glorious days at Winterthur, and I was dazzled. I don't really know where to begin because it was all so incredible. I'll first say, though, that if you ever have the opportunity to visit, you must. And if you don't know if the opportunity will present itself, then make it happen. I don't see how anybody could not be inspired after a visit there.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Winterthur, the Delaware estate (now a museum) was the vision of the late Henry Francis du Pont, one of the 20th century's foremost collectors of Americana. du Pont inherited the house and the sprawling property from his father and immediately set about creating a home in which to display his more than impressive collection of early American furniture and art, porcelain and ceramicware, and textiles. Through the years, du Pont enlarged the original house and created period rooms that were a shade different from what you might find in other museums. The look of the room- the interior decoration- was just as important to du Pont as historical accuracy, so it could be said that du Pont's rooms were curated through the eyes of a 20th century aesthete.

Now it's no surprise that I am a lover of history, so the provenance of the objects within the rooms was of great interest to me. However, I know that there are many people who don't have the same interest as I. (And if you don't like history, that's really okay.) But please don't think that because the words "history", "Americana", and "early American" are associated with Winterthur that the house has no relevance to design today. Hardly! If you really look at the rooms, you'll find architectural details, fabrics, curtains, and such that would look right at home in a 21st century house. I don't want to demean Mr. du Pont's work because it obviously has great historical significance. But you really can apply some of what you see at Winterthur to your own home. Just take a look...


This is the pine cabinet that sparked du Pont's love affair with collecting. Both the cabinet and the pink Staffordshire china once belonged to another famous collector, Electra Havemeyer Webb. And to think that this rather humble piece inspired all of this:




The room that I was most anxious to visit was the Chinese Parlor. Now who wouldn't want to have a room like this? The wonderful antique wallpaper was found by Nancy McClelland, a prominent decorator and wallpaper dealer. In order to accommodate the height of the paper, du Pont chose to create a cove ceiling. Note too that terrific chandelier. The room, where cards were often played, seems quite comfortable. I like the Early American antiques as this was the kind of furniture with which I was raised. However, if you're a fan of French antiques or even early 20th century pieces, just think how well they would look in a setting like this.


Many rooms feature interior architecture that was purchased from early American homes ranging from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. Those pilasters framing the fireplace, the broken pediment, and dentil molding is stunning.


And that fabric on the armchair? Looks like something many of us would use today to great effect.






This mantel was purchased and removed from a Pennsylvania home. Isn't the detail incredible?


Molding in one of the rooms. A bit blurry, but I think the picture speaks for itself.


Another architectural detail, this time in the sleeping porch.



du Pont liked to entertain, and everything- flowers, linens, food- was carefully thought out. This room contains du Pont's candelabra and candlesticks. Ruby Ross Wood, the late, great decorator, wrote of dining at Winterthur and admiring the most perfect Battersea candlesticks.

And speaking of Ruby Ross Wood, many decorators clamored to visit Winterthur while it was still du Pont's private residence. du Pont's approach to collecting and decorating was so novel that decorators just had to see it for themselves. Wood wrote to du Pont of her employee's awe after visiting Winterthur. That employee was none other than Billy Baldwin. I wonder if this room below, decorated by Baldwin in the 1950s, could have been inspired by his visit to Winterthur:



I think that after my visit to Winterthur, I look at design and collecting much differently. du Pont believed that no one piece should dominate a room; rather, a room should have impact in its cohesiveness. (That may not hold true for the Chinese Parlor. That paper definitely packs a punch!) Well, that's not the way I have ever approached design. I always look for the statement piece. But I completely understand du Pont's point, and now I think I'll start looking at a room as a whole rather than a sum of its parts.

And in regards to collecting, once you see du Pont's porcelain, you'll never want to buy cheap or mediocre accessories again. You'll want to save your pennies to buy a piece that has value, not just monetarily but aesthetically too.

Tomorrow I'll post about the "Chic It Up!" design conference that I attended last Friday (it was really fantastic), and on Wednesday I'll share some photos of the textiles in the Winterthur collection. Actually, I could go on for days about Winterthur, but I'll try hard to condense it into a few days' worth of posts.

Oh, one more thing, Christmas decorations were being installed while I was there. The talented floral artisans at Winterthur created a dried floral Christmas tree. The flowers were collected from the Winterthur garden throughout the year and then dried in anticipation of the holidays. How great is that?



(All photos with the exception of the first photo were taken by me.)

Chic It Up!

I try to chic it up every day (not always successfully), but one event that most definitely manages to do that is Winterthur's Chic it Up! design conference. This year's event, to take place at Winterthur on Friday, November 13, will cover 1940s design- and as you know, this is my very favorite era.

Want an idea of what will be discussed? Well, Donald Albrecht will speak on Dorothy Draper and the Greenbrier, Pauline Metcalfe will enlighten us about Syrie Maugham, and J. Thomas Savage, Maggie Lidz, and Eugene Gaddis will talk about Thomas Waterman, H. Rodney Sharp, and Chick Austin respectively. And this is only a taste of what's on the agenda. What impresses me is the breadth of the conference as it focuses on interior design, architecture, decorative arts, and collecting.

You better believe that I'm going to be attending. In fact, I've been waiting for over a year for this event. If you're in the area, or if you want to make a weekend trip of it, then by all means make your reservation so that we can all chic it up.

(For more information, click here or call 800.448.3883)


An example of 1940's design: Winterthur's Gold & White bedroom as it appeared in 1947.


Henry Francis du Pont next to the famous Montmorenci staircase; photographed by Kertesz.


The garden at Gibraltar c. mid-1940s, another du Pont estate in Wilmington. Don't you love all of those gorgeous blues?




Historian Maggie Lidz will be lecturing on H. Rodney Sharp and his 1930s Moorish-Venetian-Spanish Florida home, The Hacienda, which is seen above. Quite a difference from his Georgian estate in Odessa, Delaware, also above, which is part of the lecture.

All images provided by Winterthur.

Chinese Scenic Paper

As of late, some of the most popular handpainted wallpapers seem to be those bird, flower, and tree prints by de Gournay (see above) and Gracie. Certainly they are lovely, easy to live with, and quite elegant too. And if someone wanted to make a donation of this paper to my home, I would not refuse. However, what I wish to see more of is the colorful, exuberant scenic Chinese paper that once adorned some of America's finest homes.



Of course Winterthur's Chinese Parlor is one of the most famous rooms in America. The Chinese paper was painted between 1775 and 1800 is known as "Pastimes and Leisure Scenes of Chinese Life" because it depicts scenes of Chinese people strolling through gardens and studying. Henry Francis Du Pont obtained the paper from designer Nancy McClelland in 1928. Because the paper panels were 12 feet long, Du Pont had to create a room tall enough to accommodate the paper's length.


A detail of the Chinese Parlor's paper.


Henry Davis Sleeper purchased this scenic paper in the early 20th century for his summer home Beauport. In what is called The China Trade Room, the paper depicts both the rice and the porcelain trades. The paper dates back to late 18th century when it was originally imported from China by the Philadelphia banker Robert Morris, although Morris never used the panels. The paper remained crated until it was discovered in the early 1900s.


Even Billy Baldwin had an appreciation for this paper in this 1950s era room that he designed.

What I've also noticed is that gloriously unrestrained architectural details and valances seem to go hand in hand with this colorful Chinese paper. There is often fretwork molding, pagoda pediments over doorways and windows, and scrolled pelmets that decorate these Chinese themed rooms. Unfortunately, papering an entire room in scenic wallpaper can be rather expensive, and some people might be apprehensive about having that much color and pattern on one's walls. However, what about framing a panel or two to hang on the walls? At the very least, I might be tempted to copy some of those wonderful valances for my windows.


(Image at top courtesy of de Gournay. Chinese Parlor photo #1 from Winterthur's flickr photostream; Chinese Parlor photo #2 from HOUSE AND GARDEN'S NEW COMPLETE GUIDE TO INTERIOR DECORATION: FIFTH EDITION). Beauport photo from their website. Billy Baldwin photo from House & Garden's Complete Guide to Interior Decoration.)

Spatter Pattern

And no, it's not the spatter pattern that is discussed so frequently in episodes of "CSI". It's "Spatter", and it's one of my favorite Hinson prints. Designed by Harry Hinson in 1974, the print was inspired by the spatter motif found often in Colonial ceramicware (this according to a 2001 New York Times article). The article also mentioned that it's a print that counts Albert Hadley and Jeffrey Bilhuber amongst its fans. I've also read that Billy Baldwin used it in his Nantucket home, but I can't find a photo.

So, just where can you use a print like "Spatter"? Well, Harry Hinson used it in his East Hampton home (shown above), and I was thrilled to see it in another Hamptons house designed by Tom Scheerer (and featured in the August '08 issue of House Beautiful). But I do think you can use it in a city home too. How about in a powder room? Or a kitchen? Just think of "Spatter" as a modern take on early Americana.

And speaking of Americana, I was curious about Hinson's supposed inspiration for this print. Just what was spatter and how was it used during Colonial times? Well, one of the prime examples is spatterware. According to a ceramic curator at Winterthur, spatterware was originally manufactured in England where it was known as spongeware. As spongeware was not particularly popular in England, most of it was shipped to the American colonies where it became known as spatterware. And it was here in America where spatterware became extremely popular, especially amongst the Pennsylvania Germans. Sponge and spatter painting was also used on furniture, walls, and floors during this era.

So although I can't corroborate whether Hinson was actually inspired by spatterware or not, it's something to ponder. If you would like to learn more about spatterware, you should visit Winterthur. Henry Francis du Pont was a major collector of it, and there is a magnificent display of his collection in Spatterware Hall at Winterthur. Or you can read more about his collection here in an interview with du Pont's daughter, the lucky recipient of some of her father's collection.


(Many thanks to everyone at Winterthur for assisting me in my research of spatterware.)



Two images of Scheerer's fabulous wallpaper selection for an East Hampton cottage (image from House Beautiful, Aug 08; Simon Upton photographer).


A Spatterware platter, c. 1825-1855, Staffordshire England. Does this not look modern to you? Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont; image courtesy of Winterthur.


Spatterware pitcher, c. 1825-1855, Staffordshire England. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont. Image courtesy of Winterthur.


Four examples of Spatterware jugs, c. 1825-1855, Staffordshire England. Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont. Photo courtesy of Winterthur.

Image at top: "Spatter" in blue and white on the walls and curtains of Harry Hinson's East Hampton dining room.

Chic Events Underway at Winterthur

Exciting things are happening at Winterthur, that glorious Delaware estate of the late Henry Frances du Pont. And for all of us who are interested in design and decorative arts, the events should be right up our alley!

First up is the Double Vision exhibit (March 8-May 18, 2008) which focuses on the design of Winterthur during the 1930's. Why is it named "Double Vision" you ask? Well, Winterthur has an amazing collection of stereographs (three-dimensional images) that were taken of the rooms at Winterthur in 1935 and 1938. Visitors will be able to wear special 3-D glasses to view the stereographs, which I can only imagine will make one feel as if he were actually in the room. Some of the rooms remain the same today, while others have changed over the years. It should be interesting to see how 1930's trends may have influenced du Pont's design choices.

And for even more on 1930's design, you should consider attending the "Chic It Up!" design conference, to be held at Winterthur on May 16-17, 2008. Frances Elkins, 1930's textiles, and Delano & Aldrich are just a few of the topics that will be covered. Speakers include Peter Pennoyer, Stephen Salny, R. Louis Bofferding, J. Thomas Savage, and Eric Cohler. Sounds like a stellar line-up to me!

For more information, visit Winterthur's website.

Chinese Parlor: In this large room guests would gather to play bridge or for drinks before dinner. Chinese hand-painted wallpaper was the height of exotic fashion in the 1930s. The room was always filled with flowers selected to complement the colors of the wallpaper. (Photo: Courtesy, Winterthur Archives)


White Parlor (Empire Parlor): Long before he discovered Americana, H.F. du Pont admired and collected French furniture and decorative arts. Many of the furnishings in this view came from the family's New York apartment. Perhaps as a nod to the family's ancestry, The White Parlor at Winterthur remained furnished in the French taste until the space became the Empire Parlor in 1940. (Photo: Courtesy, Winterthur Archives)


Port Royal Parlor: The 18th century furniture and paneling in this room, which served as the reception room for guests, is meant to suggest the colonial era. However, the abundance of notable pieces and the expanded size of the room taken from a house near Philadelphia are more in the 30s mode. This large room demonstrates du Pont's preference for symmetry and careful placement of furniture. (Photo: Courtesy, Winterthur Archives)


The Enclosed Porch: Many country houses featured an open loggia or arcade overlooking a terrace or garden. They provided a shady refuge on a warm, sunny day, or shelter on a slightly chilly one. The checkerboard patterned floor, the pale blue iron chairs and yellow bamboo, the urns and bright accent of the flowers all reflect popular 1930s style. (Photo: Courtesy, Winterthur Archives)

Image at top: Henry Francis du Pont was photographed in front of the Montmorenci staircase, the centerpoint of his revision of the house. (Photo by André Kertész; Courtesy, Winterthur Archives).