Talk to anyone in the woodworking world about period furniture and inevitably the Winterthur Museum in Delaware comes up. Chuck Bender just mentioned the museum in his top 5 books about people who love period furniture in his excellent blog. You will find several mentions of the museum in the Rough Cut Show and associated forum as well. Many of you probably remember that the famous Norm Abrams has made more than one visit there while filming the New Yankee Workshop.
Needless to say, Winterthur is recognized as one of the finest collections of early american and 17th and 18th century furniture in this country if not the world. It is a destination for people across this country and many make the pilgrimage daily.
I have never been there! There, I’ve said it, my secret is out and the woodworking world can scorn me openly.
“Outrageous!” you say.
I know, I know, I live in Bel Air Maryland, north of Baltimore and only about 20 minutes from the PA line. I can be to Winterthur in about 40 minutes of driving. I have lived here for 8 years and have never been to Winterthur. I went to a beautiful wedding reception there several years ago but it was after hours and the museum was closed. Over the past year my interest in period furniture has grown to an obession and I am proud to say that this Saturday I will finally pop my Winterthur cherry and visit this wonderful collection.
Rest assured I hope this will not be my last visit as I understand that it can take some time to take in all there is to see. I only hope my wife has the patience to put up with me as we stand so close to such masterpieces. I promise I will report back on my visit and let you all know how much wiser and enlightened I am after my visit to nirvana.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Chuck Bender // Jun 24, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Shannon,
You’ll be amazed at what you’ll find in the museum. After hundreds of trips to the museum, I still find things I never saw before. Pretty easy to do with over 80,000 objects in over 200 rooms. When the excitement really sets in, make sure your wife has brought along the brown paper bag for you to breath into. They’re used to woodworkers down there. Your guide will probably not even miss a beat.
Since you appear to be into windsors, make sure they show you the basement. As you enter the museum, you’ll travel down a hallway loaded with Schimmel eagles…worth the trip for that alone…and just before you hit the elevator, well, you’ll find out. I look forward to your post detailing your visit.
Chuck Bender
Period Furniture Maker
2 Shannon // Jun 25, 2008 at 5:41 pm
You are a terrible tease Chuck! I can’t wait until Saturday!
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