Vintage fashions, traditional trees, family celebrations and Christmas wrapping customs will delight visitors to “Yuletide at Winterthur: Wrapped in Holiday Style” on view from November 18 to January 7 at Winterthur Museum & Country Estate. This year, Winterthur will be open on Mondays and stay open late on Tuesday evenings for tours, shopping and dining during the Yuletide season.
“We want to give our visitors inspirations for their own celebrations,” said Ellen Taviano, Yuletide director. “You’ll see stylish ways to decorate your house and wrap your gifts. You’ll also glimpse classic and contemporary holiday styles with our display of decorated trees, dating from the 1740s to today.
“Our founder, Henry Francis du Pont, was a pioneer of American style, and took great care with both his decorating and his entertaining,” continued Taviano. “Room settings on the tour inspired by du Pont family celebrations include one devoted to New Year’s calling, a holiday custom still practiced by the du Ponts today, and a 1940s Christmas Day celebration.” In addition, The Court, an indoor collection of historic house façades, will be on view.
Noted interior designer Thomas Jayne, one of America’s top decorators, has decorated four rooms that blend traditional and contemporary holiday decorations. His rooms, set for a young family on Christmas Eve, show visitors how to mix antiques with Twenty-First Century lifestyles and tastes. One room will feature two paintings by Jamie Wyeth, “New Year’s Calling” and “Sable”; the latter painting has never before been on view to the public. These rooms will also be featured in the December issue of Traditional Home magazine.
This year, for the first time, Winterthur will be open late on Tuesday evenings. The last tour will start at 8 pm, with dinner available in the Garden Cafeteria from 4:30 to 7:30 pm, and the stores will remain open until 9 pm.
Winterthur is on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington. For information, 800-448-3883, 302-888-4600, TTY 302-888-4907 or www.winterthur.org.
