Reunion
Weekend and Conference
"Educated at Winterthur: A Half Century of Achievement"
September 21-22, 2001
Keynote Address
The Winterthur Programs,
'51 to '01: Are We There Yet?
by
Charles F. Hummel (WPEAC '55)
(as
presented on September 21, 2001)
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(page 8) Moreover, as Charles Montgomery thoughtfully noted during the twentieth anniversary celebration of WPEAC, the graduate programs have given direction to the growth of the museum. "The need for books, classrooms, auditoriums, working space, conservation facilities, a scientific program fed Henry Francis du Pont's energy for projects and accomplishment." The results were the South Wing, additional textile storage, Pavilion, Copeland Lecture Hall, and Crowninshield Research Building. From its beginning as the private library of Mr. du Pont, Winterthur's library has grown to sections of archives, printed books and periodicals, rare books, manuscripts and printed ephemera, the Decorative Arts Photographic Collection, Slide Collection, and Technical Library. In large part, much of this growth has come from the pressures of fifty-plus graduate students in residence each year. Recently the Library has had the distinction of becoming a member of the prestigious Research Library Association. At the University, holdings in decorative, American, and European art, pitiful at the initiation of WPEAC in 1952, now fill a major section of its Morris Library. As a result of the three co-sponsored graduate programs and one assisted program, the University has strengthened its teaching staff in American history, English history, American literature, art history, art materials, and art conservation. Interviews with Professor James Curtis, Debbie Hess Norris, and Gary Kulik, provided a few more observations relating to accomplishment that must be included. Of the most prestigious American decorative arts collections in major American museums, almost one-half are led by WPEAC graduates. The decision to move from a rotating coordinator of the WPEAC to a permanent director has provided stability for that program and served as a model for the later programs co-sponsored by Winterthur with the University. Standardizing
recruitment and admission of students by placing that
responsibility in the hands of Program faculty of both
institutions has provided assurance that only the best and
brightest of applicants are awarded fellowships. Everyone is
pleased by the dramatic increase in completion of theses.
Over the past twenty-five years, a marked increase in
inter-institutional cooperation has occurred. Winterthur has
acknowledged that academic programs are part of its
educational mission by curatorial and conservator
involvement in teaching, advising, and mentoring students
enrolled in the programs and has renewed its commitment to
WPEAC by the recent appointment of Brock Jobe to the
Advanced Studies faculty. Brock has a strong commitment to
ensuring that WPEAC Fellows leave Winterthur with an
in-depth knowledge of its collections and a feeling that
they have completed a long "boot-camp." Two grants, one
anonymous, the other from The Luce Foundation, both matched,
have raised $2.8 million dollars in endowment funds to make
this professorship a permanent position. |
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Winterthur archivist
Rare book
display in Main Reading Room
Winterthur
Library Main Reading Room
Downs Collection Librarian-in-charge,
Richard McKinstry
Decorative
Arts Photographic Collection
Winterthur
Slide Collection