ONLINE LEARNING
Completing the Picture: New Research into Craft, Slavery, and Servitude in Early Lancaster
BY BETHANY MCGLYN
The “Completing the Picture: Slavery and Servitude in Early Lancaster County” initiative seeks to research and reinterpret objects and spaces at Historic Rock Ford and the John J. Snyder Jr. Gallery of Early Lancaster Decorative Arts in order to more fully explore the complex histories of those who made and used them.
Made for Use: The Pottery of C.A. Haun
BY RILEY KATE RICHARDS
Christopher Alexander Haun produced uniquely decorated utilitarian earthenware pottery until his death in 1861 and is currently a semi-canonical figure in the study of Tennessee decorative arts.
Chinese Metalwork and English Restoration Silver in the “Chinese Taste”
BY SUSAN EBERHARD
In the history of English Restoration silver, the “Chinese taste” is understood as a type of Chinoiserie—that is, an idealized imagery of China created by Europeans—in vogue from about 1675 to 1720.
Exploring Luxury Scissors as Works of Art in the Early Modern World
BY CLAIRE SABITT
Although scissors as tools appear at least as early as 2,000 BCE, the first evidence for luxury scissors dates to the late 15th century. By the 19th century, decorative scissors became more widespread, especially in England and France.
Global Objects: Towards a Connected Art History
BY JESSIE DEAN
The concepts of material, function, and meaning guide a thorough and nuanced review of the world of decorative arts in ‘Global Objects: Toward a Connected Art History’ by Edward S. Cooke, Jr.
Scandinavian Design and the United States: Cultural Exchanges From 1890–1980
REVIEW: 2022 SPECIAL PROGRAM
Hear Me Now: The Met’s Landmark Exhibition of Ceramics from the Edgefield District
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s landmark exhibition “Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina” focuses on the work of African American potters in the 19th-century American South, in dialogue with contemporary artistic responses.
Crafting Freedom: The Life and Legacy of Free Black Potter Thomas W. Commeraw
BY MARGI HOFER AND ALLISON ROBINSON
The New-York Historical Society has organized the first exhibition devoted to the life and work of Thomas W. Commeraw, a Manhattan stoneware potter whose racial identity and remarkable story were long lost to history.
Jefferson’s Retirement Masterpiece: Restoring Poplar Forest
BY TRAVIS MACDONALD
The long, slow restoration of Poplar Forest has been an ambitious undertaking, and in 2023 we celebrate the completion of that 32-year journey.
A Life Full of Art: Collections and Connections at Cranbrook’s Smith House
BY NINA BLOMFIELD
The Decorative Arts Trust Marie Zimmermann Resident Collections Fellowship has been an incredibly valuable opportunity to grow as a scholar and museum professional.
SAVE THE DATE
- Special Program: Tour of the Newark Museum with retiring Chief Curator Ulysses Dietz November 3
- New York Antiques Weekend January 19-20, 2018
- Emerging Scholars Colloquium January 21, 2018
- Symposium Upper Hudson River Valley: From the Mohawk to the Berkshires May 3-6, 2018
- Symposium New Orleans & the Mississippi Delta November 1-4, 2018
- Study Trip Prague & Vienna with an extension to Budapest With an extension to Budapest October 1–11 and 16–26, 2018; Extension October 12–15