Food and dining at Winterthur: the personal passions and public performances of Henry Francis Du Pont
Date
2001
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The examination of Mr. du Pont's fascination with food and dining is a means of gaining insight into his role at Winterthur and his own vision of the estate as a unique and extraordinary family home. Unfortunately, the ephemeral nature of food makes it difficult to truly appreciate this essential component of Mr. du Pont's life. While the gardens, collection, and period rooms exist as reminders of his personal taste and aesthetic goals, the intimate and lavish dinners that likewise expressed Mr. du Pont's unique vision can only be imagined. Fortunately, however, much documentation exists that reveals many telling details regarding just how interested and intimately involved he was in the dining events he hosted. This study is based primarily on Winterthur archival material such as letters, memos, inventories, menus, and cookbooks, which span from the 1870s until Mr. du Pont's death in 1969. Period etiquette books and prescriptive literature, periodicals, and interviews with individuals who knew Mr. du Pont as an employer, family member, or friend provide additional insight. ☐ Mr. du Pont was undoubtedly a man whose many talents and interests made him unique among his peers of significant American decorative arts collectors. His attention to dining certainly supports this claim, for despite his numerous responsibilities, the evidence suggests that he was as involved with the meals prepared and served at Winterthur as he was with the running of his farm and the managing of his collection. Throughout his life, Mr. du Pont's remarkable attention to the food served in his home reveals much about his character and temperament, as well as the commitment he had to creating at Winterthur a way of life and expression of ideas that reflected his personal interests and values.