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76th Annual Antiques Forum at Colonial Williamsburg,

Domestic Affairs, February 23-27, 2024
COLONIAL WILLIMASBURG, VA – From London to Nova Scotia, Gardens, inspired by the visits of
New England to Virginia and the Carolinas, the Mid Atlantic to the both men spanning different cen-
Gulf South: all make an appearance at Colonial Williamsburg’s 76th turies. The Margaret Beck
Annual Antiques Forum: Domestic Affairs. Join us as we explore Pritchard Associate Curator of
fashions, furnishings, and the familial while traveling through time and Maps & Prints, Katie McKinney,
space and delving into houses and histories. We will journey through will end the day with a look at
public and private collections, revealing new research, revitalized Robert Furber, his prints and
spaces, and the fascinating stories that are told by objects, architecture, their influence on garden and
and interiors. floral arrangement design in the
On opening day of this year’s Antiques Forum, we are joined by 18th century and today.
Tim Whittaker, former director of The Spitalfields Trust, who Our final day of lectures
introduces the visionaries and eccentrics who saved the Georgian ventures to New England and the
architectural legacy of East London. Robert Leath, Executive Director Mid-Atlantic with Historic
of Edenton Historical Commission, then dives into four centuries of Deerfield’s Amanda E. Lange
North Carolina History as he examines looking at ceramics for the
the story of Hayes Plantation. Chief American home. Montgomery Portrait of Ann Taylor Roberts
Curator Adam T. Erby reveals recent County Pennsylvania’s Daniel William Dunlap. Norfolk, Virginia,
discoveries from Mount Vernon, and Hiester House is the subject of 1820, Oil on canvas
architectural paint conservator Maeve this year’s Collectors Talk, given Museum Purchase,
Woolley Delph peels back the layers on by scholar and owner Lisa Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Donnelly;
the interior paint restoration of Wilton Minardi, while Matthew Skic, conservation funded in part by
House Museum. Trevor Brandt from Curator of Exhibitions, Museum Lex Reeves, 2019-126
Americana Insights and Colonial of the American Revolution, takes
Williamsburg’s associate curator of a look at the Material World of the Forten Family of Philadelphia.
paintings, drawings, and sculpture, Kate Brenton Grom, Director of Connecticut’s Webb-Deane-Stevens
Teiken Rogers round out our visit to Museum discusses how the spectacle of house museums can bring us
houses and objects as they take a deeper together, and Architectural Historian Willie Graham gives our closing
look at spiritual labyrinths in keynote highlighting remarkable discoveries during the restoration of
Pennsylvania German fraktur and por- Cloverfields, one of Tidewater Maryland’s grandest houses. A night to
traiture of early Williamsburg residents, remember follows with live entertainment for the Antiques Forum
Flower Urn
London, England, ca. 1750 respectively. Closing Dinner.
Tin-glazed earthenware On Sunday, Cynthia Cooper from There will be four Pre-Conference Activities all taking place on
Museum Purchase, 1952-509 the McCord Stewart Museum reveals Friday, February 23, 2024. These typically require walking and/or
the unlikely travels of an eighteenth- standing for much of the time and have limited capacity, require
century dress from Virginia to Quebec City. We then travel to registration, and have attached fees. There will be three day-long bus
Mississippi as Jefferson Mansell, Historian with the Natchez National tours (all will include lunch) available. Please see schedule for additional
Historical Park, looks at the rise of the of the Natchez suburban estate. information on times and fees.
In the afternoon, attendees are invited to venture to the Art Museums One highlight is a workshop titled Living Spaces Without Living
of Colonial Williamsburg for a series of mini-lectures with Colonial Things: Faux Foods in Museums. A dessert display on the table in the
Williamsburg’s Curator of Furniture Tara Chicirda, Senior Curator of Governor’s Palace … a dinner that looks as though the Randolph's just
Mechanical Arts, Metals and Numismatics, Erik Goldstein, and stepped away momentarily … a bowl of punch that is just asking for
Curator of Costumes and Textiles, Neal Hurst, as you to dive in at Wetherburn’s Tavern. Food and
they give updates on recent acquisitions in the beverage were just as much a part of the 18th Century
foundation’s collection. Following afternoon refresh- daily life as ours today, and installing life-like displays
ments, lectures resume in the Virginia Room of the in our buildings takes a time, dedication, creativity,
Lodge with the Carolyn and Michael McNamara and some incredibly talented people working together
Young Scholars Series sponsored by The Decorative to safely create realistic-looking Faux Food to grace
Arts Trust, and featuring emerging scholars Ahmauri the best tables while keeping critters out of one of
Williams-Alford (Telfair Museum), Henry Beard Colonial Willliamsburg’s historic buildings! Join the
(Old Salem), and Cecelia Eure (Winterthur). The Manager of Historic Interiors & Associate Curator
Annual Forum Shields Tavern Barbecue, sponsored Amanda Keller on a tour behind-the-scenes at our
by Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates, concludes the day. Bruton Heights Wallace Collections & Conservation
We explore indoors and out, above ground and labs, then venture to the Historic Area to see some of
below on Monday with Independent scholar Errol the incredible displays in action. This takes place on
Manners addressing Ceramics and the Garden: Friday, February 23, 2024 runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Display, Delight and Consumption, and Drayton The fee for this workshop is $50, and it will take place
Hall’s Director of Archaeology Luke J. Pecoraro inves- at the Bruton Heights Wallace Collections &
tigating Drayton Hall’s designed landscape. Colonial Conservation Building.
Williamsburg’s Director of Archaeology Jack Gary Registration for the 76th Annual Antiques Forum
and Associate Curator of Ceramics and Glass, at Colonial Williamsburg, Domestic Affairs, must be
Angelika R. Kuettner then join our guest speakers on made by February 1, 2024 for in-person participants,
stage to discuss Garden Ceramics, Archaeology, and Side Chair and by February 10, 2024 for Virtual attendees. To
Historic Preservation. In the afternoon attendees are possibly by Samuel Harding contact Conference Staff, email educationalconfer
invited to an open house at Custis Square to see the and Nicholas Bernard ences@cwf.org. For online regestration and to learn
ongoing garden archaeology project and join Colonial Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1754 more about the Forum, please click here or visit
Williamsburg’s Nation Builder Kurt Smith for a Black walnut www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/conferences.
fascinating look at Thomas Jefferson & English Museum Purchase, 1970-8,2

10 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles