Brandywine Christmas Memories

Growing up outside of Philly, no family Christmas was complete without the annual trip to the Brandywine River Museum.





The lobby area was filled with Christmas trees, decorated with ornaments made from all natural materials.



How about this creative tribute to the Seven Dwarfs?



Dr. Seuss AND Alice in Wonderland? Love it!



The dark rooms with the model trains were my very favorite part of the Christmas display. I could have looked at the details all day.



And of course the art collection. While I deeply admire the works of the Wyeth family, the Jefferson David Chalfant portrait of Mrs. Dupont is the one I MUST see each time I visit.



My mom’s favorite painting in the gallery is Jamie Wyeth's Portrait of a Pig.



Sure I enjoy the moderate climate of San Diego, but I do feel a bit homesick for a snowy Brandywine Christmas.

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Traveling Thursdays: Brandywine River Museum

97% of the time that I go home to Philly I will visit the Brandywine River Museum. Not only is it a beautiful space, it also houses one of my very favorite paintings.

Here is Mrs. DuPont, by Jefferson David Chalfant. She sure looks like a sourpuss, doesn’t she? Besides the detail which is incredible, I love the look on her face that he has captured. In this one small painting, he has captured so much of this woman’s personality. Ah, the power of the brush. Even though I didn't use a flash, the natural sunlight caused a bit of a glare on my photo. Trust me when I tell you that this work of art is much more impressive in person.



The musuem itself started life as Hoffman’s Mill, a gristmill built in 1864 that was part of the Brandywine Conservancy’s first preservation efforts in the area. Today, the museum features many design elements that pay homage to the building’s history.



Talk about personality; you can almost hear this statue squeal!



What about two birds in the hand? Is that worth 4 bushes?



The museum is mainly known for its collection of paintings by N.C., Andrew, and Jamie Wyeth. On this particular visit, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a tour being given by Jaime’s niece, Victoria. Her enthusiastic description of Jamie’s painting style made for a real special unexpected treat. Next time you are in the area, be sure to visit The Brandywine River Museum.

Hope you all have a terrific Thanksgiving! Here are two shots from a previous Thanksgiving, back when Disneyland used to host the pardoned turkey from The White House:





See more Brandywine photos at my main website.