WINTERTHUR, DE.-A special two-day seminar “What Is Original? Understanding Surfaces on American Furniture Then and Now,” will take place at Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, March 2-3, 2006. Independent scholars and museum professionals will explore the surfaces on American furniture and reveal what a surface looked like when it was initially crafted, how its appearance has changed over time, and what caused these changes. Various methods for understanding and analyzing degraded surfaces will be presented, and options for the preservation and enhancement of these surfaces today will be discussed in lectures and video-assist demonstrations. Special panel discussions, composed of a curator, conservator, dealer, and collector, will conclude each day of lectures. Thursday’s topic is To Clean or Not to Clean, while Friday’s is Is It Original, Do We Care, How Do We Care for It?

Optional workshops are offered on Wednesday, March 1, and Saturday, March 4. Topics include Analysis and Treatment Options for Furniture Finishes, Analysis and Cleaning of Decorative and Historic Surfaces, Conservation of Gilt Surfaces, Pennsylvania Painted Case Furniture, and Surfaces before the Finish. Workshops are offered twice each day and require an additional fee. Conference registration is required to participate in workshops.

Guest speakers and workshop leaders include Susan L. Buck, Ph.D., conservator and paint analyst; Peter Deen, conservator and painter of decorated surfaces; Nancy Goyne Evans, independent furniture historian; Robert D. Mussey Jr., furniture conservator and author; and Christine Thomson, furniture conservator. In addition, Winterthur staff members Mark Anderson, furniture conservator; Wendy A. Cooper, Lois F. and Henry S. McNeil Senior Curator of Furniture; Gregory J. Landrey, Director of Conservation; Catherine Matsen, assistant scientist; and Michael S. Podmaniczky, senior furniture conservator, will also inform participants.

The registration fee, which includes lectures, lunches, and more on Thursday and Friday, is $345; members and professionals working for nonprofit organizations, $295. Each workshop costs $75. To register, call 800.448.3883, 302.888.4600, or TTY 302.888.4907.

Winterthur Museum & Country Estate—known worldwide for its preeminent collection of 85,000 American antiques; a naturalistic garden; and a library that is a research center for the study of American art and material culture—offers a variety of tours, exhibitions, programs, and activities throughout the year. USA Today recently named Winterthur as one of the country’s “10 great places of historic proportions,” and Budget Travel called it “one of the 10 grandest mansions in America.”

Winterthur, located on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington, Delaware, and five miles south of U.S. Route 1, is closed Mondays (except holidays), Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Winterthur is committed to accessible programming for all. For information, including special services, call 800.448.3883, 302.888.4600, or TTY 302.888.4907. Online, go to www.winterthur.org.