The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Hummel, Charles F.
Title: Charles F. Hummel papers
Dates: circa 1953-2017
Call No.: Col. 988
Acc. No.: 2018x7
Quantity: 11 boxes
Location: 9 C 5-6
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Charles
Frederick Hummel, museum curator and deputy director, graduated from The City
College of New York in 1953 and from the Winterthur Program in Early American
Culture (WPEAC) in 1955. His master’s
thesis was titled The Influence of
English Design books upon the Philadelphia Cabinetmaker, 1760-1780. Upon graduation, he was hired by the
Winterthur Museum as a curatorial assistant, with steady promotions to
assistant curator, associate curator, senior curator and head of curatorial
division, deputy director for collections, and senior deputy director for
museum and library. He retired at the
end of 1991 and was awarded the title of Curator Emeritus. He had a brief break in his Winterthur career
when he served in the U.S. Army from 1956-1958.
As
part of his responsibilities as curator, Charles Hummel oversaw conservation of
the museum objects, and he helped plan and implement Winterthur’s expansion
into a well-furnished conservation laboratory, increased conservation staffing,
and the development of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art
Conservation (WUDPAC). For this, the
American Institute of Conservation (AIC) awarded him its Allied Professionals
Special Recognition Award, and Winterthur Museum named its endowed head of
conservation position the Charles F. Hummel Director of Conservation.
Other awards
given to Mr. Hummel were the Katherine Coffey Award (from Mid-Atlantic
Association of Museums); the 2012 Distinguished Service Award (from American Association
of Museums); and an honorary doctorate (from the University of Delaware, 2013).
Mr.
Hummel authored the books With Hammer in
Hand: The Dominy Craftsmen of East Hampton, New York (first published in
1973); and A Winterthur Guide to American Chippendale Furniture, Middle Atlantic
and Southern Colonies; and co-authored with Beatrice Garvan The Pennsylvania Germans: A Celebration of
Their Arts, 1683-1850. He also wrote
many articles, mostly on furniture, but also on John Richardson Latimer, tools,
and floor coverings. He was a popular
lecturer, speaking at conferences and symposia, as well as to many museums, historical
societies, and antiques study groups.
In
“retirement,” Mr. Hummel served on the boards or advisory committees of
numerous organizations, including Chipstone Foundation, the Wood Turning Center
(in Philadelphia), American Association of Museums, Strawbery Banke Musum,
several house museums, and the National Museum Services Board of the Institute
of Museum and Library Services (appointed to this position by President Bill
Clinton). He taught a class about crafts and craftsmen
for the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture (EAMC 667, The American
Craftsman to 1790). He continues to give
advice and share his knowledge of craftsmanship and the history of Winterthur
Museum with all who ask. He gives
special tours of the Dominy shops rebuilt in the Winterthur Museum, and he
continues his interest in the Dominy family’s clock, watchmaking, and furniture
businesses, including helping to develop an on-line version of his book With Hammer in Hand (available through
the University of Wisconsin-Madison library).
Charles
F. Hummel was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1932, the son of Helen Marie Yost
and Charles Frederick Hummel. He
attended the local schools, and enjoyed visiting museums. He married Marlene Simons, and they have four
children. He served on the PTA’s of his children’s schools, was a trustee for
his church, and participated in neighborhood civic organizations.
A
more complete summary of his career and his writings may be found in his
resume.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
The bulk of the collection is Charles Hummel’s
research notes, talks, and papers; materials generated for his class EAMC 667,
The American Craftsman; and papers pertaining to his continuing interest in the
Dominy family of craftsmen who lived in 18th and 19th
century East Hampton, New York. The materials pertaining to the EAMC class
include papers and reports given by the students, as well as bibliographies on
the topic. Mr. Hummel gave talks on a
range of topics, including the Dominy family, 17th and 18th
century American furniture, and American cabinetmakers. He collected information about tools,
including material in German about German tools. Mr. Hummel assisted two collectors of Dominy
furniture, and his and their collaboration in documenting such is well
represented.
ORGANIZATION
The papers are in two series, one for general files,
and the second for materials about the Dominy family of East Hampton, Long
Island, New York.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are mostly in English, with some
publications in German.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Gift of Charles F. Hummel.
RELATED
MATERIALS
Books by Charles F. Hummel which are in the
Winterthur Library may be found by searching his name in WinterCat, the on-line
catalog.
Mr. Hummel collected materials about John Richardson
Latimer and the Latimer family. These
notes and papers are in Series III of the Latimer family papers, Col. 235 in
the Downs Collection. Many of these were
typescripts or photocopies of Latimer family documents.
The Dominy family papers, Col. 265 at this
repository, includes research materials, especially photos of furniture made by
the family, which were donated by Charles Hummel.
Papers generated by Mr. Hummel in the course of his
employment as curator and deputy director may be found in the Winterthur
Archives.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Dominy family.
Topics:
Henry Francis du Pont
Winterthur Museum.
Winterthur Program in Early American Culture.
Artisans –
United States – History – 18th century.
Cabinetmakers –
New York (State) – East Hampton.
Furniture –
Photographs.
Woodworking
tools.
Lectures.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 9 C 5-6
Series I:
General files
Box 1:
Folder 1: American Craft Tradition: University
of Delaware continuing education class; also materials relating to development
of EAMC 667 and bibliographies
Folder 2: Awards: Katherine Coffey Award, 1989
Folder 3: Awards: various
Folder 4: Baumgarten, Linda: “The Use of
Furniture Cushions in the 17th Century,” (paper for AS 802)
Folder 5: Bibliographies and websites
Folder 6: Bibliography compiled by C. Hummel for
“In the Yankee Tradition…,” 29th Colonial Williamsburg Antiques
Forum
Folder 7: Bibliography:
“Metal Trades in Colonial America,” compiled by C. Hummel
Folder 8: Book
proposal: American Craftsmen, 1607-1800
Folder 9: C.
Dodge Furniture Company [see Col. 258 in
the Downs Collection]
Folder 10: Cabinetmakers’
price list, Providence, Rhode Island, 1756-1757 [copy]
Folder 11: Conference:
Conservator Training Programs, 1973
Folder 12: Collectors
and collecting
Folder 13: EAMC
667: course in The American Craftsman to 1790
Folder 14: EAMC
667: Colonial Williamsburg trip
Folder 15: EAMC
667: Session 1: European Origins of American Craft System
Folder 16: EAMC
667: Session 2: Transfer of Technology
Folder 17: EAMC
667: Session 3: Apprenticeship and Education
Box 2:
Folder 1: EAMC
667: Session 4: The Craft Business
Folder 2: EAMC
667: Session 4: The Craft Business: class report
Folder 3: EAMC
667: Session 5: Craft Production
Folder 4: EAMC
667: Session 5: Craft Production: student reports
Folder 5: EAMC
667: Session 6: Craftsman and Trade
Folder 6: EAMC
667: Session 6: Craftsman and Trade: student reports and papers
Folder 7: EAMC
667: Session 7: Mentality and Morality
Folder 8: EAMC
667: Session 8: Regionalism and Craftsmen
Box 3:
Folder 1: EAMC
667: Session 9: Urban and Rural Craftsmen
Folder 2: EAMC 667: Session 9: Urban and Rural
Craftsmen: student papers and presentations
Folders 3-4: EAMC
667: Session 10: Economic and Social Status of Craftsmen
Folder 5: EAMC 667: Session 10: Economic and
Social Status of Craftsmen: student reports
Folder 6: EAMC
667: Session 11: Visual Sources for Craftsman’s Role in Community
Folder 7: EAMC
667: Session 12: Women and Craftsmanship
[continues in
next box]
Box 4:
Folder 1: EAMC
667: Session 12: Women and Craftsmanship
[continued from
previous box]
Folder 2: EAMC
667: Session 13: Black Craftsmen
Folder 3: EAMC
667: Session 14: Crafts Represented at Winterthur and critiques of films
Folder 4: Early
American Industries Association
Folder 5: European
trip, 1960: report by C. Hummel
Folder 6: Firearms
at Winterthur
Folder 7: Floor
coverings: 18th century
Folder 8: Furniture
brasses
Folder 9: Joiner’s
shop: Luther Sampson, Duxbury, Massachusetts
Folder 10: Lewis
collection: notes by C. Hummel
Folder 11: Metals:
notes
Box 5:
Folder 1: Mickle,
Samuel: furniture by [see photographs in
DAPC]
Folder 2: Notes
on various topics
Folder 3: Oral history interview: Charles Hummel
interviewed by Heather Clewell, 1999, 2009
Folder 4: Oral history interview: Charles Hummel
interviewed by Joyce Hill Stoner, 2000, for FAIC project
Folder 5: Paper: foreword: about Dean Failey,
for book about Elias Pelletreau
Folder 6: Paper: “American Chippendale
Furniture, v. 1: Middle Atlantic and Southern States”: draft of foreword or
preface
Folder 7: Paper: “The Beginning of America as
Reflected in American Literature, 1607-1765,” for UD class taught by Ernest
Moyne
Folder 8: Paper:
“Collections Preservation: Handling and Storage,” 1986
[this
may have been a talk rather than a paper]
Folder 9: Paper:
“Fort Delaware: ‘Andersonville of the North,’” for Dr. Garvan, 1956
Folder 10: Paper
on American frontier literature, for UD Class
Folder 11: Paper:
“Religion in America: Metal Objects in Service of the Ritual”
[unclear
who wrote this paper, whether C. Hummel or someone else]
Folder 12: Paper, with executive summary by C.
Hummel, about President Washington’s chairs, 1993
Folder 13: Pennsylvania
Germans: notes
Folder 14: photographs
of Charles Hummel
Folder 15: Proposed
Ph.D. program in American Material Culture, circa 1960
Folder 16: Reproductions
in museums: paper by Howlett and Podmaniczky
Folder 17: Resumes
and business card: Charles F. Hummel
Folder 18: Schorsch
family: auction, 2016
Box 6:
Folder 1: Schussele,
Christian: notes
Folder 2: Seminar:
“Caveat Emptor”: Fakes, and Forgeries;
[see
also folder under Talk, for text of lecture]
Folder 3: Shops:
organization, work process, money, capital: notes
Folder 4: Shops:
plans for cabinetmaker’s shop at Old Sturbridge Village
Folder 5: Talk:
“American Cabinetmaker as a Craftsman”
Folder 6: Talk:
“American Chippendale Furniture”
Folder 7: Talk
and paper: “The Business of Woodworking: 1700 to 1840”
Folder 8: Talk:
“Carpenter’s Tools Used in Early America”
Folder 9: Talk:
“Caveat Emptor” (fakes, and forgeries; several versions)
[see also
folder under Seminar, for information about this talk given at seminars]
Folder 10: Talk:
“A Collector’s Nightmare”
Folder 11: Talk:
commentary at Fifth Annual Emerging Scholars Symposium, 2007
Folder 12: Talk: “18th Century American
Artisans: Rich Men, Poor Men, Beggars, and Thieves,” (for Colonial Williamsburg
Antiques Forum, 1994)
Folder 13: Talk:
“England’s Fascination with Classicism”
Folder 14: Talk:
“From Past to Present: The Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania,” 2011
Folder 15: Talk:
“Henry Francis du Pont’s Winterthur Museum”
Folder 16: Talk:
“In the Handiwork of Their Craft is Their Prayer,” 1978
Folder 17: Talk:
“Late Baroque Furniture in Colonial America,” with bibliography
Folder 18: Talk:
“Life in the Republic, 1790-1820”
Box 7:
Folder 1: Talk
(or paper): “Making a Difference,” 1997
Folder 2: Talk:
“Mount Vernon”
Folder 3: Talk:
“Mozart and Friends,” for Winterthur concert series
Folder 4: Talk:
“Neat and Not-so-Neat Charis: Delaware Valley and New Jersey”
Folder 5: Talk
on old New Castle County courthouse, 1960
Folder 6: Talk:
“The Organization of American Joiner’s and Cabinetmaker’s Shops,” 2016
Folder 7: Talk:
“The Other Metals: American Brass, Copper, and Iron”
Folder 8: Talk:
“Pennsylvania German Painted Furniture”
Folder 9: Talk: “Pennsylvania Germans,
1683-1850: An Overview,” Free Library of Philadelphia, 2009
Folder 10: Talk:
“Pennsylvania Germans and Their Furniture”
Folder 11: Talk
on period rooms at Winterthur Museum
Folder 12: Talk: “Regional Characteristics of New
York and Philadelphia Chippendale Furniture,” 2007
Folder 13: Talk on retirement planning (given at
Winterthur several times)
Folder 14: Talk: “Rich Man’s Gold, Poor Man’s
Silver: American Brass and Pewter”
Folder 15: Talk: “Serendipity,” the James C. Curtis
lecture, May 2006 (at WPEAC thesis presentation)
Folder 16: Talk: “17th Century American
Furniture”
Folder 17: Talk: “A Shotgun Wedding: The Marriage
of Science and Art at Winterthur,” 1997
Box 8:
Folder 1: Talk: “Tea Tables” (with handouts)
Folder 2: Talk at University of Delaware
convocation, May 25, 2013, to art, art history, and undergraduate art
conservation students
Folder 3: Talk:
“Which Yankees, Whose Traditions, and What Arts?”
Folder 4: Talk:
“Winterthur: A Camelot it’s Not”
Folder 5: Talk:
“The Winterthur Programs, ’51 to ’01: Are We There Yet?”
Folder 6: Talk:
“World of the 18th Century American Cabinetmaker,” 2006
Folder 7: Talk: “The World of the 18th
Century Colonial American Cabinetmaker,” with photos and correspondence, 1992
Folder 8: Tools:
German: publications in German
Folder 9: Tools:
German: publications in German and correspondence
Folder 10: Tools:
notes
[continues
in next box]
Box 9:
Folder 1: Tools:
notes
[continued
from previous box]
Folder 2: Van
Pelt high chest: Turner and King research
Folder 3: Winterthur:
lyrics [Winterthur-themed lyrics to popular songs]
Folder 4: Winterthur:
mission and vision, and possible “treasure” exhibit
Folder 5: Winterthur Conference on the Craftsman
in Early America, 1979 (papers, correspondence)
Folder 6: Winterthur
Museum: Kershner rooms, Fraktur room
Folder 7: Winterthur
Museum: tool catalog: NEH grant proposal, 2011
Folder 8: Winterthur
Special Subject Tour course: Base metals
Folder 9: Winterthur
study course, 1968: Changing styles in decorative arts: outlines, talks
Folder 10: WPEAC:
notes about history; includes some notes about library
Folder 11: WUDPAC:
notes about history
Series II:
Dominy family
Box 1:
Folder 1: Blacksmith
tools
Folder 2: “The
Dominy Craftsmen”: photos, etc.
Folder 3: “The
Dominy Craftsmen”: photos and emails
Folder 4: “The
Dominy Craftsmen: New Discoveries”: Bedsteads
Folder 5: “The
Dominy Craftsmen: New Discoveries”: Candle stands and stands
Folder 6: “The
Dominy Craftsmen: New Discoveries”: Chairs
Folder 7: “The Dominy Craftsmen: New
Discoveries”: Looking glasses, chests, case furniture, cradles
Folder 8: “The Dominy Craftsmen: New
Discoveries”: Tables
Folder 9: Dominy family: notes
Folder 10: Dominy family visit, 1994 (and later
materials)
Folder 11: Dominy workshops
Folder 12: East Hampton Historical Society:
symposium on “The Dominy Craftsmen: New Discoveries,” 2010, with CDs and other
information
Folder 13: Furniture:
Dominy pieces
Folder 14: Furniture:
not Dominy furniture
Folder 15: Garrett,
C. G. B.: paper: “The Fithian House and the Dominy House”
Folder 16: Paper:
“Some Corrections and Additions to With
Hammer in Hand”
Folders 17-18: Purcell,
Glenn: emails, 2007-2008
Box 2:
Folders 1-4: Purcell,
Glenn: emails, 2009-2017
Folder 5: Talk:
“The Dominys of East Hampton, Long Island, and Their Furniture”
Folder 6: Talk: “Fashionable vs Traditional
Furniture: Evidence from the Dominy Craftsmen”
Folder 7: Talk: “Opportunity for Diverstiy of
Business Enterprise in the Rural Setting: The Dominys of East Hampton, New
York”
Folder 8: Talk:
“Unique: The Dominy Craftsmena and a Second Chance,” 2017
Folder 9: Talk: “Using Tools to Earn a Living
and the Dominy Family ….,” given at Colonial Williamsburg, 1994
Folder 10: Updating
the Dominy tradition: correspondence and notes