Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America

Archives related to: Montgomery, Charles Franklin, 1910-

titleCharles Franklin Montgomery Papers, 1947-1974.
repositoryThe Winterthur Library
descriptionConsists of correspondence, lectures, class notes for teaching in the Winterthur program, and notes on pewter and furniture. Also included are his notes for the second volume of American Furniture. Many of Montgomery's papers lend insight into the beginnings of the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, its promotion, and operational procedures. Additional material in the record group pertains to the Walpole Society, of which Montgomery was a member.

Biography or history
Charles F. Montgomery was an antique dealer, collector, and museum curator. He began his museum career in 1949 when he joined the professional staff of the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum. A Harvard graduate, he was an active collector, pewter dealer, and professional consultant when he met H. F. du Pont in 1937. When du Pont opened Winterthur as a museum in 1951, Montgomery was appointed associate curator and executive secretary.

He played an instrumental role in starting and teaching in the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture (WPEAC) offered in conjunction with the University of Delaware. Upon the death of Joseph Downs in 1954, Montgomery was appointed director of the museum.

In 1961 he resigned as director but remained at Winterthur as a research fellow and instructor. From 1970 until his death in 1978, Montgomery was curator and professor of Art History at Yale University. He was a noted author and lecturer on American decorative arts. He developed the fourteen points of conissourship. Montgomery's wife, Florence, was also a curator and wrote extensively on textiles.

Location
The Winterthur Library: Winterthur Archives, Winterthur, DE 19735.

Call Number:
Arc. 14
extent141 boxes ; 1 map case drawer.
formatsCorrespondence Writings Ephemera Notes
accessContact repository for restrictions and policies.
record sourcehttp://library.winterthur.org:8000/cgi-bin/webgw
finding aidA folder-title listing is available at this repository.
updated03/16/2023 10:30:01
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