Guest Article

A Tribute to Susan B. Swan

It is with sadness that we share news of the death of Susan B. Swan, retired long-time curator at Winterthur Museum. Her tenure as curator at Winterthur was marked by an enormous growth in the understanding and appreciation of American schoolgirl needlework. Sue’s contribution to the scholarship in this field and the important acquisitions made by the Museum under her leadership are widely recognized.

Sue was a mentor to many and I am very fortunate to have been one of them. Beginning in the early 1980s I learned a great deal from Sue - about American schoolgirl samplers and about the needlework education received by 18th and early 19th century girls and young ladies. Sue was quick to share her knowledge and did so with patience and a ready smile. I want to record my gratitude to Sue and to Winterthur and will seed a purchase fund in her memory with the hope that others will contribute. Linda Eaton, Curator of Textiles at Winterthur, sent me the following remarks. Information regarding this memorial fund appears at the conclusion.

We are very sad to let you know that Sue Swan passed away on June 27, 2010.

Susan Burrows Swan, a native of Ohio, graduated from Ohio State University with a B.S. in home economics, specializing in textile and clothing design. She took graduate courses at the University of Delaware and twice attended programs offered by the Attingham Trust in England. Sue began her career at Winterthur Museum in 1961 as a senior guide, worked as a registrar from 1970, and became the curator in charge of textiles and needlework in 1979. She retired on June 30, 1991.

Sue authored or co-authored several books and numerous articles on needlework. Her books include Plain & Fancy: American Women and their Needlework (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1977; a revised edition was published in 1995 by Curious Works Press), A Winterthur Guide to American Needlework (New York: Crown Publishers, 1976), and, with Mary Taylor Landon, American Crewelwork (New York: Macmillan, 1970). She also curated or co-curated several exhibitions highlighting collection objects at Winterthur, including one on the arts of the Pennsylvania Germans and another on mourning customs. Sue taught in the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture (WPEAC), offered workshops for the Embroiderers’ Guild of America, and lectured widely at museums and historical societies throughout the United States.

Sue was a member of Phi Upsilon Omicron, the Needle & Bobbin Club, the New York Rug Society, and the American Ceramic Circle. She received an alumnae achievement award from Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and served on the sorority’s museum board. She was married to L. Delmar Swan, who worked for the Dupont Company; they had two sons.

 

Memorial gifts are being accepted in Sue’s memory to purchase a piece of needlework for the Winterthur collection. If you wish to contribute you can do so online at Winterthur’s website (www.winterthur.org). Click on “Contribute” then “give now” and indicate that your donation is in memory of Sue. You may also contribute by contacting Winterthur’s Development Department at 302.888.4673.