DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, Art museum in Colonial Williamsburg, United States
The DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum displays more than 30,000 pieces of decorative art created between 1670 and 1840, including furniture, ceramics, metalwork, and textiles. These objects come from both British and American sources and show how people furnished and decorated their homes during the colonial period.
The museum was established in 1985 following a donation from Reader's Digest co-founders DeWitt and Lila Acheson Wallace. Their gift created one of the largest assemblages of British decorative arts objects held outside England.
The Portrait Gallery displays paintings that show how wealthy colonists lived and saw themselves during this period. The British ceramics collection reflects how English table customs and furniture styles shaped the daily habits of colonial households.
The museum is located within Colonial Williamsburg, making it easy to reach along with other historic sites in the area. Visitors should plan time to see the collection thoroughly, as there are many rooms and objects to explore.
An underground passageway connects the museum to the Public Hospital of 1773, a separate building that tells the story of medicine and healing during the colonial era. This hidden link brings together two unexpected sides of colonial life.
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