FALL 2016
Jennifer Glass , Director of Architecture & Historic Preservation
Hilarie Hicks , Research Associate
Mary Furlong Minkoff , Curator of Archaeological
Collections
This piece of a plate , that Mary and Terry from archaeology helped discover , reinforced document notes Hilarie had uncovered and could be translated into reproduction pieces , like the blue-and-white transferware plates shown here , that can be used by Lauren and Jennifer in their work .
It Takes a Village
As with nearly all of Montpelier ’ s museum projects , this historic recreation is the result of close collaboration between colleagues with different areas of expertise . The team includes curators , archaeologists , architectural historians , and documentary historians who use objects , fragments and their contexts , buildings , and written records to study the past . Only by weaving the strands of evidence together can they create the most complete available tapestry demonstrating life in the Madisons ’ time .
A cross section of that team took some time to enjoy an al fresco luncheon in the House ’ s backyard , where Dolley hosted many meals during fair-weather days centuries before . Lauren , Terry , Jennifer ,
Hilarie , and Mary represent only a portion of the different departments at Montpelier that are needed to bring every part of the Montpelier experience from the past to the present .
“ It ’ s not something you think about every day — all of the different niches and varied expertise needed to validate our findings ,” says Jenn Glass , “ but in being a part of the Montpelier team , you get to see that cooperative effort in motion , as well as all of the remarkable outcomes that are a direct result of it .”
Come see the fruits of their labors next year when the new dining room will be revealed to the public .
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