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Part of the Christmas magic has always been found in the folklore surrounding the flying sled being pulled by reindeer and carrying an incredibly huge man in a red suit. The spirit has been well-captured in this year’s "Brandywine Christmas," the traditional name for the exhibits, displays and general folderol that take place annually in Chadds Ford. The celebration of sights and sounds runs through Jan. 5.
This year, the event includes the museum’s extensive model-train layout, a Victorian dollhouse, "critter" Christmas ornaments and two special art exhibitions. In addition, the handsome museum will be decorated for the season and one of the prime prints on display will be the original 19th-century "Santa Claus," depicted by political cartoonist Thomas Nast as "jovial and fat-bellied," a vision that holds forth in popular culture to this day.
"Fairies, Brownies and Trolls: Images of Fantasy and Magic" features whimsical and delightful works from the museum and private collections that are guaranteed to appeal to all ages. "Brownies" refers to elfin-like characters created by Palmer Cox that swept the country around the turn of the century. They were based on the "wee folk" from Scottish folklore and found their way into a merchandising empire that included illustrations, dolls, tea sets, chocolates, jewelry and costumes. They were first published by Cox in 1883, and their last appearance was in 1914.
"Winter Visions: Paintings, Drawings and Prints from the Collection" presents more than 40 museum works by major artists depicting the winter season, "offering captivating views of the alternating serene and threatening moods of winter." Thus, the art of Nast, Winslow Homer, Howard Pyle, Jessie Willcox Smith, Everett Shinn, John McCoy, N.C. Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth provides works in oil, watercolor, temperas, pencil and pen, prints and engravings. An especially engaging piece is ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Smith.
If your gang is less interested in the art, there are some other wonders. The Victorian dollhouse, more than a century old, features all the comforts of a regular house. The dollhouse constructed for one Sarah Scaife has wallpaper, rugs, food, a nursery full of toys, electric lights and holiday decorations. It even comes with its own copy of the New York Times, which unlike other home deliveries, has not landed square in the azalea bush.
The museum’s traditional railroad display features its famous O-gauge model railroad charging full speed over more than 2,000 feet of track. According to the museum’s literature, "Five moving trains operate at all times, and include a nearly endless 60-car freight train winding past a village, stone quarry, oil refinery, mountains, Herr’s food plant, running waterfall and animated skating scene. A miniature Santa and his sleigh fly over the railroad." This year there is a new exhibit featuring models of the famous streamline electric locomotives inaugurated by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1934. The models have overhead wires that provide the power for the trains like their real counterparts.
One truly interesting item is a Winslow Homer engraving, Winter — A Skating Scene done in 1868 that features practical ice skates first invented in Philadelphia in the 1850s. That piece is part of the "Winter Vision" show.
While much of the "Fairies, Brownies and Trolls" show comprises works favored by children, some of the artists such as Pyle, Norman Rockwell, and Maxfield Parrish will definitely be of interest to adults. Much of this genre sprang from the 19th-century Romantic Movement, when mythic themes in all of the arts served as inspiration for contemporary renditions of fantastic ideas. From this came a renewed popularity of illustrated children’s books — an interest that continues unabated. Pyle spurred American interest in this genre with his illustrations for Pepper and Salt, a book well-represented in the exhibition. To illustrate this magical tale, Pyle created fairies, trolls and boggarts.
Yes, boggarts. These are defined as "mischievous elves." You can look it up.
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Brandywine Christmas
Brandywine River Museum
Routes 1 and 100, Chadds Ford
610-388-2700
Through Jan. 5
Museum admission: $5 adults, $2.50 seniors and students, free for children under 6
