W.C. Spruance lantern slides

About this collection

    William C. Spruance, Jr., was an electrical engineer, a company executive on the board of directors of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, and a civic leader in Wilmington, Delaware. Spruance was also an amateur photographer and used these skills to photograph the gardens of his wife, Alice Moore Lea Spruance, as well as gardens of other wealthy residents of New Castle County between 1920 and 1925.
    The W.C. Spruance lantern slides (Accession 1984.217) collection contains estate or private gardens in New Castle County; slides with images from trips to Puerto Rico, Florida, and New Brunswick, Canada; and a small group of images relating to nitroglycerine and dynamite manufacture. Many of the images are either hand colored lantern slides or color Lumiere Autochrome lantern slides.
    The collection has not been digitized in its entirety. Most of the images selected for digitization and presented here were created between 1920 and 1925 and show estate and private gardens in and around Wilmington, Delaware.
    Image: Alice Lea Spruance's town garden. Click here to view in the collection.

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Conservatory at Longwood, estate of Mr. and Mrs. Pierre S. du Pont
The conservatory (interior), azaleas from centre walk
Upper Gardens at Longwood, estate of Mr. and Mrs. Pierre S. du Pont
Candium lilies and canterbury bells, upper garden
Peonies, poppies, iris and climbing rose in the garden of Mrs. H. P. Scott at Lexington
Garden of Mary W. Scott, wife of Henry P. Scott, a president of the Wilmington Trust Company. Lexington was the name of their estate, located outside of Delaware City.
In the Lower Garden at Gibraltar, estate of H. Rodney Sharp
In the Lower Garden, with view of fountain and house
Walled rose garden at Winterthur, estate of Henry Francis du Pont
A part of the walled rose garden, showing the walkway and wrought-iron gate
Sundial and walled garden at Winterthur, estate of Henry Francis du Pont
Violas, phlox, divaricata, tulips, lilacs, wisteria, and dogwood
Hybrid perpetual rose garden at Longwood, estate of Mr. and Mrs. Pierre S. du Pont
Hybrid perpetual rose garden, with view of trellis or arbor
Steps to Upper Gardens at Longwood, estate of Mr. and Mrs. Pierre S. du Pont
Climbing Roses, Dr. Van Fleet, Dorothy Perkins and gardenia
South gate at Gibraltar, estate of H. Rodney Sharp
Wrought-iron gate and curving walkway
Border planting of nepata at St. Amour, home of Mary Belin du Pont
Border planting of nepata along walkway with view of statue under arbor

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