about

Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt were two sisters who established the Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration in 1897. Granddaughters of famed industrialist Peter Cooper, they used their considerable means and impressive intelligence to amass a collection comprised of centuries of furniture, textiles, drawings, wallcoverings, and more—the basis of the collection now housed at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

This blog series chronicles the lives and work of Sarah and Eleanor, including their collecting pursuits, family travels, recreational activities, and social circle. From treatises on design education to generous gifts of decorative arts from prominent society friends to playful shenanigans at Ringwood Manor (the Hewitt family’s country estate), explore the lives and times of Sarah and Eleanor.

lively colorful painting of horse drawn carriage
Meet the Hewitts: Part Eight
Meet the Hewitts: Part Seven described gifts to the Cooper Union Museum by the Hewitt sisters and their friends, establishing a world-class museum collection. With summer now upon us, let’s escape to the country as the Hewitts would have! Sue Shutte, Historian at Ringwood Manor Margery Masinter, Trustee, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum A Charming Country...
Read Time
7 minutes
Posted By
Margery Masinter
Date
July 9, 2014
image of a middle aged white woman, black and white old time photo. she wears pearls and has a vague and somewhat tranquil facial expression.
Meet the Hewitts: Part Seven
Meet the Hewitts: Part Six explored the origins of the Cooper Union Museum, retracing the Sisters' steps in Paris.  This “snippet” tells of the wonderful gifts to the fledgling museum by wealthy patrons and admirers of the accomplishment of the Hewitt Sisters. Margery Masinter, Trustee, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Sue Shutte, Historian at Ringwood Manor...
Read Time
8 minutes
Posted By
Margery Masinter
Date
May 6, 2014
sepia toned photo of a room with three glass cases full of objects on view and paintings and jewelry displayed in frames on the walls.
Meet the Hewitts: Part Six
Meet the Hewitts: Part Five sketched the active lifestyle at the Hewitt country home, Ringwood Manor.  This month, April, will focus on Paris (of course) and explore how the sisters planned a museum for Cooper Union. Margery Masinter, Trustee, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Sue Shutte, Historian at Ringwood Manor The Sisters Form a Plan: Paris,...
Read Time
7 minutes
Posted By
Margery Masinter
Date
April 1, 2014
A young woman posing on a brown horse in a stable. She wears tight riding clothes.
Meet the Hewitts: Part Five
Meet the Hewitts: Part Four described the Hewitts going to Gilded Age balls and their love of fashion and entertaining.  This month let’s enjoy their country lifestyle at Ringwood Manor. Sue Shutte, Historian at Ringwood Manor Margery Masinter, Trustee, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Life at Ringwood Manor When people think of Gilded Age summer estates,...
Read Time
6 minutes
Posted By
Margery Masinter
Date
March 4, 2014
An old fashioned newspaper with masthead saying"ONCE A WEEK" with frontpage image of woman, gazing down, in fancy gown
Meet the Hewitts: Part Four
Meet the Hewitts: Part Three described how Sarah and Eleanor’s knowledge of the arts of decoration grew as they embarked on a lifelong passion for collecting. This segment explores their role as prominent members of Gilded Age society. Margery Masinter, Trustee, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and MA’93, History of Decorative Arts and Design, Parsons the New...
Read Time
6 minutes
Posted By
Margery Masinter
Date
February 5, 2014
Spooky looking photo of a young woman standing outdoors in a hat and black coat.
Meet the Hewitts: Part Three
  Last month’s snippet, Meet the Hewitts: Part Two,  focused on the education and family life of the young Hewitt children.  Now we move on to Sarah and Eleanor’s formative years. Margery Masinter, Trustee, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and MA’93, History of Decorative Arts and Design, Parsons the New School for Design Sue Shutte, Historian at Ringwood The...
Read Time
5 minutes
Posted By
Margery Masinter
Date
January 7, 2014
Painting of a young woman in a white dress looking at the viewer and somewhat smiling.
Meet the Hewitts: Part Two
  In last month’s Meet the Hewitts “snippet” you met the Cooper and Hewitt grandparents and Amelia Cooper and Abram Hewitt.  This brief chapter pictures the early years of the Hewitt children. Margery Masinter, Trustee, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and MA ’93, History of Decorative Arts and Design, Parsons the New School for Design Sue Shutte,...
Read Time
6 minutes
Posted By
Margery Masinter
Date
December 4, 2013
very old black and white portraits of elegant looking older white folks.
Meet the Hewitts
Introduction This is the story of the Hewitt sisters, Amelia, Sarah and Eleanor, and their family. You will meet and get to know them all in twelve monthly “snippets.” We think that Sarah and Eleanor, who never married, were remarkable as independent women who not only were pioneers in the field of design education but...
Read Time
5 minutes
Posted By
Margery Masinter
Date
November 5, 2013