Soup Served in Style!

"Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don't catch steak hanging around when you're poor and sick, do you?"Judith Martin (Miss Manners)

Today I'm all about soup!  Never mind that it's sunny and in the mid-80's, I'm still in a soup mood.  Not only is soup great eating but you can serve it in one of my favorite things...a soup tureen!  I think tureens have to be one of the most beautiful containers there is.  Unfortunately, I only own one and it cost $4 at a thrift shop but that doesn't stop me from dreaming.  It didn't come with it's ladle (they are usually pretty fragile) but I like it just the same..

When we were back home in NJ this fall I brought (dragged) my husband to Winterthur in Delaware.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Winterthur here is a short description:

Almost 60 years ago, collector and horticulturist Henry Francis du Pont
(1880–1969) opened his childhood home, Winterthur, to the public. Today, Winterthur (pronounced “winter-tour”) is the premier museum of American decorative arts, with an unparalleled collection of nearly 90,000 objects made or used in America between about 1640 and 1860. The collection is displayed in the magnificent 175-room house, much as it was when the du Pont family lived here, as well as in permanent and changing exhibition galleries.
Winterthur is set amidst a 1,000-acre preserve of rolling meadows and woodlands. Designed by du Pont, its 60-acre naturalistic garden is among America’s best, with magnificent specimen plantings and massed displays of color. Graduate programs and a preeminent research library make Winterthur an important center for the study of American art and culture.

The day we went was chilly(especially when you're used to Florida weather) with a little bit of snow on the ground.  We decided to eat lunch at the cafeteria style restaurant before going on our tour. I chose to have a wonderful bowl of mushroom soup although I had no idea how much more I would be thinking about soup that day!

Later we discovered there was a special exhibit of the Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens.   I was thrilled, my husband not so much! With my husband timing me with his stopwatch (not really) I took as many pictures as I could to share with you
 
Here they are. I found them to be fascinating and all so different.

 I hope you enjoy all the flourishes, finials and feet (that's soup tureen talk!).

 

In honor of the Soup Tureen collection I set my up my breakfast bar for a Soup dinner.

Placemats-Ross

Chargers-Kirkland's

Dinner Plate-Old Time Pottery

Salad Plate-Ross

Soup crocks-Set of 4 from Goodwill

Napkins-Brown, Ross, Print, Goodwill

Napkin Rings-Goodwill

Silverware-Was my Mother's

Water Goblets-Pier One

I seemed to have gone from one extreme to the other with the very fancy, ornate soup tureens that are worthy of a museum exhibit to my thrift store soup tureen and the accompanying tablescape.  I guess it just proves that soup is for everyone! 

I am joining Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Also be sure to visit my sister's blog at Creating Wonderful Spaces for a little touch of Spring!

You can read more about the Campbell Collection of Soup tureens HERE.  Also, if you find yourself anywhere near Winterthur I highly recommend visiting.