We support the elimination of racial injustice, racism, discrimination, and exclusionary history. We believe that Black lives matter.
We strive to practice inclusive history. History is not a series of one-sided, happy stories. It is a combination of uncomfortable truths, differing perspectives, and difficult narratives. At the John Dickinson Plantation in Dover, for example, we tell the story of the enslaved, indentured, and free Black men, women, and children who worked, and died, […]
World War II: “Donut Dollies” & the American Red Cross
Are you familiar with the Donut Dollies and the important role they played during World War II? Donut Dollies was the popular term used to refer to the American Red Cross women who volunteered to work overseas in mobile service clubs called clubmobiles. These Red Cross volunteers served to provide food, entertainment and a bit […]
World War II: America’s Heavy Hitter – The B-17 Flying Fortress
In a previous display, I discussed military gliders used during World War II but now I would like to move on to an aircraft that played a pivotal role in the outcome of the war, the B-17 Flying Fortress. What, you ask, was a Flying Fortress? Developed by the Boeing Company in the 1930s, the […]
World War II: Mission Symbols
What are mission symbols? Learning about mission symbols painted on aircraft during World War II has proved to be somewhat difficult but interesting research. Mission symbols, also known as mission marks, kill markings and victory decals, are the small symbols painted on the sides of planes, usually near the cockpit or nose, which are used […]
World War II: On a Wing and a Prayer: A Closer Look at Military Glider Aircraft
In my previous online display, I explained that gliders were lightweight engineless aircraft that were used by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II to transport troops and heavy equipment into enemy-controlled areas without detection. However, the United States was not the first to use this innovation so how did the idea of […]
Zwaanendael Museum Activities
Tours and other interpretive programs take place throughout normal operating hours. Large groups that are interested in a tour must make reservations in advance by calling the museum at 302-645-1148. Exhibits & Displays First and Second Floor Galleries Delaware Railroads: Elegant Travel and Timely Transport This exhibit utilizes photographs; and posters, tickets, timetables, maps and […]
Zwaanendael Museum to again offer tours of the British warship DeBraak
Tours explore the surviving hull section of an 18th-century shipwreck.