Historic Deerfield announced the appointment of Isabella Galdone as assistant curator, bringing academic training and museum experience to support the institution's exhibitions, collections and interpretive programs. Galdone is a Ph.D. candidate in art history at Yale University, focusing on 19th-century material culture with expertise in object-based research, women's history, Atlantic World studies and the Arts and Crafts Movement. Her doctoral dissertation examines Pre-Raphaelite women artists and their work across painting, needlework and amateur science.
Galdone's background combines theoretical and hands-on curatorial work. She served as Head Teaching Fellow for Yale's course on decorative arts in a global context and completed a fellowship at the Yale Center for British Art. Her internship experience spans the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in New Hampshire, the Château d'Acquigny in Normandy and the American Precision Museum in Vermont. She holds a master's degree from the University of York and an undergraduate degree from Smith College.
Amanda Lange, the museum's Curatorial Department Director, welcomed Galdone's arrival. "She brings deep expertise in 19th-century material culture and the history of craft, which will be invaluable as we plan an upcoming installation of 18th- and 19th-century woodworking tools," Lange said. The appointment positions Galdone to contribute directly to the museum's curatorial work and educational initiatives across multiple historical periods and disciplines.
