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HISTORIC NEW ENGLAND SENIOR CURATOR RICHARD NYLANDER RETIRES AFTER FOUR DECADES

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BOSTON, MASS. — After more than 40 years of researching, writing and preserving the architecture and decorative arts of the New England region, and setting new standards for interpreting historic house interiors, Historic New England senior curator Richard Nylander will retire at the end of March.

“I never thought I’d be here this long,” said Nylander, “but I am still learning from Historic New England’s rich collection and unparalleled house museums.”

Nylander currently serves on boards and committees for several museums; is a member of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, where he was involved in the redecoration of the Blue Room and the State Dining Room during the Clinton administration; an expert on historic interiors; and has examined nearly all of the 110,000 objects in Historic New England’s collections.

He is an internationally recognized expert on historic wallpaper and is called on by media, museums and private homeowners to consult on historic house restoration projects. Nylander is the author of Wallpapers for Historic Buildings, co-author of Wallpaper in New England and curated the exhibition “Off the Walls: Historic Wallpapers in New England.” He has lectured widely and written numerous articles in both popular and scholarly journals.

Historic New England President Carl R. Nold said, “I am always impressed that through these many years, Richard’s enthusiasm and interest in the collections at Historic New England continues as strong as ever, as does his willingness to share the great depth of knowledge he developed about them over that time. He is a model for us all of what a curator should be and do, and it is a delight and privilege to work with him. We wish Richard well in retirement, but we hope he will continue his study and interpretation of New England heritage for many years to come.”

A graduate of the College of William and Mary in 1966, Nylander received a master’s degree from the Cooperstown graduate program and joined Historic New England in 1967 as a curatorial assistant. In the early 1970s, he oversaw the refurbishing of the 1796 Harrison Gray Otis House in Boston. Nylander later applied his expertise to refurbishing other Historic New England properties, including the Georgian Codman Estate in Lincoln, Mass., The Victorian Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Conn., and the Colonial Revival Hamilton House in South Berwick, Maine.

For  general information, www.HistoricNewEngland.org or 617-227-3956.