Johns Hopkins University's Homewood Museum will present Sumpter Priddy, a decorative arts scholar, who will discuss "The Rediscovery of Presidential Cabinetmaker William Worthington (1775-1839) of Anne Arundel and Montgomery County, Maryland."

A striking carved mahogany sofa in the Homewood Museum collection has been recently identified as the work of Maryland-born artisan William Worthington, who rose to the top of the Washington cabinet trade and secured White House commissions during the Madison, Monroe, and John Quincy Adams administrations. Join renowned southern furniture scholar Sumpter Priddy for a fascinating discussion about this unparalleled period of government patronage for architecture, sculpture, painting, and the decorative arts in the new Federal City, with an emphasis on Worthington's workshop and his presidential commissions.

The talk will be followed by a wine-and-cheese reception.

Formerly associated with Historic Deerfield and Colonial Williamsburg, Sumpter Priddy III now works privately as a consultant to collectors and museums. His book, American Fancy: Exuberance in the Arts, 1790–1840, won Historic New England's 2005 Book Award.