This is the third program in the Setting Sail: The Story of the Sea Cloud exhibition lecture series. 

In tandem with the exhibition Setting Sail: The Story of Sea Cloud, on view at Hillwood from February 15 to June 15, 2025, please join Thomas Wu, Assistant Curator of European Decorative Arts and curator of the show, for an in-depth tour of Marjorie Merriweather Post’s storied sailing yacht.

Built in the 1930s, Sea Cloud was a sleek and sprawling home at sea that hosted royalty, heads of state, and other prominent figures. It went on to serve as the first racially integrated US military vessel during the Second World War and continues to sail today as a luxury cruise ship. 

Through an array of photographs, blueprints, elevations, and other documents, the audience will have the opportunity to explore Sea Cloud’s expansive teakwood decks, lavish cabins, and behind-the-scenes crew spaces, past and present – a nautical take on ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’. 

Photo courtesy of Hillwood. 

HYBRID PROGRAM 

This lecture will be presented in the theater in the Ellen MacNeille Charles Visitor Center and will be livestreamed via Zoom. Visitors can submit questions for the speaker from any location. 

IN-PERSON TIMELINE

5:30–6:30 p.m. | Explore Hillwood

• Enjoy Hillwood’s mansion, gardens,  greenhouse, and exhibition, Setting Sail: The Story of the Sea Cloud, on view in the dacha
• Find the perfect memento from your visit at the museum shop

6:30–7:30 p.m. | Lecture 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Prior to joining Hillwood’s curatorial team in 2023, Thomas Wu was Assistant Curator of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. He received an MA in history of art from the Courtauld Institute of Art in 2019.