MONTEREY, Mass. — Bidwell House will take a look at the clothing of everyday women during the Revolutionary War on Saturday, July 18, at 1 pm.

 

According to a press release: 

 

Underpinning the sensationalism of battle reports & broadsides is the often silent steadiness of women’s work with textiles.  In this presentation by Rebecca Donohue and Amanda Rumney of The Dirty Blue Shirts education collection, attendees will learn how the choices women made about fashion, fabric consumption and creation drove the course of Revolution just as determinedly as any congress.  As New England commemorates the 250th anniversary of the War for Independence, it is these local lives dressed in fulled wool or spun silk that continue to inspire creativity, resilience, and empathy in us today.

 

Uncovering history is dirty work! The Dirty Blue Shirts is an experiential history collective of living historians, scholars, and artists based in New London County & Western Rhode Island. From the mythology of homespun to legends of midnight rides in red cloaks & calashes, the Dirty Blue Shirts share stories of women who waged war on multiple fronts as well as a look at what they wore as their worlds turn’d upside down.

 

For over twenty years, Rebecca Bayreuther Donohue built research and programming at a major maritime museum. Now she practices and teaches living history in a variety of time periods and media, including the recreation of period clothing, material culture, lifestyles, and events.

 

Amanda Flynn Rumney approaches living history as an archaeologist, teacher, writer, and genealogist. When not crocheting or cataloging some old thing, she combines her experiences in education, material culture, and document-based research to create unique living history experiences. In 2015, she received her MA in Archaeology – Museum & Artefact Studies from Durham University in the UK.

 

The lecture will be held at the Monterey Meeting House at 449 Main Rd in Monterey. Parking can be found along Main Road in the center of town, in front of the shuttered Monterey General Store or in the lot behind the Monterey Town Hall. This will be an in-person lecture, with the option to also watch a livestream via Zoom. All Zoom participants will receive a link to access the lecture 1-2 days in advance. Tickets for Zoom attendance must be purchased in advance in order to receive the link, but in-person tickets can be purchased at the door. Attendees can register here: https://www.bidwellhousemuseum.org/event/the-web-they-wove-women-their-wardrobes-during-new-englands-revolution/