Crazy quilt-making was all the rage in the late 1800s. These were not typical patchwork quilts created from cotton or wool and inspired colonial thriftiness or frontier frugality. Crazy quilts were created from fancy dress fabrics, usually silk, and decorated with ornate silk embroidery and trims. This style of quilting was a product of the … Continue reading The Crazy Quilt Craze – History of 19th-century Crazy Patchwork
Tree stones are unique grave markers popular from the 1850s until the 1920s and 1930s. As with most funeral monuments, tree stones may represent an individual, family, or the wider culture and trends of the era. Tree stones also represent shifts in the funeral industry caused by the Industrial Revolution. Select the images for a … Continue reading Tree Stones in American Cemeteries
Crafts, sewing, and needlework projects are growing in popularity as people spend more time at home. Etsy, the online marketplace for arts and crafts supplies and finished work, boomed in 2020. However, getting creative at home for fun or profit is not a new thing. In the 19th century, creative projects called “fancywork” were all … Continue reading Etsy: Reviving 19th Century Fancywork
By the late 19th century, summer vacations were a routine part of the lives of many people in the upper and middle classes. Time in the country, at the seashore, or at a resort was viewed as a healthful and restorative experience. However, extended vacations were out of reach of most people in the working … Continue reading Solving the Girl Problem with Wholesome Vacations
Decorating with inspirational phrases, quotes, or single words is fashionable. Vinyl stickers of popular words and phrases are created using cutting machines and pasted on everything. Do-it-yourself ideas for embellishing walls, pillows, plaques, and even laptops with personal mottoes can be found online and in print. Home stores sell decorative items with stock phrases for … Continue reading Decorating with Mottoes: Inspirational Words in 19th Century Homes
Scams, rip-offs, cons, quacks, and purveyors of fake news thrive on the internet and other modern media. However, their tactics aren’t new; only the media carrying their message has changed. Ancient Rome had frauds, swindlers, cheats, and liars and Latin phrases warned consumers. Caveat emptor and cui bono are examples of age-old advice to follow … Continue reading Caveat Emptor and Cui Bono: Ancient Advice for Modern Consumers
Utopias are usually imaginary places of perfection and limitless possibilities. Most utopian visions live in our minds, fictional literature, and art. However, in the late 19th century, fiction inspired very real utopian communities. The stories of Rugby, Tennessee; Kaweah, California; Ruskin Colony, Tennessee; and Equality Colony, Washington began with novels. Rugby, Tennessee Select the images … Continue reading Utopian Communities Inspired by Novels
Cemetery and tombstone symbols have been reused and reinterpreted for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians used pyramids, obelisks, sphinxes, and various symbols for monuments, temples, and tombs. Everything Egyptian became stylish again in the 19th century. During this Egyptian Revival, the designers of rural or garden cemeteries and families choosing tombstones and monuments adapted … Continue reading Egyptomania: Reviving Ancient Symbols in 19th Century Cemeteries
Labor Day commemorates the American worker. But one group of American workers is often overlooked – the domestic worker. Households and families have required work since the dawn of time. Daily chores such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for children and the elderly are usually performed by women. These women – mothers, daughters, female relatives, … Continue reading Consider Domestic Laborers this Labor Day
Old recipe books tell the story of the daily routine of average women in the past. Lettice Pierce Bryan (1805-1877), the author of The Kentucky Housewife, was one of those women. Her collection of “receipts” for food and more illustrate key lessons about running a household in the pre-industrial era. A quick history of cookbooks … Continue reading Mrs. Bryan’s “Kentucky Housewife”: Managing a Household in the 1830s
To move up in society in the 19th century, men and women needed personalized calling or visiting cards. These small cards, about the size of a modern-day business card, usually featured the name of the owner, and sometimes an address. Calling cards were left at homes, sent to individuals, or exchanged in person for various … Continue reading What has replaced 19th Century Parlors and Calling Cards?
Clothing patterns from the past century reflect changing fashion – from long, ruffled hemlines to mini-skirts, corseted waists to pant suits, pinafores to prom dresses. Vintage clothing patterns also tell the story of changing technology, communication, and transportation. Dress making before the 1850s Before the mid 19th century, average American women sewed their own clothing by hand. The … Continue reading Dress Patterns: A Fashion Revolution
My refrigerator died . . . in July! I’ve had to re-think how I buy, store, and prepare food. During this household drama, I wondered – how did people survive for millennia without refrigeration? Before the refrigerator . . . Until the invention of refrigeration in the late 19th century, average working people ate less fresh … Continue reading How did humans survive without refrigerators?
Hot trends in home decorating in the late 19th century were parlor organs and hall stands. These objects are rarely seen in 21st century homes. But both symbolize something that modern home buyers on popular television shows declare is a “must have.” Home buyers, then and now, demonstrated their social status with a dedicated “space … Continue reading Hall Stands and Parlor Organs: Status Symbols in the 19th Century Home
Images of home decor from the past are primary sources for daily life and culture of the era. But the viewer must distinguish between idealized depictions and reality. The printmaking firm of Currier and Ives provided prints to decorate the walls of American homes from the 1830s to the early 20th century. The firm produced … Continue reading What can historical home decorations tell us about the past?
Your local library, historical society, or university archives is a treasure trove of primary sources from your community – letters, diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, local publications, and all sorts of other ephemera. In most cases, these local institutions are thrilled to work with teachers developing place-based lessons. The staff will know about local history and have … Continue reading Hotels in the Nineteenth Century: Place-based Primary Sources