Includes bibliographical references (p. [419]-478) and index.
Summary
"They began their existence as everyday objects, but in the hands of award-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, fourteen domestic items from preindustrial America-ranging from a linen tablecloth to an unfinished sock-relinquish their stories and offer profound insights into our history.In an age when even meals are rarely made from scratch, homespun easily acquires the glow of nostalgia. The objects Ulrich investigates unravel those simplified illusions, revealing important clues to the culture and people who made them. Ulrich uses an Indian basket to explore the uneasy coexistence of native and colonial Americans. A piece of silk embroidery reveals racial and class distinctions, and two old spinning wheels illuminate the connections between colonial cloth-making and war. Pulling these divergent threads together, Ulrich demonstrates how early Americans made, used, sold, and saved textiles in order to assert their identities, shape relationships, and create history." [from the publisher]
Genealogist and photo identification/preservation expert reveals information you can learn from family photographs about a person's fashion sense and character. Taylor writes for those interested in using "this handy guide to study the tresses and trims in your ancestral portraits and learn when different hairstyles and facial hair were in vogue." Her analysis of sample photographs from each decade illustrates how people can use "clues of clothing and hairstyles ... [to] discover when those pictures were taken, how old the subjects were at the time, and how wealthy they were." Includes "fast facts" and "fun facts" about hair styles through the 19th century.
