Living Small – Microunits

I read Allison Arieff’s New York Times Opinionator article “How Small is Too Small?” with a somewhat familiar perspective. I live in Manhattan, in a 450 square foot apartment. I get small. But I’d be hard pressed to get smaller. … Continue reading

Eighteenth Century for the Weekend

Last weekend, The Brigade of the American Revolution hosted an Authenticity Event at Don Carpentier’s Eastfield Village. A collection of two taverns, a store, a church, a doctor’s office, an assortment of shops, and a handful of houses were saved … Continue reading

Museum Monday: Beer Here! At the New York Historical Society

Yes, beer in museums. Now on at The New York Historical Society, Beer Here: Brewing New York History reminds the visitor of the importance of beer as an industry, food, and social lubricant. Some of the most excellent objects I saw in the … Continue reading

Transit Tuesday: Met Carriage 353 Restoration at The London Transport Museum

Visit The London Transport Museum blog here to read about restoration of a wood first class carriage from the Metropolitan Railway, built in 1892. After spending years abandoned in a farm field, LTM has been awarded L422,000 to restore the … Continue reading

Names of the Forgotten – Runaway Clothing Database Project

While I started the Runaway Clothing Database to study dress of the working class as listed in newspaper runaway advertisements, there are so many tangents to the project. The project seeks to catalog in a database runaway indentured and enslaved … Continue reading

A Moment for Dress – A Block Printed Round Gown

When you work with a collection for any length of time, (while this may sound hokey) the objects become like old friends. This round gown is one of mine. When I was working at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, … Continue reading

Following Eleanor Ferrell: A Runaway Indentured Servant

New: see the full article online here. If it doesn’t come up, go to the home page and search again. Abraham Emmit labeled her “an ill natured, scolding, cursing, swearing, thieving servant Woman. I’ve been following Eleanor Ferrell began during my … Continue reading

It’s Here! The 1940 Census

In April of 1940, there were just over 132 million Americans. Today, after the obligatory 72 year wait to protect the privacy of the living, the National Archives and Records Administration will open the records that documented the basic details … Continue reading