A Talk and A Tour: Stitches

Join us for a talk by Mallory Huard, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, History, Hood College on the topic of “Home Sewn, Home Grown: Domesticity and Capitalism in Mid-19th Century Frederick.” In this talk, Mallory will explore how women’s unpaid domestic labor helped support the emergence of industrialized capitalism in Frederick County. In the early-mid 1800s, men’s labor increasingly moved outside of the household into industries like mining and the railroad. Meanwhile, women’s intensive labor (such as cooking, cleaning, child rearing, and sewing) was devalued and made economically invisible by middle-class and capitalist ideologies. Using local accounts, Mallory will demonstrate how crucial women’s work was in sustaining the growing industries in the region. A ticket to explore the Stitches Through Time exhibit is included.