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Victorian Craft
Demonstrations Featured at
McLoughlin House Site
The National Park
Service at the McLoughlin House Unit of Fort Vancouver National
Historic Site announces the continuation of its popular public
program series highlighting and demonstrating Victorian-era ladies'
handwork and crafts.
"Crafts, needlework and other sorts of handwork were very important
in the lives of Victorian women," said Tracy Hill, a National Park
Service volunteer and McLoughlin Memorial Association Manager. "They
provided an outlet for artistic expression, allowed a woman to
create a beautiful home, and kept her occupied in useful tasks - a
virtuous woman did not waste time! Many of our modern crafts first
became popular during the 1800s, and it is interesting to note the
similarities and differences."
"Seeing these crafts demonstrated gives us a window into the lives
of women of the period," added Greg Shine, Chief Ranger & Historian.
"It helps us to understand them in a very different way than just
reading about what they did."
These programs will feature demonstrations of a different type of
craft each month, and will be held on Saturday afternoons from 12:00
to 4:00 p.m. They will be held at the McLoughlin House Unit of Fort
Vancouver National Historic Site, located at 713 Center Street,
Oregon City, Oregon.
April's program will feature Beaded Flower-Making. The Victorians
loved flowers, and fashioned delicate creations of beads and wire
that would never fade. What better finishing touch could you add to
a bonnet than a sparkling flower? The program will be held on
Saturday, April 28, 2007, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
May's program title has yet to be determined and will be held
Saturday, May 19,2007, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Other cultural demonstrations will be coming later this year
including; Watercolor Painting, Ladies Fashion and Sewing, Pressed
Flower Work, Bonnet Making. Some of these cultural demonstrations
will provide visitors a hands-on opportunity.
Background:
The McLoughlin House was added to the National Park System in 2003
as a unit of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. The house is
restored to honor the life and accomplishments of John McLoughlin,
the "Father of Oregon." The graves of McLoughlin and his wife
Marguerite are next to the house, as is the home of Dr. Forbes
Barclay, a Hudson's Bay Company associate, and his wife Maria. Fort
Vancouver National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park
Service, is the heart of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve.
The Vancouver National Historic Reserve brings together a national
park, a premier archaeological site, the region's first military
post, an international fur trade emporium, one of the oldest
operating airfields, the first national historic site west of the
Mississippi river, and a waterfront trail and environmental center
on the banks of the Columbia River. The partners of the Reserve
teach visitors about the fur trade, early military life, natural
history, and pioneers in aviation, all within the context of
Vancouver's role in regional and national development. The Reserve's
vast array of public programs -- including living history events,
festivals, cultural demonstrations, exhibits, active archaeology,
and other special activities - create a dynamic, fun, and unique
tourist destination for people of all ages. |
