by Emily Wiebe The concept of a white wedding dress is very familiar in Western culture. Many assume this tradition originates from ancient times. Contrary to popular belief, the white wedding dress is a relatively recent phenomenon. The popularity of the white wedding dress was brought about by Queen Victoria who wore a white Read More
Farming Trends: There and Back Again
by Emily Wiebe Agricultural cooperatives, organic and sustainable farming methods, and farmer’s markets have been around in some variation or other since nearly the dawning of the agricultural age. For example, in medieval England, peasant farmers would band together and share their oxen since no one farmer owned the pair of oxen needed to Read More
Quilting: A Woman’s Art
by Emily Wiebe Quilting: just another insignificant instance of women’s work, or is it? Elaine Showalter, author of the essay “Piecing and Writing” from The Poetics of Gender, would disagree. To her, quilting is “the art form which best reflects the fragmentation of women’s time, the dailiness and repetitiveness of women’s work.” According Read More
The Secretary: A Brief History
by Emily Wiebe When one thinks of the word “secretary,” certain things usually come to mind. Lynn Peril, author of Swimming in the Steno Pool: A Retro Guide to Making It in the Office, outlines the stereotype well: many have “the idea of the secretary as this hot-to-trot, pencil-pushing woman who’s there to Read More
Wash Day
by Gabrielle MacLellan Washing your clothes wasn’t always as easy as it is now. The modern convenience of a load of laundry being done in less than two hours, from start to finish, is far from the minimum two days it used to take. Washing typically began the evening before the clothes were washed. Read More