The paper doll, in its simplest form, is a two-dimensional figure drawn or printed on paper with accompanying clothing. The first paper dolls date to as early as the mid-1700’s, found in the fashion centers of Vienna, Berlin, London, and Paris. They were hand-painted figures created for the entertainment of wealthy adults. Paper dolls were Read More

In the spring, a young person’s fancy used to turn to thoughts of marbles. As the sun warmed up, so those colorful little balls would appear to be displayed, traded and competed for in all manner of side-walk games. Around the turn of the century, they were so popular that important glass manufacturers made significant Read More

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

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

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