June 2021 – Brady’s Faithful Reproductions

Camp Followers with Washington’s Army©

Camp followers were unfortunate wretches, men, women, and children, whose best hope for their well-being was to follow the army and work at anything for which they could be paid and/or receive rations from the army. The first thing that comes to mind for many is prostitutes, however, those were few, there being more washer-women,Continue reading “Camp Followers with Washington’s Army©”

ESTATE INVENTORIES: Enumerating Clothing in the 18th Century ©

How often have we heard someone say people only had one or two changings of clothing during the 18th century? There are a great many factors that determined this in each family just as there are several ways of seeing exactly what sort of clothing someone had. A perusal of estate inventories will show exactlyContinue reading “ESTATE INVENTORIES: Enumerating Clothing in the 18th Century ©”

A BRIEF LOOK AT TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE©

The source of this information is given at the end. It is a condensed version of the Introduction found in an 18th century Bible. Anyone interested in purchasing a period Bible might want to check out Greatsite.com. They offer quality facsimile editions of several historic Bibles and they are knowledgeable, friendly and eager to assistContinue reading “A BRIEF LOOK AT TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE©”

Woven and Checked Cotton©

There has been some notion espoused among a few amateur historic clothing enthusiasts that there were no cotton woven checks or plaids in the 18th century or that checked cotton was not used for clothing. I don’t agree, but after reading a few notations, you may decide for yourself what you think. The theory thatContinue reading “Woven and Checked Cotton©”

Note: the publication date is given for the entry below, however, this industry didn’t just spring up the day before, weaving of cotton had begun years before and it is the growth of the industry that is being reported. That growth was due in large part to the revocation of a heavy tax on BritishContinue reading “COTTON WEAVING IN AMERICA©”

One of the least understood aspect of 18th century clothing is the colors available in fabric, threads, and other materials such as embroidery floss. A common myth is that they wore only blue and brown and nothing could be farther from the truth. A cursory look at fabric swatch books from the period will quicklyContinue reading “CLOTHING COLORS IN THE 18TH CENTURY©”