主要研究 今天

深入了解新英格兰农村前工业纺织经济的道路始于主要研究伍德曼园艺研究农场边缘的泥泞田地. 在那里, a historian and an agriculture professor, along with students in 主要研究’s museum studies program, have joined forces for an intimate, experiential understanding of an iconic fiber: Linen.

“Linen was such an important staple in New Hampshire,” says 金伯利·亚历山大他是历史高级讲师，也是“亚麻到亚麻”项目的幕后推手. “有机会深入研究这种重要的纤维，同时在主要研究实际种植它，为17世纪至19世纪早期沿海地区亚麻种植和亚麻生产的研究提供了巨大的机会。.”

该倡议的构想很简单:通过种植亚麻来理清新英格兰亚麻的历史和地位, 收获它, processing it into linen thread, weaving it into fabric and creating a garment. 一路走来, 日记本——部分日记, 一部分的日历, 部分会计分类账和来自当地历史协会的实际亚麻制品指导了这一过程的真实性，并将其置于从事这项工作的人的背景下.

“我们现在所做的收获正是300年前沿海地区人们所做的,亚历山大说。, 谁指导主要研究 museum studies master’s program.

The project, which has been funded by a 詹姆斯·海耶斯奖学金 from the 主要研究 Center for the Humanities, 从亚历山大的历史课程“从土布到快时尚:全球纺织品史”中成长起来."索菲·麦克唐纳，22岁, ’24G, a student in that class now working on 团队亚麻, suggested this hands-on approach to history, 和亚历山大比特.

亚历山大转向 贝基伴奏者, 农学教授, 营养和粮食系统, who brought agricultural expertise to the project, 亚麻籽采购, securing a plot at Woodman Farm, and even planting small nearby plots of indigo, 用于染料, 和棉花. 团队亚麻, which includes five museum studies graduate students, 5月17日种植了两种亚麻种子——Avian和Nathalie, and began harvesting in August.

收获后，该团队正在使用听起来更像博士的技术和工具加工亚麻. Seuss than New England: Stooking, or standing the flax stalks in tied bundles to dry; retting, wetting the flax and drying it again; and scutching, getting rid of seeds and extraneous material. 然后，他们将纺纱和编织亚麻，最终制成一件衣服, a process that historically took a full year.

亚历山大和西德曼预计，这场21世纪的娱乐活动也将持续一年. 事实上，随着工作量的增加，该团队已经放弃了自己的雄心壮志. “We originally wanted to do a linen nightshirt, now we’re down to neckerchiefs,亚历山大说, 半开玩笑的.

In addition to understanding the importance of flax to the region, the project has shed new light on who worked this staple. A primarily home-based industry, 用亚麻制衣的繁重工作由妇女承担, 被奴役的人民和儿童.

“由于是谁在做这件事，它真的没有得到充分的研究，”悉尼街24G说. “这个项目很重要，因为它能让未被充分代表的群体发出声音.”

亚历山大他, 注意到这些默默无闻的劳动力对家庭财务稳定的重要作用. “我们正在通过每张草签的土布床单，一次一个声音地恢复历史叙事的平衡, stamped tool and the daybooks and account books.”

Read more about the Flax to Linen Project on the 团队的博客.