Join Dirty Blue Shirts historical interpreters Rebecca Bayreuther Donohue and Amanda Flynn Rumney for a fascinating look at women's clothing during the American Revolution. 

Underpinning the sensationalism of battle reports & broadsides is the often silent steadiness of women’s work with textiles. The choices they made every day about fashion and fabric consumption & creation drove the course of Revolution just as determinedly as any congress. As southern New England commemorates the 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial) of the War for Independence, it is these local lives dressed in fulled wool or spun silk that continue to inspire creativity, resilience, and empathy in us today. From the mythology of homespun to legends of midnight rides in red cloaks & calashes, the Dirty Blue Shirts share stories of women who waged war on multiple fronts as well as a look at what they wore as their worlds turned upside down.

This program is presented by costumed historians and includes reproduction clothing pieces & fabric samples as well as a PowerPoint presentation with images of extant originals. Please register to reserve your spot.

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Amanda Flynn Rumney
Amanda approaches living history as an archaeologist, teacher, writer, and genealogist. When not crocheting or cataloging some old thing, she combines her experiences in education, material culture, and document-based research to create unique living history experiences. She actively draws inspiration for her stories from her travels and her own family history. An avid photographer and graphic designer in her youth, Amanda also serves as DBS webmaster. In 2015, she received her MA in Archaeology – Museum & Artefact Studies from Durham University in the UK.

Rebecca Bayreuther Donohue
For over twenty years, Rebecca built research and programming at a major maritime museum. Now she practices and teaches living history in a variety of time periods and media, including the recreation of period clothing, material culture, lifestyles, and events. Last year’s favourite Christmas present from her husband was a custom mask chain bearing the legend CAN YOU DOCUMENT IT. A lifelong resident of the southeastern Connecticut shoreline, Rebecca is happiest with a set of knitting needles, a pair of oars, or a primary source in her hands.

To learn more about Dirty Blue Shirts visit: https.://www.dirtyblueshirts.com/