PAST EXHIBITS
To Be A Child (June-November 2007)
To Look Like a Child
 What is considered suitable for children to wear has changed over time. The nineteenth century saw a move away from dressing children in the same style of clothing as adults that had been popular the century before. The belief that childhood was a special time of life led parents to dress girls and boys in clothing that reflected that unique status.
Ever a Pupil
Formal education varied for children depending on where they lived, the economic status of their parents and the color of their skin. Before free public schooling became an integral part of society, a child’s education was in the hands of her parents—often literally. Young girls and boys were first instructed in basic skills at home by their mothers. Then, if the family could afford to pay the tuition, a child would be sent to school. Girls were often taught sewing in addition to their academic subjects. Samplers illustrated that a girl not only knew her ABC’s and numbers but could also sew.
Play to Work
Training children to be useful parts of society started very early, often as early as four or five years old. A child’s labor, for many families, meant a few more dollars in the coffer or a few less chores for the adults. To teach children what they could do to help the family or ultimately how they could become responsible adults, toys were employed. Boys were given little hoes, rakes and wheelbarrows to play with, girls got diminutive kitchen equipment.
Objects of Mirth & Glee
Many people believe that the lives of children in the past were filled with work and chores. Though true in some cases, even girls and boys from poor families found time to to play.
Doorway Through Life
All cultures mark the significant stages in a child's life through ceremonies, specialized training and traditions. Many, though not all, rites of passage are associated with religion. Other rites are more secular, such as the new clothes, book bag and nervous photo taken on the first day of school. Community groups also may hold events marking a young lady's entry or "debut" into society--commonly referred to as "debutante balls."
Each year from 1957 until the mid-1960s, the Frontiers of America and the Lincoln High School unit of the New Homemakers of America, sponsored a cotillion.
This image from about 1960 is from the William O. Lee, Jr. Collection of the Historical Society of Frederick County.
Just for Fun!
  
This dollhouse was painted and decorated by Colleen Moore Remsberg over the course of two two years. Dollhouses have been enjoyed by children for over a hundred years. Originally they were the domain of affluent adults and were called model or miniature houses. These houses were filled with highly detailed architectural elements and precise miniatures.
Down the Bridal Path (June-November 2006)
 “Here comes the bride, all dressed in white…” well, sometimes she was. Learn about bridal fashions, traditions and history in this new exhibition in the Historical Society’s museum. Wedding dresses from as early as the 1820s to as recent as the 1940s help illustrate the changing fashions in wedding wear over the years.
Did you know? White wedding dresses are not a long standing tradition but one that became trendy in the 1840s after Queen Victoria wore one at her wedding. In fact, for about one hundred years afterward white was not a requirement for young women getting married and did not reflect on their virginity (or lack thereof). Many brides chose more practical dresses that could be worn later and those who did choose white really picked a cream colored fabric instead.
 Did you know? Wedding gifts were commonly displayed in the home of the bride where often an after ceremony luncheon or reception was held. These gifts usually included china, silver and other household furnishings and from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century newspapers published lists of the gifts as part of the wedding announcement. Competition among the guests lead to the purchase of ostentatious gifts that said more about the wealth and taste of the giver than a desire to help fit up a new home.
Did you know? Most young women in the past were not married at an extremely young age. The average age of a bride in the 1790s was 27 and by the 1890s it was 22.
Did you know? The tradition of wearing wedding and engagement rings on the third finger of the left hand because the blood vessels lead straight to the heart is physiologically incorrect?
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The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is located in Frederick County in Emmitsburg. Mother Seton lived here from 1809 until her death in 1821. She founded the Sister of Charity of St. Joseph’s and St. Joseph’s Academy, the first parochial school in the United States. In 1975 she became the first native-born North American to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. 