Episode 1 – Apron Strings: Ties to the Past
In this episode, we explore how a seemingly simple garment, the apron, ties to gender norms, identity formation, and memories (or lack thereof).
Podcast Transcript:
Podcast Photo Gallery:
Image Descriptions:
Image 1: Ida Caldwell McFaddin feeding the chickens in her backyard.
Image 2: A Masonic apron, believed to have been presented to George Washington in 1784 by the Marquis de Lafayette, was on exhibit at Mount Vernon last February. The apron contains embroidered Masonic symbols and crossed flags representing France and the United States. Washington was part of the secret fraternity of Freemasonry, initiated as a Master Mason, the highest rank possible, at age twenty-one.
Blog articles from National Museum of American History regarding the mystery of George Washington’s apron:
Image 3: Aprons represented in Egyptian art
Bibliography
Buhl, Mari Jo, Teresa Murphy, Jane Gerhard. Women and the Making of America Volume Two. Pearson Education, Incl. 2009.
Cheney, Joyce. Aprons: Icons of the American Home. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2000.
“George Washington’s Masonic Apron on View.” Mount Vernon. Accessed October 22, 2021. https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/exhibitions/george-washington-s-masonic-apron-on-view/
History.com Editors. “George Washington Becomes a Master Mason.” History. A&E Television Networks, February 9, 2010. Accessed October 22, 2021. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-becomes-master-mason
Manley, Ginger, Virginia Trotter Betts. Gotcha Covered: A Legacy of Service and Protection. Westview, Inc, 2009.