Start Date
21-2-2024 4:00 PM
Description
Madelyn Shaw is an independent curator and textile historian. She traced the rich legacy of silk in New England from its 17th-century origins to its rise as a driver of regional industry. The production of silk began with home-based sericulture in Virginia and Connecticut and later evolved into mill-based manufacturing. The 1830s saw a silk craze in New England that faded when a disease killed the mulberry trees whose leaves fed the silkworms. Later, imported raw silk from China became more affordable for the middle class, and American mills helped popularize silk garments. Although silk declined in the 20th century due to the war between China and Japan and the rise of synthetic alternatives like rayon, the silk industry’s impact on textile production in New England was considerable.
Silk in New England: From Sericulture to Status Symbol
Madelyn Shaw is an independent curator and textile historian. She traced the rich legacy of silk in New England from its 17th-century origins to its rise as a driver of regional industry. The production of silk began with home-based sericulture in Virginia and Connecticut and later evolved into mill-based manufacturing. The 1830s saw a silk craze in New England that faded when a disease killed the mulberry trees whose leaves fed the silkworms. Later, imported raw silk from China became more affordable for the middle class, and American mills helped popularize silk garments. Although silk declined in the 20th century due to the war between China and Japan and the rise of synthetic alternatives like rayon, the silk industry’s impact on textile production in New England was considerable.
Comments
Summary by Jack Murray