A few years ago, I gave a presentation at The Varnum Armory a medieval-style building in East Greenwich Rhode Island. After the talk, members took me behind the scenes. Built in 1913, it is the headquarters for Varnum’s Regiment, a chartered unit of the RI colonial militia. Flags, banners, uniforms, artifacts, and weaponry in the collection date from the colonial period through the twentieth century. Since I’ve worked on the Last Muster series of books of images of individuals who lived during the American Revolution and into the age of photography, seeing all those collections preserved was fascinating.  Later I learned that there was a conservator working on the textile collections and I had to meet her. Well…Covid intervened but we did manage to chat via Zoom.  

By the way, one of the items she’s worked on is now known as the oldest colonial American flag in existence. 

If you’ve ever wondered about the color of the uniform worn by your ancestor pre-color photography or how to save the textiles in your family collection, then you’ll love this episode. 

 

Related Episodes:

Episode 127: Beautiful but Deadly: Toxic Fashion and Criminal Dress with Dr. Alison Matthews David

Episode 88: Ancestral Tours of Battlefields and Bonefields

Links:

• Royal Conservation and Exhibition
• Oldest Colonial Flag in America
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About My Guest:

Maria Vasquez is a textile conservator with a Masters Degree in Textile Conservation and sixteen years of sewing and patterning experience, including two Master Seamstress Certificates. She owns her business, Royal Conservation and Exhibition, where she does contract conservation and stabilization work for exhibitions of museums and private collectors. Currently, she is also volunteering at the Varnum Memorial Armory in East Greenwich, Rhode Island in exchange for lab space in one of their back rooms. This allows her to have a secure and climate-controlled workroom to mount and stabilize objects for the Varnum mus

I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations. 

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