Symposium and Exhibit Opening at Pottsgrove Manor - , “Matters Personal, Details Private: Cleanliness, Hygiene, and Personal Pursuits in the Colonial Home.” March 3, 2012

Pottsgrove Manor will host a day-long symposium on March 3rd to kick off the new exhibit, “Matters Personal, Details Private: Cleanliness, Hygiene, and Personal Pursuits in the Colonial Home.”

This symposium will shed light on aspects of colonial life that were not covered in your history textbooks. At 10:00am, Pottsgrove Manor’s museum educator Lynn Symborski will give a visual presentation on both women’s and men’s undergarments of the 18th century, including a display of reproduction garments that can be tried on. After the morning session, a boxed lunch from Pottstown’s Positively Pasta will be provided. Then at 1:00 pm, historian Dr. Clarissa F. Dillon will present “Exploring Some Intimate Concerns in 18th-Century Lives.” This presentation will focus on the process of researching topics such as hygiene, family planning, and divorce in colonial America.

After the presentations, participants will be offered a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor’s new exhibit, “Matters Personal, Details Private.” This exhibit explores how home life, personal effects, health, and hygiene intersected with the sensibilities, emotions, and desires of colonial Americans.

This symposium is open to participants ages 12 and up. There is a fee of $20 per person for the symposium, which includes a boxed lunch. Spaces are limited; registration and payment are required by February 28th. Registration forms are available at Pottsgrove Manor, or can be downloaded from http://historicsites.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor.