SCHWENKFELDER LIBRARY & HERITAGE CENTER
105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, PA 18073
Phone 215 679-3103 Fax 215 679-8175
info@schwenkfelder.com
www.schwenkfelder.com

October 12, 2007

Contact: David W. Luz
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
215-679-3103, phone
215-679-8175, fax

PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN TEXTILE TRADITIONS AT THE HERITAGE CENTER

Pennsburg, PA ---
The Board of Directors of the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center invites the public to an illustrated lecture on Pennsylvania German Textile Traditions on Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 2:30pm, by Candace K. Perry, Curator of Collections. The presentation will follow the 2:00 pm business meeting of the Society of the Descendants of the Schwenkfeldian Exiles.

From the looms of professional male weavers to young girls taking their first tentative stitches on samplers, the traditions of making and using textiles provide a window into the everyday life of rural Pennsylvania Germans in the 18th and early 19th century.

After brief discussion of the Germanic background of domestic textiles, focus will be given on specific aspects of Pennsylvania German textiles, using images and / or actual objects to illustrate. Among these themes will be the role of the professional weaver in southeastern Pennsylvania, filling the dower chest, and textiles and women's roles.

This survey of examples of 18th and 19th century textiles will range from the most eminently practical household linens to sublime examples of needlework, which will leave the audience with insight into the impact of this material culture on Pennsylvania German lives.

This program is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served following the program.

The Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center was founded in 1884 as an informal collection in a private home to assure the preservation of the Schwenkfelders' cultural identity. Today the Heritage Center, a not-for-profit organization, is still preserving, interpreting and documenting the history of this German Protestant group, along with the history of the Upper Perkiomen Valley. The Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; Thursdays 9:00 am to 8:00 pm; Saturdays 10:00 am to 3:00 pm; and Sundays 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The Heritage Center is closed to the public on Mondays. For additional information call 215-679-3103 or visit our website www.schwenkfelder.com

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David W. Luz
Executive Director
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
105 Seminary Street
Pennsburg, PA 18073
Tel. 215-679-3103
Fax 215-679-8175
email: info@schwenkfelder.com
www.schwenkfelder.com