Civilian Symposium, Last Day: Gettysburg

The last day of Symposium flew by.  First off was Hal's discussion of a Texas store ledger--and the research he's done on the community surrounding it--which was exquisite.  I really hope he publishes when he's done transcribing and analyzing it.  The final lecture was Carolann discussing fabric printing technology.  It really helped me conceptualize visual signifies of 1830s vs. 1860s prints (picotage!), and the rainbow box for ombre prints slightly blew my mind.

Christ Lutheran Church, founded 1835;

Of course, the down note was the announcement that this will be the last Symposium.  I have thoroughly enjoyed attending it: to have met so many interesting researchers in my hobby, to have learned from them, and to have seen all the great originals shared by Carolann, Kay, and others.  I enjoyed dancing to Smash the Windows, and meeting all the people whose usernames I know from The Sewing Academy.  I liked getting to explore the towns which figure into so many of the primary sources I've read from the period--Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Baltimore, and Washington City.

Thank you, Carolann, for putting on this conference for so many years. I'm sorry I won't have the chance to do it again, but am grateful for the opportunity to have attended the last two.