Today's guest is Sara Marie Massee, a lead interpreter at George Washington's Mount Vernon. She works with the historic trades department, teaching and actually doing many of the skills and trades that were being practiced around Washington's estate during his lifetime there. She oversees Mount Vernon's cooking, baking, and textile living history demonstrations to illuminate daily life in the 18th century.

Sara Marie has been in the field of living history for 16 years, 14 of them at George Washington's Mount Vernon. She spends her days talking to visitors about Washington's sustainable, innovative farming practices and demonstrating various trades that enslaved people and white, indentured workers would have done on the estate. Her favorite demonstrations are cooking and textile work (spinning, weaving, natural dyeing, and preparing wool, linen, and hemp fibers to be spun).

In today’s episode, Dr. Massee shares anecdotes and stories that give us a glimpse of the the textiles industry in the 18th century and the role it played in the economy of George Washington's estate. Tune in to learn more!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Simplecast, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

The history of textile production at Mount Vernon.
18th-century clothing and linen
Working in the field of living history

Resources Mentioned:

Mount Vernon

Guest Info

Connect with Dr. Massee on Mount Vernon’s website

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70. 18th Century Fiber Production at George Washington's Mount Vernon with Sara Marie Massee