Fort Ticonderoga will host its Seventh Annual “Material Matters: It’s in the Details” seminar on November 4 & 5, 2017. This weekend event focuses on the material culture of the 18th and early 19th centuries and is intended for collectors and people with a general interest in learning more about objects and what they can tell us about history. “Material Matters” takes place in the Mars Education Center at Fort Ticonderoga.
A panel of material culture experts comes to Fort Ticonderoga for the weekend to share their knowledge of 18th– and early 19th-century material culture in a series of presentations. Designed for those who want a deeper understanding of the everyday objects that help tell the story of life and the contests for control of North America, the weekend’s informal approach enables attendees to interact with presenters and provides an opportunity to examine 18th– and early 19th-century objects up close.
Seminar topics include: “Bound for War: The Military Manual as Object in the Handpress Era” with R.B. Bartgis, a conservator at the US National Archives; “Castor, Demi-Castor, Rorum, and Wool: 18th-Century Hat Making in Britain, America, and France” with Matthew Brenckle, who makes reproduction historic hats; “Beyond Tin Cups and Wooden Bowls: Ceramics and Glass in the French and English Armies” with Phil Dunning, a material culture archaeologist; and “Early 19th-Century Militia Clothing and Accoutrements” with Derek Heidemann, coordinator of Historic Trades at Old Sturbridge Village.”
Several members of the Fort Ticonderoga museum staff will also give presentations. Matthew Keagle, Curator, will talk give a presentation on “Phalanx of the Republic: Early 19th-Century American Militia Attire in the Fort Ticonderoga Collection.” Stuart Lilie, Vice President of Public History and Operations, will talk on “Le Sellier—French Saddlery in the 18th Century.” Miranda Peters, Collections Manager, and Margaret Staudter, Registrar, will share about recent collections cataloguing projects in “Rediscovering Ticonderoga: A Collections Highlight.”
“Material Matters” is open to the general public by pre-registration. The cost is $145 (Members of Fort Ticonderoga receive a discount, as do students and young museum professionals). Registration forms can be downloaded by visiting www.fort-ticonderoga.org under the “Education” tab by selecting “Workshops and Seminars” on the drop down menu and then clicking on “Material Matters: It’s in the Details.” A printed copy is also available upon request by contacting Rich Strum, Director of Academic Programs, at (518) 585-6370.
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Photo: Collection of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum.