Tiger Lily's Threads

"Whilst they were packing to go to Virginia, I too was packing to go, I didn't know where; for I knew that if I were to go back to Virginia, I shall never get my liberty. I had friends among the colored people of Philadelphia, they had my things carried there beforehand, and left Washington's house while they were eating dinner."  - Ona Judge Staines,  The Granite Freeman 1845 Hey everybody! Well this is it! After all of the research and development and promotions, it looks like we're finally coming into home stretch for this upcoming program. YAY!  Even Kermit's hyped!  So, to make sure that I had everything down packed, I practiced my script every day (I'm guilty for being stickler for perfection), and just in case I overlooked anything in my research, I referred back to my sources!  Which meant taking a field trip to George Washington's Mount Vernon!  On Sunday, my colleague Kyle and I arrived very early at the Plant

Pop Quiz everyone:  What does the Victorian Era and Washington DC have in common? Is it the wonderful victorian and gothic architecture that's still present in the midst of the ever changing metropolis? Is it that the 19th Amendment that permitted women to vote, was ratified on Capitol Hill? Is it that President Taft's incredibly large bathtub is housed somewhere in the Smithsonian?  If you answered yes to all 3 questions... you're absolutely right. But today I'm going to talk more about the architecture and less about Taft's oversized bathtub (though I'm sure that within itself is a peculiar subject to talk about).  Anyway, this past Sunday was certainly a fun weekend; a few friends and I in the historical costuming community, got together at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC and did a Victorian photoshoot. While I am not 100% certain on the date of this building, parts inside the museum definitely has a lot of Victorian architecture tha

Hi everybody! Sorry for such a long wait. I have been so busy with things lately, that I haven't had the time to make a post.  Now that I do have some time, I am excited to tell you of this past Tuesday's adventure. Recently I was invited to the Museum of the American Revolution , in Philadelphia, to participate with a very special project ; While I'm not at liberty to say exactly what my part is in the project just yet, once I'm cleared by the museum I will be able to talk more about it. Trust me, I am very excited and can't hardly wait! Of what I can tell you, my visit to the MOAR was by far the most amazing thing I've ever experienced! I was able to learn a little more about the life of Ona Judge during her years living in Philadelphia between 1793-1796. Philadelphia was a booming metropolis and had become the Nation's Capitol by the time the 1st First family settled in the newly renovated President's House on High Street. Philadelphia was al