Valley Talks: Fleeced: Unraveling the History of Wool and War w

Valley Talks, a series of biweekly historical lectures, continues Sunday, January 26, at 1:30pm at the Museum of Work & Culture. This year, all Valley Talks will be presented in a hybrid format, meaning guests have the option of joining the speaker in person at the Museum or online through Zoom.

Join author and curator Madalyn Shaw as she presents from her upcoming book Fleeced: A History of Wool and War. Not all about wool is warm and fuzzy. . . Fleeced explores how, throughout history,  the demand for wool in wartime existed in a vortex of negotiation, intrigue, and anxiety. It analyzes the concurrent rise of industrial production of woolen fabrics and Southern Hemisphere sheep culture in the 19th century and their influence on the enormous increase in the size of armies in the 20th century. While warring nations jockeyed for access to the same resource, they simultaneously searched for its elusive replacement – leading to the decisive rise of fully synthetic fibers after World War II. Fleeced is the culmination of a ten-year research journey by co-authors Madelyn Shaw and Trish FitzSimons.

Admission to the Valley Talk is free, but registration is required. Guests can register here. 

Shaw is a curator and author specializing in exploring American culture and history, as well as its international connections through textiles and dress. She has held curatorial and administrative positions at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution; the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design; New Bedford Whaling Museum; The Textile Museum, Washington DC; and the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC. She has curated more than 50 exhibitions and published widely on topics related to the development of the American textile and fashion industries, the China Trade, Slave Cloth, Aviation clothing, and popular culture.

Other Valley Talks will include:

February 9: Genealogist Bonnie Wade Mucia will explore the 100 year history of the Bonin Spinning Company Mill in Woonsocket, detailing its rise, fall, and eventual demolition.

February 23: Learn about the lives of textile workers with a talk by photographer Steve Dunwell based on his exhibit, With These Hands, which will be open in the Museum’s rotating gallery from February 21st until April 26th, 2025.

March 9: Celebrate the beginning of Francophonie month with University of Rhode Island Professor Linda Welters as she presents quilts from the French-Canadian immigrants who came to Rhode Island to work in the textile mills.

March 23: Join Paul Bourget as he takes a closer look at “America’s Sistine Chapel”, St. Ann’s Church in Woonsocket, and explores its artistry, history, and community.

The Museum’s 2025 Valley Talks series is presented by the Museum of Work & Culture Preservation Foundation and the RI AFL-CIO.