Schwenkfelder Virtual Series Experts to Talk About Textiles

PENNSBURG PA – What textiles can tell us about patriotism, fashion, and flags will be explored by the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, 105 Seminary St., in a one-day symposium of three separate discussions led by experts.

The series, titled “Textiles for the 250th,” will be held Jan. 31 (2026; Saturday) from 1-5 p.m. as online streaming feeds. The center’s virtual offerings, which likely will reach a national audience, are part of its presentations and exhibits to observe America’s 250th anniversary. The Schwenkfelder is a non-profit affiliate of America250PA.

Its program of hour-long sessions represents the center’s annual “Tea & Textiles with Caroline” event. It focuses on the history of fabrics, quilting, and sewing arts. The center is well-known among textiles experts for its “extensive collection of samplers and other needlework, quilts, coverlets, textiles for home and farm use, and clothing.”

What began as the Schwenkfelder Historical Library has been gathering and preserving textiles, three-dimensional artifacts, art, and paper items since 1908. The effort is part of its mission to “tell the story of the Schwenkfelders and the Upper Perkiomen Region.”

Topical Experts, and Tea Bags

• The afternoon kicks off with a lecture by independent scholar Lynne Z. Bassett, on “Federalist Fathers and Republican Mothers: The Fashions of John and Abigail Adams.”
• Collector Down Ronningen will present new research in “Evidence of Patriotism From the Sewing Box.”
• Dr. Marla Miller, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, looks at “Betsy Ross: The Life Behind the Legend.” She will talk about the legend of the seamstress, and real-life of the Philadelphia upholster and flag-maker, Elizabeth Griscom Claypoole.

The lectures can be purchased as a package for a total of $50, or separately for $20 each. Advance online registration for the lectures is required.

With each ticket, buyers receive a recipe card, a tea bag to enjoy as refreshment with the lectures, and an opportunity to participate in an accompanying free mini-lecture. It features Schwenkfelder Curator Candace Perry, who will examine “Sewing the Symbol: A History of Flag Factories in Southeastern Pennsylvania.”

Advance online registration for the lectures is required.

The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission to visit exhibits or research in the library is free. Details on its other programs and exhibits for the 250th commemoration are available online.

Photo provided by the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center

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