Flowers and Herbs

• Wildflowers or pressed flowers-Flower pressing is a method used to preserve flowers. Flowers could be pressed in a book. Once dried they could then be framed, used in pictures, etc. Shown to the right are bookmarks, a flower picture and a flower book, with close ups of the latter two below. 
• Herbs or flowers-One of the officers' wives favorite pastimes was the growing of an herb garden. Herbs were used for seasoning food, insect repellent, and for a variety of medicinal purposes. In small bottles and spread out on the doily to the right is the herb-rosemary-used for a wide variety of purposes.

Hand sewn items from right to left-crochet, tatting and knitting.

• Hand sewings-Officers wives liked to try their hands at tatting, knitting, crochet, needle point, and embroidery. Shown on the table from right to left are examples of crochet, tatting, and knitting. (Close up of tatting is shown below)

Shown on this table are an officers' wife journal, period literature, and a water painting.

• Poetry or appropriate literature-They loved to read.
• Journals and letters-Many officers' wives kept journals of their experiences on the frontier. These journals combined with letters that they wrote to family and friends are some of the best sources we have about life on the military frontier at this time.

Reenactor dressed as an officer's wife with all the accoutrements listed at the left.

OFFICER'S WIFE OUTFIT

• Dress
• Parasol-Used to shield women from the sun instead of the rain. A fair skin complexion was highly valued.
• Fan-To keep cool with.
• Ridicule-A purse.
• Bonnet-A woman would never have been outside without a hat or bonnet for a covering.
• Day Cap- worn indoors by married women or spinsters.
• Gloves or Mitts
• White Stockings
• Shoes-slipper-style
• Hair-pulled back in a bun.
• Undergarments-
• • Corset and corset cover
  • Several petticoats
  • Chemise
  • Drawers