I don't usually buy the magazine Early American Life except at Christmastime, when I love the photos of restored colonial homes dressed simply for the holidays with feather trees, homemade ornaments, and traditional baked goods. However, the June issue caught my eye because they had an article on the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA, which I visited long ago, and another on lilacs. I simply couldn't resist the latter.

Well, I lucked out because the June issue is packed with great historical articles and only one is about a house (a Cape Cod with "bowroof" and not as interesting, IMHO, because it is a new construction and not a restoration). Their "Eye on Antiques" feature is about maritime navigation equipment, including astrolabes and sextants, and "Life in Early America" features the "wreckers" of Key West, Florida, who used to salvage the shipwrecked vessels of a century ago. (I've been fascinated for years by the stories of the old lighthouse keepers' and surfmen's families.) There's also an article about Westville, Georgia, a recreation of a 1850s Southern small town which emphasizes the life of "real" people rather than plantation owners, and a fascinating story about "floatwork" coverlets (woven of cotton or linen but made "three-dimensional" by an extra layer of wool that created beautiful patterns), which came into being because of George III's duties on wool.

If you're interested in Early American history, this magazine should be just your cup of tea, but this is an outstanding issue besides.

----------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 11:45:00 AM

Comments: Post a Comment