Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder at Pottsgrove Manor

Learn about colonial cosmetics at a special program Saturday at Pottsgrove Manor.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Pottsgrove Manor.

Learn how colonial women beautified themselves with “In the Eye of the Beholder,” a lecture and demonstration taking place at historic Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Standards of beauty have varied over the years, and just as clothing can mask problems and call attention to more desirable attributes, make-up can do the same.

People in the 18th century did not have the cosmetic technologies of today, but they did have various lotions, salves, and other treatments to renew and enhance beauty.

In this program, historian Dr. Clarissa F. Dillon will discuss and display colonial cosmetics, and attendees will even get to try some themselves.

A former teacher, Dillon was a founding member of the Past Masters in Early American Domestic Arts and has spent the past four decades researching everyday life of the 17th and 18th centuries.

An expert on historic foodways, gardens, and other aspects of colonial domesticity, Dillon uses her vast knowledge to make the past come alive.

After the presentation, visitors will have an opportunity to take a guided tour of the mansion at Pottsgrove Manor.

They can also shop in the site’s museum store, which carries several of Dillon’s publications, as well as some of the soaps, salves, and scents of the 18th century.

There is a $2 per person suggested donation for this program.

Pottsgrove Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department.

For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor.

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