MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s James E. Walker Library is inviting visitors to step into another era this semester with a free new exhibit by Special Collections that explores the many ways women shaped life inside — and eventually beyond — the home.

Curated by Special Collections librarian Susan Martin, curator Susan Hanson and archivist Robert Spinelli, “Creating Home: Domesticity and the Role of Women” uses books, clothing, household objects, photographs and other collectibles to examine domestic life, particularly during the Victorian era.

“We’re trying to draw out all the different things women would have been doing — and still do — to create a home for their families,” said Martin, who, along with her colleagues, brought in personal collectibles to display alongside the vast array of items housed within Special Collections archives.

At the center of the exhibit is a re-created early 20th-century parlor, assembled in the front picture window of Special Collections on the fourth floor of the library in Room 444, with furniture borrowed from the MTSU theatre program, the curators’ own cherished treasures, library artifacts and a quilt borrowed from the Murfreesboro Quilting Bees guild.

Handiwork in the home

“I think we’re trying, as much as we can, to reflect the different aspects of Victorian life — from women’s handwork to socializing, food and drink, and entertainment. We’re really trying to make connections,” said Hanson, who noted that the eye-catching display has attracted attention.

The parlor brings together many of the activities that filled a Victorian home, from socializing and music to handiwork, food, entertainment and gardening.

The exhibit takes an especially object-heavy approach, reflecting the growing availability of manufactured goods during the Victorian era. Hanson said the period saw more people, including those outside the upper and upper-middle classes, gaining access to household objects and decorative items thanks to modern mechanization that was more affordable to the general public.

Among the displays are aprons from the archival collection, including a simple embroidered apron, a cocktail apron and a work apron with pockets for clothespins. Visitors can also see ladies’ books, which offered patterns for clothing along with stories, recipes and advice about becoming a better housewife or socialite.

A cabinet in the main reading room, curated by Spinelli, celebrates the role of women in cooking from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries.

“We have an overview of various community cookbooks, recipes and a combination of local cookbooks, including one from Murfreesboro. We also have various ephemera and decorative items related to the kitchen and working in the home,” Spinelli said. “Personally, I have a connection to the spoon that’s on the wall. That was my grandmother’s spoon that she used when she owned a bar in Brooklyn in the 1940s.”

Another highlight is the multi-volume “Cassell’s Household Guide,” which Martin described as an “encyclopedia for the home.” Its pages move from topics such as furnishings to gardening and even travel, offering a glimpse into the breadth of Victorian domestic life.

Entertainment also gets a place in the exhibit. A magic lantern — essentially an early projector — demonstrates how families could gather to watch images projected from glass slides. Card games, music and other parlor activities further illustrate how work and leisure existed side by side in the home.

Hair jewelry, also known as hairwork, also became popular during the Victorian era and involved using real human hair — often from loved ones who passed away or from living family, friends or sweethearts — to weave intricate wearable art. Special Collections has a necklace, earrings, a brooch and ring made from hair, on loan from Oaklands Museum historic house in Murfreesboro.

Room for entertaining, leisure activities

Gardening was another important part of Victorian life. Flower gardens became an extension of the home as people developed greater interest in nature and hobbies.

“People had more leisure time, even beginning to creep into the lower and working classes, and hobbies took on new importance — particularly hobbies focused on nature,” said Hanson, pointing out her antique ceramic “flower frog” that was used to hold stems as part of an arrangement.

The exhibit also explores the Victorian fascination with collecting through three “shelves of curiosity,” each assembled by one of the curators from their own personal collections. Cabinets of curiosities evolved from a pastime of the wealthy into a more accessible middle-class practice, with people collecting natural specimens, scientific objects, souvenirs and other curiosities.

Spinelli’s shelf includes objects connected to his own history, including items from Colombia, where he was born, and an anteater fossil. Hanson’s collection focuses on functional figural objects, while Martin’s shelf pays tribute to Massachusetts, including her hometown and ancestral ties.

Together, the displays show that creating a home was about more than maintaining a household. It involved work, creativity, entertainment, collecting, community and personal identity — roles that continued to evolve as women moved beyond the traditional boundaries of the home.

“We’re trying to draw out all the different things women would have been doing — and still do — to create a home for their families,” Martin said.

Special events

In conjunction, Special Collections has two unique events that tie into the exhibit.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, Special Collections will partner with the Department of Art and Design for the program, “Stitch Through History: Embroidery and the Bayeux Tapestry.” The beginner-friendly workshop will instruct participants to embroider a simple scene from the historic 11th century tapestry that chronicles the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The event gives nod to the Victorian era’s penchant for needlework and offered in support of the Medieval and Early Modern minor.

Special Collections will host an interactive presentation on “Weaving History Strand by Strand: A History of Victorian Hair Work” at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Independent researcher and practicing hair artist Jody Johnson of Oaklands Mansion, a local historic house museum, will lecture and demonstrate the culture and craftsmanship of using collected human hair to create artisan jewelry pieces. In addition to the lecture, Johnson will bring some of the antique hair jewelry and give live demonstrations of traditional wirework and table-braiding methods.

Special Collections is located on the fourth floor of Walker Library in Room 444 and open to the public at no charge. Regular hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with some exceptions for events. For more details, visit library.mtsu.edu/specialcollections_guide. Off-campus visitors may purchase a $4/day parking pass through the Parking and Transportation Services’ visitor parking permit form.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])