Women's History Month Program
on March 11th

In celebration of Women’s History Month, A.K. Smiley Public Library welcomes historian Ann Deegan on Saturday, March 11th at 2pm in the Assembly Room. Her program, “Head to Toe and Skin Out: Women’s Dress Through Photography During the American Civil War”, will analyze original Civil War-era photographs and fashion illustrations to reveal what influenced dress ranging from economics and war, to technology and fashion trendsetters. She will delve into why clothing of that era looks so different from today and what influenced women to wear strange and uncomfortable items such as hoop skirts.

Ann Cordy Deegan received her Ph.D. in Textile History at the University of Maryland minoring in U.S. History with her dissertation related to the American Civil War. She has taught at numerous universities over the last forty years including the University of Maryland, Kansas State University, Utah State University, University of Redlands, Woodbury University and University of California at Riverside. Additionally, she has been a curator of history in private and public museums including the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, California, as Head of the History Division. She does research, writing and publishing in areas of U.S. History and in worldwide ethnic textiles. Her numerous publications in professional and public journals include co-authoring the books Early Redlands and Redlands in World War One.

This program is free and open to the public. Registration is request, but not required. A.K. Smiley Public Library is located at 125 W. Vine Street in Redlands. For more information or to see schedule updates, visit www.akspl.org or call (909) 798-7632.