In 1789, a pamphlet was published in Philadelphia, an ode to the "mechanics" of the world. In this introductory episode of Season 2, we tell the story of the author of this pamphlet and lay out our plan for the episodes to follow.
Episode 2: Spinsters, Runaway Wives, and Widows
Last week, we talked about three dressmakers who lived on Elfreth’s Alley from the mid-eighteenth century into the early nineteenth century. We learned that Mary Smith, Sarah Melton, and Elizabeth Carr were all examples of women who spent some or all of their adult lives in couples with other women, rather than with men, and we explored the possibilities of their professional and personal lives together. Today on the Alley Cast, we are going to explore the economic and social circumstances of the other female-headed households on Elfreth’s Alley from 1785 to 1820 and consider what brought these women here and how the Alley shaped their lives.
Episode 1: The Dressmakers
In Episode 1 of The Alley Cast, Isabel Steven tells the story of three women who lived on Elfreth's Alley in the eighteenth century who worked as dressmakers. Steven explores us how these women made their living sewing clothes and invites us to imagine what their working and personal relationships might have been like.