In My Ancestors’ Shoes: Getting Dressed in the Tenements, 1881, with Vi

Click here to register for this free in-person program, co-presented by New Lehrhaus. The Library is located at 1835 Ellis Street in San Francisco, with free garage parking at 1227 Pierce Street between Ellis and Eddy. 

Vi of the YouTube channel SnappyDragon will offer a hands-on demonstration of how a working-class Jewish immigrant woman would get dressed for Shabbat in Victorian-Era New York City. Following the story of Vi’s own ancestor Carolina, who immigrated from Hungary to the Lower East Side in 1880, Vi has recreated garments from 1881, beginning with underpinnings and corsetry to millinery and accessories. While museums featuring 19th century clothes usually display high-status antique pieces, this demonstration offers a rare opportunity for a close look at the clothes of regular people. Come get an up-close look at how 19th century clothes were made and worn, including opportunities to handle some reproduction pieces, and ask questions throughout the demonstration. The full research and dress reconstruction process can be seen in The Clothes On Their Backs, a Youtube documentary series developed with support from the Jewish Writers’ Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab, a project of Maimonides Fund.

Vi (she/her) of the YouTube channel SnappyDragon, is a dressmaker, public historian, and videographer who explores the social realities of the past and present through fashion history. She uses everything from sewing techniques to TikTok trends and popular media to break down misconceptions about history and discuss fashion’s intersections with Jewish identity, representation, and disability justice. Keep up with her work on Youtube, and on Instagram and Facebook @MissSnappyDragon.

Program made possible, in part, by Denise Selleck in memory of her mother, Esther Selleck.