Hello Everyone, please read this guest post from the Woodstock Museum NHS.
Join us at the Woodstock Museum with guest speaker and local historian Heather Rennalls exploring how Black History Month came to be founded. Learn about notable Black Canadians that helped make February an historically recognized month and see the Woodstock Museum’s permanent exhibit to learn about our own City’s Black History.
If you would like your event or article published (relating to Oxford County ON or South-Western ON), on the Society’s blog please email us at info@oxhs.ca
please join the Oxford Historical Society for Brenda Boswell’s presentation : ‘Party Line – Supporting Homemakers Over the Airwaves’
From Brenda:
Alice Munro was invited into the homes of many women within the CKOX listening area every day from 10:10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. CKOX introduced a new program “Party Line” in 1959 on an experimental basis. Women’s Commentator, Alice Munro invited listeners to call in and describe any problem pertaining to Homemaking which might require an answer. Others in the listening audience were encouraged to phone and supply the answer.
The show was so popular that Alice produced three booklets of “Hints and Recipes for the Homemaker” in 1960, 1961 and 1965 which were “must haves” for her followers.
Party Line was part of a bigger movement across North America to help women feel less isolated in their homes. As many women who had joined the workplace during WWII were displaced by returning soldiers, popular culture encouraged women to return to domestic life and look after their family which included creating interesting meals, keeping the home spotless and stain free.
While Alice Munro did not create the concept of reaching homemakers by the radio, she certainly captivated local homemakers. How many of us remember the hour after the 10:00 a.m. as being a sacred time in the kitchen. The presentation will explore some of the early homemakers tailored to reach an untapped part of the market and how the stringing of hydro lines brought the most isolated women a connection to the world. It also provided a wonderful opportunity for broadcasters to sell advertising.
From Alice Munro to Martha Stewart and beyond, women continue to connect with each other via the media.
Oh yes, we will also touch on the story of Aunt Sammy, a fictional character created by the US Bureau of Home Economics which focussed on rural farm women. And how does this relate to the Queen of Romania you ask? Set your dial to the Oxford Historical Society channel on Feb. 28th, to find out!
This presentation will take place at the Woodstock Museum, NHS. The meeting will start at 6:30pm. This is a free public meeting, all are welcome to attend.
If you would like your event or article published (relating to Oxford County ON or South-Western ON), on the Society’s blog please email us at info@oxhs.ca
Please join us for the Society’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 6:30pm. The meeting will be held at the Woodstock Museum NHS
Tonight’s presentation: Shipwrecks on Lake Erie – From Port Dover to Port Stanley, presented by Elaine Becker
From Elaine: “6,000 wrecks have occurred in the Great Lakes with 175 and 200 wrecks off Long Point. Many have never been identified. Port Dover to Port Stanley on Lake Erie, will be the focus of the presentation touching on some of the more notable stories.“
For 2024 the Oxford Historical Society will not be taking membership fees.
Thank you, and we hope to see all of you at the AGM!
If you would like your event or article published (relating to Oxford County ON or South-Western ON), on the Society’s blog please email us at info@oxhs.ca
Please see this guest post from the Woodstock Museum NHS:
The Spirit of Christmas Tour of Homes is back!
Our holiday home tour is returning for the first time in three years on Saturday, November 25 from 10am to 2pm.
Hosted by the Museum Advisory Committee, the tour will feature four historic homes decked out for the holidays. Tickets can be purchased for $20 each at the Museum. Visit our website for a map of the participating homes!
If you would like your event or article published (relating to Oxford County ON or South-Western ON), on the Society’s blog please email us at info@oxhs.ca
The Oxford Historical Society will be selling local history books at the Oxford Creates Art Expo on Saturday, November 4th from 10am-4pm, and on Sunday, November 5th from 12-4pm. To discover more about this event go to: www.oxfordcreativeconnections.com
This is a great time to add to your history collection or start one! To see some of our available titles for purchase click on this link: OxHS Publications
