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NANCY WELLS: So thanks for coming, everyone. I'm delighted that you're here today on this warm day, that you've decided to come inside for this great event. So we're delighted to share with you today A History of 4-H Clothing Clubs in New York State-- A Preamble to Sustainable Fashion Education? I tried to get the intonation there.
I'm Nancy Wells. I'm the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education in the College of Human Ecology. And sustainability has been really a key focus area in the College throughout our decades, from the beginning of our founding in 1925. In our early days, we had various educational programs teaching women how to mend clothing, how to make clothing out of resources they might find around their house, not to be wasteful in their designs and their sewing of garments.
And I'm personally really excited about this topic because I think that sustainability and fashion is really a topic of urgent need as we see so many environmental impacts, particularly of fast fashion. And it's also an opportunity to be creative about how we upcycle and reuse things and use our resources more thoughtfully. And I've been known to make an occasional bag out of leftover upholstery fabric, so I have a little personal connection as well.
Today, our students are coming up with novel ways to design clothing with less material, while also ensuring that they have long lives. And if you attend the Cornell Fashion Collective Runway Show this weekend, you'll see some examples of those kinds of innovations.
Our College archives are full of stories that illustrate our commitment to sustainability through all these years, and Samantha Alberts has done the important work of delving into those archives, gathering those stories so she can share them with all of us today. Samantha received the 2024 College of Human Ecology Graduate Archival Research Fellowship, and she spent last summer exploring the archives, analyzing materials from the Rare and Manuscripts Collection, and also interviewing 22 previous Clothing Club participants and leaders.
She explored how historical education approaches might inform contemporary sustainable fashion practices, and what we might learn from the past to inform a more sustainable future. As a first year PhD student from Herkimer, New York, Samantha is studying Fiber Science and Apparel Design here at Cornell in the College of Human Ecology, and she also is a Cornell graduate, having completed her master's degree in Apparel Design last year.
Her research explores integrating archival and oral histories into the realm of sustainable fashion. Her work emphasizes several of our favorite topics in Human Ecology-- community outreach, youth development, and exploring how history can enhance our modern day sustainable fashion practices. During Samantha's PhD study, she aims to foster a deeper understanding of fashion narratives by promoting both responsible design and consumption practices with the help of youth development programs.
I'm delighted that Samantha is sharing her work with us today, and that she's doing so in our centennial year as we celebrate our 100th. So now I'll turn it over to Samantha. Thank you.
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Thank you much.
[APPLAUSE]
All right. I'll just get these. OK. Hello, everyone. My name is Samantha Alberts, and I welcome you all to the Human Ecology Graduate Summer Archival Research Fellowship Presentation. Today, I will be telling you about the research I have conducted for this fellowship and that helped inform my master's thesis.
The title of my work is, like Nancy said, A History of 4-H Clothing Clubs in New York State-- A Preamble to Sustainable Fashion Education? Thank you all so much for being here today, in person or streaming in another location. And I can't wait to show you all of my incredible findings, especially during this special time during the centennial of the College of Human Ecology.
So for more than a century, 4-H clubs have contributed to the youth empowerment through agriculture and home economics, the latter of which includes nutrition, family studies, and creative arts and design. With the growing impacts of climate change and interest in more ecologically-minded approaches to fashion design, how might we look to past pedagogical approaches to inform future solutions?
This research-- oh my goodness. Hold on. Sorry. This research-- with the growing impacts of climate change and interest in more ecologically-minded approaches to fashion design, how might we look to past pedagogical approaches to inform future solutions? The research sought to investigate the links between past and present, aiming to better understand 4-H and Cooperative Extension's programming choices before the mid 20th century.
My methods for this research included a collection of 36 boxes from the Rare and Manuscript Collection in Kroch Library, featuring the boxes listed here. And the archival materials I found were in multiple mediums, including correspondence, meeting minutes, photographs, pamphlets, curriculum booklets, scrapbooks, and other ephemera of historical events or lived experiences, resulting in telling a story about individuals' lives. Archival research was well suited to this project, primarily because primary source material related to New York State 4-H and Cooperative Extension are available at Cornell University due to their affiliation with the organization.
I also conducted oral histories with previous 4-H Clothing Club members and educators who were involved in the mid to late 20th century. Interviews were conducted over Zoom, audio, and transcriptions will be archived into the Rare and Manuscript Collection right here at Cornell. Individuals who have been involved with 4-H reflected on their experiences with the organization, which allowed for personal information, details, and recollections that could be absent in archival records and nonexistent online.
So this slideshow here shows my-- this slide shows my incredible journey and adventures through the archives, and a glimpse of what my experience was like, from looking through 36 boxes, carefully going through folders and old photographs, to documenting and photographing hundreds of pictures in order to tell the story of 4-H and Extension members, leaders, and educators across New York State.
These scrapbooks here belong to Margaret Bailey Redmond, who was a 4-H member beginning in 1943, in Chenango County New York. Scrapbooks have been a pivotal part of 4-H clubs to showcase ribbons, newspaper clippings, badges, pictures, and to document their projects. Margaret was gracious to donate these beautiful scrapbooks to the Rare and Manuscript Collection here at Cornell.
So this next slide shows a collage I put together from some of my favorite pictures and writings in her many scrapbooks, from creating clothing for window displays, shown in these pictures here, to writing about how, when she was a leader in her Wide Awake Club, they collected buttons and spools of thread to donate to war-stricken citizens of the Holland and the Dutch East Indies during World War II, to help mend and repair clothing, as there was no new replacements available during this time.
So this is the geographical heat map that I made of my interviewees' counties of 4-H involvement. So my participants included 22 members that participated in over 22 different counties across New York State, equating to one third of the state. The median age was 67 years old, and the average age of 63.1. Participation years spanning from 1944 to present, which is an 80-year span, as either a member, educator, or a leader.
A wide variety of participants across almost every region in New York State, with one of the interviewees being 92 years old, who was a 4-H member and an agent. I will have a few examples of interviewee statements within the presentation, but they barely touch the surface of the impact that they made on my research. I could have written an entire research paper on just the interviewees and their stories that they told me.
So what is sustainability? Sustainability is defined, according to the Oxford Dictionary, as the ability to be maintained at a specific rate or level. This broad conceptualization encompasses a multitude of domains and themes. However, it is predominantly known for its use pertaining to environmental concerns and behavioral impacts on our planet. Do we want to maintain what we are currently doing, or do we want to change it?
In the article, "What is sustainability?," UCLA expands on the concept. They explain that sustainability extends beyond environmental concerns. It encompasses equity, economic stability, and the provision of basic living standards for everyone. Given that this study aims to investigate sustainable practices in fashion, the question is, how does sustainability appear in the fashion industry?
From a consumer perspective, it involves purchasing practices that minimize environmental impacts and protect garment workers' rights. This idea emphasizes conscious consumption, avoiding excessive buying habits. Sustainable fashion consumption involves responsible decision-making to support brands that prioritize ethical manufacturing. This includes identifying companies that ensure fair wages and safe working conditions for garment workers, while utilizing environmentally conscious materials and production processes that avoid harmful dyes and chemicals.
What is social sustainability? The brief answer is that social sustainability encompasses the practice of ensuring an equitable and inclusive society in making sure everyone has fair access, opportunities, and quality of life in society. So my findings focus on three primary themes, such as quality, which includes textile and material education, garment construction, along with clothing care that includes maintenance and proper laundering practices, and lastly, resourcefulness that talks about the mending, recycling, and upcycling of garments.
On the other hand, findings also discovered unsustainable practices involved with its programming and counteracting the initial hypothesis. However, the program struggled to stay relevant. Some attempts to modernize actually promoted outdated and wasteful fashion trends and social habits, which wasn't an expected find. These findings are not strictly only from 4-H Clothing Clubs, but incorporate other Cornell Cooperative Extension educational curricula that would not only benefit youth but adults as well, such as bulletins that I will show you very soon. This picture here shows 4-H Clothing Club members demonstrating at the New York State Fair in 1940.
So in addition to developing 4-H curricular programs, Cornell Cooperative Extension established bulletins designed for adults to help solve common problems. For example, this bulletin titled "A Moth-Proof, Gas-Tight Closet for the Storage of Clothing and Other Woolens" from 1934. Cornell was getting multiple letters from distressed individuals whose woolens were getting holes from moths, asking if they could find an inexpensive but effective way to control them.
As they stated in the article, one of the most serious problems a housekeeper has to keep is the storage of winter furs and woolens. They constructed a moth-proof, gas-tight closet for effective garment fumigation, preventing pest damage without gas leakage. The bulletin detailed instructions for building the closet and promoted accessible and economically conscious practices for clothing longevity.
The bulletin expands on the very long list of chemicals used in the fumigation process. This bulletin expresses the need and want for proper clothing, care, and longevity. From almost a century ago, wool was a very important and wide use fiber, but easily destroyed by moths. Creating this type of closet to help sustain woolens and save people money helped in many ways, such as being less wasteful by not throwing out garments, and less consumption.
So in this Clothing Connection Guide for Youth, developed by Cornell Cooperative Extension in 1982, provides instruction on clothing maintenance and repair. The guide teaches longevity for clothing in ways such as proper laundering and ironing skills, teaching how to do basic stitches to repair holes, or attach buttons and appliqués, along with showing how to create a repair kit for organization and for sewing materials.
We have on display here today a Jean McLean's handwoven gray tweed suit from Ireland from 1955. Jean was an author of this leader guide and part of the Extension department staff, as well as being a beloved and renowned professor in the Department of Textiles and Clothing at Cornell. She was so gracious to donate multiple of her own items to the Fashion and Textile Collection here at Human Ecology.
We also have on display here a Pillsbury flour sack dress ensemble and pants, which was donated by Charlotte Jirousek and was created during the early to mid-20th century. It was acquired from a junk shop that was most likely used for theatrical use of some sort. The practice of making garments out of flour or potato sacks became common during the Great Depression era, and continued into World War II. 4-H taught how to utilize these materials to make clothing and other necessities during a time of uncertainty.
A leader's guide created by the College of Home Economics at Cornell in 1966, entitled "Care of Today's Fabrics," gave guidelines to instruct 4-H leaders on fostering proper clothing care mindsets within their clubs. As you can see here with the highlighted quote, "Lately, detergent manufacturers have recognized that women want white and bright washes."
They gave suggestions on how to brighten clothing, however, along with the blatant gender biases, some of these suggestions negatively impacted the environment by instructing the use of detergents that add a fluorescent dye to the wash. It did recommend precise measurement of detergent, instead of dumping, to guarantee clean clothing and prevent waste, which is good. Very good thing. But at the time, these practices were considered new and innovative.
So leading to more innovative, as innovative fabrics like ultrasuede emerged in the 1970s, traditional home laundering methods potentially damaged certain textiles. In an effort to remain relevant, 4-H started promoting dry cleaning services in the late 1960s. The publication suggested that investing in these services will greatly convenience daily life during a time of abundance.
But the article, "The History of Dry Cleaning Solvents and the Evolution of Dry Cleaning Machine" from 1969, dry cleaning historically used hazardous and possibly carcinogenic chemicals, such as perchloroethylene, also known as PERC. And PERC does not naturally degrade over time. And without treatment, PERC will sink deeper and spread out farther, creating a large plume of PERC contamination.
Your dry cleaning dollar suggests that these services will greatly convenience your life, especially in an expansion of people in the workforce. Cornell Extension and 4-H Clothing Clubs had long taught proper laundering techniques, and they adapted their curriculum to address these new challenges. While this may be convenient, dry cleaning historically has used hazardous chemicals.
So in this, a 1974 pamphlet found in the archives entitled "Makeover Magic," it discusses the opportunity to spruce up damaged clothing, such as those with tears or stains, using decorative additions such as embroidery, appliqués, crochet doilies, trims of embroidered flowers, and collar or cuffs of faux fur. The foundation of the 4-H Clothing Club curriculum centered around sewing and design, with the idea being to eventually make and mend clothing for oneself and family.
The fashion movement of eco-conscious consumption and resourcefulness continued to be seen throughout the 4-H curriculum. And beyond mending and refashioning, the trend of thrifting and the use of hand-me-downs were embraced by youth. I would like to point out how culturally relevant this pamphlet from the 1970s is. The idea of recycling and upcycling was a major theme of the '70s, and the pamphlets' ideas and teachings aligned with the fashion of the time, making for exciting and relevant education for youth. This was written by an educator who knew and understood what young people wanted to learn.
So this 4-H pamphlet, entitled "Recycle Your Wardrobe," from 1974, teaches the idea of hand-me-downs, secondhand shopping, and remaking garments. This promotes individuality by promoting creativity with members clothing and design. The section highlighted here states how restyling can make an outfit truly individual. This empowers youth to express themselves by giving them a voice by saying, you are the designer. This aligns with the youth of the '70s with the allowance of freedom of expression that break away from previous decades of traditional conservative values.
So this pamphlet is the third learner's guide in this set from 1970, titled "Restitch and Renew to Keep Clothes in Use." Similarly to the other guides, this one teaches how to maintain longevity with repair through simple hand stitches to extend the wearability of your clothing. The "Handy Hand Stitches" explains what stitches would work best for each type of repair needed. For example, the backstitch is as strong as machine stitching, used for ripped seams or to strengthen large, weak machine stitching.
So this transcript here of a talk given in 1934, titled "Standards for Consumers' Goods" by Ruth O'Brien, addresses promoting, buying, and spending money with the-- buying and spending money. With this talk delivered during the Great Depression era, they encouraged consumers to start spending their money again. But they believed that there was no point in saving money anymore. This represented a way to help jumpstart the economy.
They did incorporate the need for retailers and product developers to be more forthcoming with what their products were and the quality of them. Consumers during this period had fears about buying new things, not only due to the Depression, but because of uncertainty regarding whether purchases would prove to be worth their money.
So this guide, titled "Textiles and Clothing-- Suggested Program for Low Incomes" from the 1980s, offers options for 4-H leaders to teach their members how to shop for their families and those wanting to save money. It covers smart approaches to buying clothing without spending too much. The guide recommends visiting outlet stores, secondhand shops, and chain stores.
It shows ways to improve appearance by finding better fitting clothes and developing sewing skills for making alterations, adding enhancements, and fixing repairs to extend clothing use. The difference between these two guides are kind of interesting, especially during the times they were created. For the first one, promoting buying during the Great Depression, a time of economic uncertainty, to this guide, showing ways to save money and shop less during the 1980s, which was said to be a time of materialism and consumerism.
OK. So the post-World War II era brought great economic prosperity into America, starting the return of traditional gender roles, with women resuming their roles as housewives. The pamphlet, "A Man's Shirt is a Woman's Problem," was part of a series to educate women and girls to learn how to keep men's shirts laundered, starched, and ironed and ready for work. The pamphlet spoke on a fashion trend known as the arrow man, which was created by a housewife who cut her husband's collar off to create a removable collar, resulting in an unhappy husband. But then an ingenious idea that gained much talk, in which she received no credit but her husband did.
This kind of literature reflects a larger de facto gender division in Cooperative Extension Services and 4-H clubs, specifically with girls participating in home economics and boys in agriculture. Former 4-H member Edie, active in the late 1960s, confirmed these gender role teachings during her interview. When questioned about the skills she acquired, her response offered insight into the persistence of the gender-specific expectations. As she stated--
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- What I'm familiar with, it was-- it really was sort of preparing you to be a homemaker.
- Yeah. Mm-hmm.
- So it's got a long way to-- lots of areas to improve, I would think. Yeah.
[END PLAYBACK]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: "Making Shirts for the Men of the Family" is a 1957 extension guide that helps housewives decide whether they should make shirts for their husbands and sons. The bulletin encourages women to consider if they have the necessary skills, enough time to sew without neglecting other household responsibilities, and whether buying ready-made shirts might be better in some cases to ensure their men look well dressed and remain satisfied.
OK. So this pamphlet, this pamphlet entitled "Clothing's Modern Meanings," was created in 1960 by Extension Services to be given to 4-H members. The guide's intentions are good, as they try to promote a bit of individuality through clothing, and how to express your personality with what you wear. As the pamphlet states, "The way you dress is a part of your expression of values. Much of the advice prioritizes attractiveness to potential husbands, aligning with societal expectations of marriage."
This lovely poem, written on the cover, taken from "Women's Wear Daily," titled "What is a Dress?" from 1960 states, "A dress is an extension of the woman who wears it. The appreciation of the man who sees her in it. The creative expression of those who make it. For the woman who wears it, a dress is a status symbol, a social commentary, an emotional facade, a self-revelation, a pride of individuality, a proof of taste and yearning. For the man who sees her in it, a dress is an embellishment, a pitfall, an ambush, a subtlety, a mirage, camouflage, persiflage, and an intoxication."
This excerpt shows the contrast of over misogynistic portrayal of women's perspectives on dresses with a man's perception, enhancing gender biases. Women view dresses as a status symbol, an emotional expression, and beauty, while men are depicted as seeing them as deceptive, a mockery, and an attack. This deeply offensive statement given to young girls potentially instills a sense of shame about their self-expression, feelings of disempowerment, and reinforces harmful gender stereotypes. These teachings of harmful stereotypes exemplify socially unsustainable practices that Cooperative Extension sometimes taught to their members during this time period.
So participants explained how 4-H education has influenced them throughout their adult lives, helping to fill the research gap of how 4-H participation affects youth into adulthood. The Cornell Cooperative Extension Archives provide evidence of the importance of these clubs historically, for developmental purposes throughout youth, and in addition to confirming the youth impacts from the oral history interviews. When asked if she still uses these skills today, Jean from Cayuga County stated--
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- Still use these skills?
- Oh, yeah. I'm a quilter now, so I definitely use the sewing skills.
[END PLAYBACK]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Jean is one of 17 out of the 22 interviewees that mentioned that they quilt and/or make craft sewing projects. And Colleen from Essex County shared with me--
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- Everything in my life I've learned-- my gardening, my flowers-- everything I do, I learned from 4-H. Everything.
[END PLAYBACK]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: And Colleen also went on to explain to me the multi-generational connection that she has. So when she was in 4-H, she loved it so much, and it was such a big part of her life that she had her daughter in 4-H. And now she has her granddaughter. And that was 11 out of 22 members enrolled their children in 4-H and four of the 11 that their grandchildren are currently in as Cloverbuds. Sarah out from Orleans County mentioned--
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- In the analytical scale, when you're making a project or you're not going by a pattern and trying to picture putting together something that's a little bit different off the pattern, you have to have really strong analytical skills. And so that's transposed into any career really. But definitely with the clothing, that math and analytical skills is really, really helpful in my career now.
[END PLAYBACK]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: So 68% of participants eventually having careers in 4-H and 86% working with youth. These findings monumentally contribute to the need for more research and known findings about youth development programs and influence. These findings are significant, as oral history interviews need to be documented with previous 4-H members who are well into adulthood.
The participants interviewed ranged in age from 31 to 92.5 years old. The active club member participation year, from 1944 to 2011, resulted in a 67-year span over the 20th and 21st centuries. These interviews have shown how 4-H participation has greatly shaped their career choices, relationships, hobbies, children's skills, and that they still use today.
So Mary Ann was an active member from 1962 to 1972, eventually became an educator in 4-H. She stated here that "4-H has helped me flourish in life." Now, one really cool coincidence is that I found this picture during the archival phase of my research. I came across a bunch of members and educators' testimonies and how they felt 4-H benefited them. I took pictures of a bunch of these papers and then went on my way.
Two months later, I was conducting oral history interviews, and I interviewed Mary Ann. And it wasn't until a few weeks later that I found this picture of her statement from over a decade ago. It was full circle to have not only this picture of her ideas on how 4-H-- but for them to match and confirm these feelings during her interview without even meaning to. And here she states--
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- Oh, when I was in 4-H, I learned all of the basics of operating a sewing machine, working with patterns, working with different types of fabrics. I think it was either then or soon after. No, wait a minute. I don't remember exactly when, but I did a project in textiles. And that I really enjoyed. In college, I loved my textiles class.
And then fashion design, I didn't do a lot with fashion design. I'm not that artistic, but I can follow a pattern extremely well.
[END PLAYBACK]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: So the previous 4-H members feel that the organization taught sustainable fashion practices. Most members initially stated that 4-H did not typically teach sustainable or environmentally conscious practices. Talia, one of the youngest participants, responded to this question with--
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- Do you think the curriculum and projects in 4-H when you were a member addressed environmental issues/concerns in any way?
- I would say not at all. I don't remember.
- Really?
- Yeah, I don't really remember that being a conversation piece. I think it is so much more woven into discussions that we have now, thinking about fast fashion and the lack of being able to reuse things. And I think, again, from my perspective, I think growing up with not a lot of money, it was being more resourceful.
[END PLAYBACK]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Or Megan, who was an active member in Dutchess County from the mid 1970s until the mid 1980s shared--
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- Our county always looked down on the recycled, reused garment, and I don't see why they should. I've been an advocate for have them go thrift shopping and reuse something.
[END PLAYBACK]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: And members active during the same decade often reported varied experiences, most likely influenced by factors such as club dynamics, family life, or other variables, as Sally stated here.
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- I didn't see it in my-- no, no. And that was like the '70s and yeah. Yeah, we didn't know. I don't think so at all.
[END PLAYBACK]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: While Brenda's response to the same question was--
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- I would say, yes, considering the years that I was involved in the '70s, there was a big recession. During that time, it was the Vietnam War ending. Women's rights were a big thing. So I feel like, yes, that was saving money and recycling and we always handed down our clothing to whoever else could use them. I feel like that was always a part of my life.
[END PLAYBACK]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: And by the end of this-- by the end of the discussion, answers weren't as obvious, which led to deeper questioning on the topic, leaving them wondering if 4-H did indeed teach sustainable practices. This disconnect suggested that 4-H may not have environmentally framed its teachings, but instead based them on economically and longevity-focused views, unknowingly promoting sustainable practices through its curriculum.
I have to point out this fantastic picture that depicts 4-H Clothing Club members showing their display, entitled "It Pays to Be Thrifty" at the New York State Fair in 1940. It's pretty lovely. So this study examined the history of a longstanding youth education program, with a specific focus on fashion, 4-H, and how clothing club curriculum taught youth about clothing consumption, maintenance, and care paradigms, emphasizing longevity and resourcefulness.
This retrospective analysis provides a backdrop to conceptualize and formulate future sustainably-minded solutions that consumers and youth can integrate into their clothing behaviors. 4-H teaches independence by empowering youth through education, technical and leadership skill development, and creativity. By studying this history, we can find ideas for teaching sustainable clothing habits today.
This project's significance lies in its depiction of how historical insights can inform current challenges, effectively bridging the gap between community engagement and potential activism, offering us an honorable opportunity to learn from them and ultimately enhance our society and quality of life. This amazing closing statement from one of my participants, Donna, I had to just share with you all today.
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- And I don't think I would have recognized it except having this conversation with you, because if you would have said, I don't know, was sustainability an issue back then? I'd think, no. Nobody was using that word in the least. But it's that way of thinking. I think it was maybe of more necessity back then, and now it's more in vogue. Seems like we have a lot of affluence.
Our reasons for wanting to be sustainable, there's sort of a different motive behind it. Not necessarily economics, but not that that's a zero. But I think there's just much more interest in making the planet green and being a reasonable consumer. Yeah.
[APPLAUSE]
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: And this picture here is of Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1940s, presenting a 4-H participant with an award at National Club Conference in DC.
I want to take this time to thank everyone who has played a part in helping me make this research such a success. I want to thank a few key individuals. So The Archival Fellowship Committee, I can't thank you enough for giving me this incredible opportunity to do this research. I know that without this fellowship, this research would not have had this much success. To Eileen Keating, for her help throughout my entire archival journey and making this experience so enjoyable.
To my incredible advisor, Denise Green, who has supported me in every step of the way in the process. And last but certainly not least, I want to thank my oral history participants who took part in this research. Because of your stories, the legacy and impacts of 4-H will live on. You will all forever have a special place in my heart. Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
NANCY WELLS: Great job, Samantha. So we have 15 minutes or so for some questions. And if you have a question, if you can let me know. I'll bring you the microphone. And then our audience that's joining virtually can also hear your question.
AUDIENCE: So I'll ask, going into your PhD program, what inspired you to choose this topic? And did you have a clear idea, this is what you wanted to study through your program?
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Well, this work was done for my master's thesis. And no, I had no idea that this was--
[LAUGHTER]
I had no idea this was going to be my research. My research that I was planning on doing is actually what I'm now considering-- what I'm going to be doing for my dissertation work. But really, I came from a small town in Upstate New York, and I knew about 4H. But it was really farm-focused, cows. And I'm like, I don't know about clothing.
And incredible Denise Green over here. She's like, hey, you should do this clothing club thing. It's really big. And I'm like, really? And the more in-depth I got, I'm like, oh my goodness, this was massive. It's just not as massive today. And so I actually fell in love with this even more, to the point where I'm like, I don't want to move on from this research. I need to continue on with this, doing more of this and incorporating it into my dissertation work now. Yes.
AUDIENCE: Sorry. I'm really curious. Through your research process, while you were taking this on, did your focus of the project kind of shift and change over time, or did it kind of remain the same as you went through it? And then also, what was the most surprising thing that you learned, that you were just blown away by?
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Yes. So for your first question, it very much did change. So my original hypothesis was that 4-H taught sustainable practices, but it just wasn't termed that way. And I was like, yeah, this had to happen. With everything I was finding, I'm like, this is what it is. And then the deeper I dug, and when I started talking to oral history members, I was starting to see this like gendered biases stuff kind of coming up.
And I'm like, this is kind of problematic a little bit. And so then, it wasn't until I had one interviewee, Edie, where she goes, they want wanted me to be a homemaker, and I didn't want to do it. And she was the first person that I interviewed who didn't fully-- she still learned so much, and she still enjoyed her time, but she was the first one to not say how incredible it was. And I was so appreciative of that because I'm like, oh my gosh, there's more to this than what I'm thinking it is, you know? And so I was so happy about that. And yeah.
And then, for the thing that was the most surprising to me, I think, for not having a huge idea of what 4-H was, I think the biggest thing was showing the longevity of what this program has done for each individual who took part in it, and how they still use these skills decades and decades and decades later. And even my oldest interviewee, Peggy, who to this day, when I interviewed her, had 4-H memorabilia all over her wall and just behind her when I was talking with her. And she was just-- it was every ounce. She loved it so much. And that, I think, was the most shocking and heartwarming to me, I think.
NANCY WELLS: So there's an online question from the online audience. You have a couple of people online from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Tompkins County, from both the Environment Team as well as 4-H. We're considering reviving our program, sewing fabric, sustainable fashion, merging youth education, and strategies for addressing climate change, environmental sustainability. I could see us utilizing and updating some of these existing materials that you found in the archives. Perhaps we can enlist your help in developing-- there we go. And there's the kicker. Perhaps we can enlist your help in developing some educational materials.
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Yes, absolutely. Yes. And I already have a bunch of ideas. Yeah.
AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]
AUDIENCE: And in building off of that, thank you so much, Samantha. What a great presentation. I'm so excited to enroll Penelope in 4-H when she's old enough. But to that end, it seems like there was a big heyday in the '70s, and you showed us some examples from the archives that really would have resonated with youth at that time, that the curricula was in line with what was kind of fashionable-- the making men, the bell bottoms with patches, et cetera.
And so building off this last question, how would you update the curricula today to resonate with youth and to inspire them to practice sustainability in fashion and also gain the empowerment that comes with making and designing and wearing your own clothes?
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Oh my god, this is-- yeah, you have all day? I got you. OK. So I have many ideas of what I think that should happen. I think a lot of things is, especially right now, it's so expensive to make your own clothing. It's so expensive. And also, there's no fabric stores anymore. Where do we go and buy fabric? And the fabric is so expensive.
So my thinking is to really go to second hand. What can we reuse of our own garments that we currently have that we can remake, that we can do things like that, to restyle our things and upcycle? And going to second hand stores and seeing what they have to remake and to design new things. I think it's difficult right now with the pricing of everything.
And so trying to be creative while still using that. My original idea for my dissertation is I would like to bring a curriculum that's more updated to my small town in Herkimer, New York, and to the youth there, as I would have loved something like this to be there when I was in high school.
And I talked to Talia, who I mentioned here. She's one of the teachers there. And she's like, you can have my students. You can have them. Come talk to them. They would love this. And so talking with students and putting them first, putting them first, and having them help me design this curriculum. Not what I think they're going to like, but what they actually will like.
And really saying, what are you interested in? What do you want to know? What do you want to learn how to do? And we'll do some other things, like sewing on buttons and things like that. But really, I think putting it in their hands is the biggest, most important part for that empowerment and feeling like their voice matters in a world where sometimes it's hard, especially during their youth time. Yeah.
AUDIENCE: So Samantha, thank you. I want to second everything you just said. And we'll talk about funding and making that happen somehow. I can think of a grant, maybe, Denise, that we can apply for. So you started off the conversation reminding us that lessons from history inform our future. And so I wonder, what is a lesson or a question that you're bringing from your adventures in the archives and listening to the oral histories that we should think about in creating that curriculum and the new opportunities that we are creating together?
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Yes, I think the things that speak-- well, that was actually a question. I did not have it up here, but it was in my thesis. What do you want? What do you feel should be into modern day curriculum? And when I asked my interviewees this, they said, how to sew on buttons, how to hem, certain things that-- they're like, these are things I use today, even how to fix zippers.
Do you know how many-- I had one woman told me how she's the only one in her small town who knows how to fix these things. And so she is constantly-- she already has a full-time job, and she's still constantly fixing stuff for people. She has all this-- she's like, I'm backlogged. I'm fixing everyone's buttons. And she's trying to do it all.
And so she's like, I feel like if kids or youth, if we have these skills come back, I think those are things-- just a button. It costs so much to go to a seamstress to get that on. And she goes, when it's not necessary. And so I think really looking at what they thought and those things. I don't know about aprons. I might stay away from it. But again, the aprons are history in my eyes now for 4-H specifically. But yeah, no, I think definitely these little small kind of things that really make a difference in everyone's clothing.
AUDIENCE: We'll just invite the boys too.
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Oh yeah. Absolutely. Everyone. Yes, yes. That's not even a question.
AUDIENCE: Thank you, Samantha. It's not really a question, but I think there are probably people listening, graduate students thinking about the fellowship. Can you talk a little bit about that journey in the archives? I mean, did you have experience before this?
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: No, I didn't.
AUDIENCE: So just if you could talk a little bit about that.
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Yes. So no, I did not have any experience. I actually was only-- yeah, I was only in my second semester here at Cornell. And I've only been to that library once or twice. And then, if it wasn't for Denise, who's in the archives all the time. She's always there. So she kind of taught me the ways-- taught me the ways through that. And so are you, Eileen. You helped me so much.
And learning how to do that. And it's so interesting and so cool. I would always tell people, it's like I'm going underground into this area to try and research what's going-- it's really fun. It's really great. And I think anyone who would want to apply, it's a great opportunity to really look and see what the history has taught us, if that's good, if it's not so good, and revamping and learning about that and how we can inform current work or write books or whatever that may be.
And I think the experience alone, at the end I was like-- I was kind of overwhelmed because I was going so often to try and get this stuff done. Now I'm like, oh my gosh, I miss the archives all the time. I want to go back. I need to go back in there. Yeah, I 100% recommend everything. And every single person who works in archives is fantastic and will help you with every step of the way. And it really is fantastic. Yeah.
AUDIENCE: Thanks. So I think I have two questions for you. First, I'm curious if you saw shifts through the time that you were studying the club. Were there shifts in terms of the focus or can you say a little bit about that?
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Like through the eras?
AUDIENCE: Yeah.
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Yes. Yes, absolutely. Especially with some of those ones that I was showing with the man's shirt is a woman's problem, that was from the 1960s. And then the one was from the '50s, that making shirts for the men, whatever that one was. Yes, those were from the '60s. And it wasn't even fully a decade later that we were showing those ones that was all about youth empowerment and how to express yourselves.
And yeah, it was definitely interesting. And then it kind of-- I didn't go fully in depth within the '80s. A little bit. A few things. And that was more of second hand too. But I think my primary research was in the '50s, '60s, '70s, and there was a major change through that. And I think there still probably was too.
AUDIENCE: Thanks. My second question, I'm curious if you have plans to publish your work. Are you thinking about a journal article or--
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Yes, I think that's my summer project. Yeah, that's what I'm going to be doing. I want to have this work out there, especially because it's my master's thesis. So I think that's my plan for this summer, is to get this into some kind of publication.
AUDIENCE: Thank you so much for presenting. I just wanted to ask-- I'm very curious-- what is a big challenge that you faced during your research, and how did you overcome it?
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Big challenge. Yeah, my mom just said it. Time, actually. Yeah. I'm trying to think because it wasn't really that challenging. It was actually pretty great. It was time. I had a very short time base. I actually fast tracked my masters, and I had to finish by August 1. And I started in the archives in March. So it was very fast paced.
So that was a big thing. I think another challenge was, really, I had so much data. I accumulated so much data that I haven't even gone through half of it yet. And so that is probably another challenge, was trying to weed through, what do I need? What do I don't need? And I want to showcase these other things too, but I can't yet.
So that's why I'm using this for my dissertation work as well, because these stories have to be told. I have to showcase these individuals who told me all these incredible stories and things like that. But yeah, time and allotment of data. Yes.
NANCY WELLS: Time for a couple more comments and questions online from the [INAUDIBLE]. They're good ones.
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: They're good ones.
NANCY WELLS: Yeah. So first of all, apropos the most recent one, you can publish with the Journal of Extension, is one recommendation given. The other one is, I was just having this conversation-- I think it was an earlier conversation-- with 4H educators about the need for updating our evaluation of fashion and clothing at the New York State Fair. So that's an interesting point. And then this one, "That was great. Thank you so much. Stephanie Moorehead, club leader." "So much fun. Sewing Club, Putnam County, New York."
SAMANTHA ALBERTS: Aw. Thank you.
Can historic 4-H clothing club curricula from the 20th century serve as a valuable source of sustainable fashion practices for today? In a presentation given at Mann Library in March 2025, Samantha Alberts, doctoral student studying Fiber Science and Apparel Design and 2024 recipient of the College of Human Ecology Graduate Archival Research Fellowship, shares the research she conducted on 4-H clothing club curricula from 1930-1990 exploring this very question. By analyzing archival materials from Cornell University’s Division of Rare and Manuscripts Collection and conducting 22 interviews with previous club participants and leaders, Alberts’ study explored how historical educational approaches might inform contemporary sustainable fashion design practices. The research investigates both the ecological insights and potential social limitations of these early educational methods, seeking to provide nuanced insights that could help address the environmental challenges posed by the fashion industry today.Samantha Alberts is from Herkimer, New York and is a first-year PhD student in the College of Human Ecology. Alberts research explores integrating archival and oral histories into the realm of sustainable fashion. Her work emphasizes community outreach, youth development, and exploring how history can inform and enhance modern-day sustainable fashion practices.This talk was hosted by Mann Library and the Cornell College of Human Ecology.
