Our Programs

Available Lectures:

Underpinning the sensationalism of battle reports & broadsides is the often silent steadiness of women’s work with textiles. The choices they made every day about fashion and fabric consumption & creation drove the course of Revolution just as determinedly as any congress. As southern New England commemorates the 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial) of the War for Independence, it is these local lives dressed in fulled wool or spun silk that continue to inspire creativity, resilience, and empathy in us today. From the mythology of homespun to legends of midnight rides in red cloaks & calashes, the Dirty Blue Shirts share stories of women who waged war on multiple fronts as well as a look at what they wore as their worlds turn’d upside down. This program is presented by costumed historians and includes reproduction clothing pieces & fabric samples as well as a PowerPoint presentation with images of extant originals.

While Europe’s drawing-rooms dressed Regency, we Americans were developing our own Federal style. From the balmy ports of the Carolinas to the snowy harbors of New England, ships offloaded fabrics & fashion papers to a waiting audience of savvy consumers. At home, textile production was growing apace, providing everyday fabrics as well as employment for countless citizens. Join the Dirty Blue Shirts for a show-and-feel of the clothing of the new Republic, the ways in which we stayed on top of European styles and the ways in which we made our own sartorial marks on the international scene.

It followed the fish, the flight paths of immigrants, the sea-lanes of war: the knitted clothing of New England reflects maritime cultures the world over. Rich with origin mythology and salty with sailors' yarns, garments like nippers, half-handers, and the infamous fisherman's sweater each hold a romantic yet real place in our coastal History. Join Rebecca Bayreuther Donohue, historian & knitter, for an ode to wool and marvel once again at how the sea connects us all. A PowerPoint chronology comes to life with examples of breed-specific yarns and recreated garments.

An interactive musical and maritime history program. Sea Chantey are traditional folk songs sung by sailors to accompany their work on ships. Be prepared to join in on a sea chantey chorus! Presented by Johann Heupel.

Explore the history of Irish lace from 18th century bobbin lace to mid-19th century crochet with Amanda Flynn Rumney of Dirty Blue Shirts. Through period examples and recreations of collars, reticules, and more, this program follows crochet's journey from a means of survival to high Victorian fashion.

Halloween is one of America's most popular holidays - but did you know the origins of this autumnal celebration can be traced back into the shadowy past of ancient Ireland? Join lecturer Liz Hannan Kading as she delves into Halloween's ancestry deep within the mysterious harvest rituals of ancient Ireland, the transformation of Halloween from Pagan festival to Christian holy day in the Middle Ages, and the mischievous and beguiling Halloween customs carried across the sea by Irish immigrants in the 19th century. We'll explore haunting practices that originated in Ireland but remain essential to our observance of Halloween in the present day - demonstrating the enduring influence of Irish history and culture on our modern celebration of Halloween!

Since ancient times, the winter solstice has been observed around the world as a period of rebirth and hope. Archaeological evidence reveals that the winter solstice was commemorated in Ireland thousands of years ago and the solstice and Christmas holiday season continue to be a time of reverence and rejoicing in Ireland today. Join lecturer Elizabeth Hannan Kading and musician Richard Franklin Donohue for a lively and engaging exploration of how this festive season has been celebrated in Ireland from pre-history into the present.

This one-hour program features a PowerPoint slide show and a lecture interspersed with Irish Christmas music.

Gov. Trumbull House, Lebanon, CT. October 2024.

CT Sea Music Festival, Essex, CT. June 2024

Spirits of Island Cemetery, Newport, RI. October 2025.

Immersive Programming:

Maritime Demonstrations: Great for museums, festivals, and family-friendly events! The Dirty Blue Shirts will educate your audience through hands-on activities including rope-making, netting, cargo handling, the Dead Horse Ceremony, and more!
Living History Events: The Dirty Blue Shirt can bring life to any historical site! From women's history and material culture to maritime history, the Shirts can bring life to any historic site, backed by academic research. Planning for your institution's 2026 Semiquincentennial calendar of events? The Dirty Blue Shirts are currently expanding our 1770s-1780s repertoire.
Cemetery Tours: We bring reverence and historical accuracy to each of our cemetery programs at all times of the year - from Memorial Day to All Hallows' Eve!
Prohibition and Rum Running Events: The 1920s is one of our favorite decades to interpret. We are always open to bringing our love of this exciting period of Connecticut history to new venues!