Friends of Watford-Museum History Talk

A history of the smockfrock: From farm to fashion
Jo Wiltcher, BA (Hons), MA

Many museums, including Watford Museum have examples of the smockfrock in their collection. This item of male working-class clothing is familiar from nostalgic 19th century paintings of rural life as well as novels such as Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd. But how much do we really know about this garment and the men who wore it? This talk examines the surprising history of the smockfrock from its origins as a man’s outer garment, to its adoption by artists, then as children’s ware and finally onto the catwalk as a designer item of women’s clothing in the 21st century.

About the speaker
Jo Wiltcher is a museum consultant with a specialism in fashion history. Jo started her career as a costume maker before undertaking a degree in history and history of art. More recently Jo attained an MA in Fashion Curation from London College of Fashion where the subject of her dissertation was the Smockfrock. Jo has been working in museums for over 20 years and this talk draws on her knowledge of museum collections as well as fashion and art history.

Timings & Tours

Wednesday 11 September:

2pm - 4pm

Location & directions

Watford Town Hall Annexe, Hempstead Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 3EX

Contact on day:

Lewis Butler

Telephone number:

+441923278705

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking required

Booking conditions:

Please email [email protected]

Booking contact name:

Watford Friends

Booking telephone number:

+441923232297

Booking email:

[email protected]

Booking website:

https://www.watfordmuseum.org.uk/

Booking opens:

08 Aug 2024 12:00 AM

Booking closes:

10 Sep 2024 12:00 AM

Additional information

Max no of people per tour:

25

Est. tour duration:

2 hour(s)

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