While a flax field might not seem an obvious place to find a historian, it’s the heart of Alexandra Macdonald’s hands-on research project that weaves together untold stories of textile makers in the 1700s.

The Postdoctoral Fellow and historian of material culture joined Brock’s Department of History earlier this year to further her research in 18th-century textile and dye-making practices, with a focus on natural dyes and fibres like indigo and flax.

Macdonald’s research is rooted in the historical context of the British Atlantic, specifically drawing on Irish flax traditions from the 1700s and 1800s. A key part of her research is understanding tacit knowledge of the time to recover lost skills of historical makers.

“I study many sources, including historical recipe books, that describe the processes of crafting, dyeing and medicinal concoctions to uncover lost or obscured knowledge passed through generations through oral and informal written history. Often, they are authored by women or marginalized groups,” she said.

Macdonald is particularly interested in how historical makers of textiles used sensory experiences to inform their processes.

“Smell, texture and visual cue were used to great effect in the historical processes of extracting colorants from plants and transforming raw fibres into textiles long before scientific methods were formalized,” she said.

Macdonald’s current project in collaboration with The Brown Homestead involves cultivating flax in dense three by eight foot plots from seed to fibre, with hopes to eventually spin and weave it into linen fabric, mirroring historical methods that date back centuries.

The first phase, Macdonald said, is focused on testing the viability of flax crops at the heritage site, which is the oldest heritage home in St. Catharines.

“The plan is to harvest the plants, dry and “rett” (soak) them, then break and comb the fibres for future spinning. Next year, we hope to complete the process to the spinning stage, and test dyeing with both local and non-local natural dyes,” she said.

Jessica Linzel (BA ’18, MA ’21), Director of Research and Collections at The Brown Homestead and a Brock History graduate, said the team is thrilled to partner with Macdonald as she conducts part of her flax and material culture research on site.

“Although The Brown Homestead is now a cultural centre and community space, this historic site has, for most of its existence, served as a family farm. We feel a sense of pride in watching the land fulfill its historical purpose once again by growing crops to serve the community,” she said.

Macdonald’s project will go beyond the field when her work is shared the wider community as part of Tales and Trails: Autumn Playday at the Homestead on Saturday Oct. 4, an event presented in partnership with The Brown Homestead as part of Culture Days.

During the event, Macdonald will help families “break” flax stalks by crushing their outer layers to separate the fibres from the woody stem and then comb, or “hackle,” the fibres to prepare them for spinning.

Jessica Clark, Associate Professor of History, said Macdonald’s work brings history to life.

“Ali does this by asking us to think about making, the senses and how knowledge is created,” she said. “By inviting community members to contribute to the research process, she emphasizes how the past was made up of dynamic, lived experiences that, thanks to this initiative, we can take part in today.”