Madelyn Shaw & Trish FitzSimons: Fleeced - Unraveling the history of wool and war – an odyssey

Not everything about wool is warm and fuzzy ... Fleeced exposes how heightened demand for wool in wartime existed historically in an international vortex of negotiation, intrigue and anxiety, and the way that this contributes to today’s disastrous reliance on synthetic textiles and fast fashion. The 19th century rise of industrial manufacture of woolen fabrics and Southern hemisphere sheep husbandry underpinned an enormous increase in the size of 20th century armies. Wool was also central to frontier wars. Pulling at threads of family history and exploring objects to reveal nuances of our story are key strategies of Fleeced.

Madelyn Shaw is a curator and author specialising in the exploration of American culture and history, and its international connections, through textiles and dress. She was textile curator of the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian until 2021. She has curated more than 50 exhibitions and published widely, including Homefront and Battlefield: Quilts and Context in the Civil War.
Trish FitzSimons is a documentary filmmaker and curator with a passion for social history, and an adjunct professor, Griffith University. Interview has been a defining component of her practice for the last 40 years, in documentary films, a book and exhibitions.

Pub talks – $15 (includes one drink), Sunday 10 August 2025 4 pm

Book through Humanitix or pay at the door. Eftpos and cash are accepted.
Enjoy interesting conversation along with good food and drink at Gardner's Inn, Blackheath, the oldest continuously licensed hotel still trading in the Blue Mountains. After the talk stay for a meal at one of the best Pub Food locations in the area, their Beef & Guinness Pot Pie is a signature treat.

Trish FitzSimons and Madelyn Shaw: Fleeced - Unraveling the history of wool and war

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Blackheath History Forum