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Aprons are a part of our history
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Neighbors | Shaiyla Hakeem .Poland's Beverly Chorey walks around the meeting room at Poland Library showing off an apron that was a part of a collection belonging to guest speaker Jan Noel. The Friends of Poland Library meet each month for coffee, a short program and business meeting.
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Neighbors | Shaiyla Hakeem .Jan Noel, of Canfield, addresses the Friends of Poland Library on the topic of aprons. She has a collection of aprons compiled over decades including a personal creation that won a blue ribbon at the Canfeild fair last summer.
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Neighbors | Shaiyla Hakeem .Poland's JoAnn Dama (left), Mary Ann Elias and Ruth Tower prepare for the business meeting following the apron presentaion on Tuesday. All three are members of the Friends of Poland Library whose mission is to, "Support the library."
By SHAIYLA HAKEEM
Remember when kitchen aprons were given as wedding and birthday gifts? These women do.
The Friends of Poland Library gathered Tuesday to explore the history and significance of the kitchen apron. Canfield resident Jan Noel was the guest speaker that took group members back to a time when aprons were not only a fashion statement, but a kitchen necessity.
“Aprons are a part of our history,” she said, “They reflect social change.”
Over the years, the creation and craft of aprons has been misplaced, but not forgotten. The rise of women’s independence in the workforce shed negative light on the apron, according to Noel.
“In the 1960s, women began to think of aprons as a form of treachery,” she said. “I didn’t view it like that, I viewed it as protection from food like tomato sauce!”
Regardless of the style or color, the group enjoyed each other’s aprons and conversations.
The Friends of Poland Library meet once a month in the meeting room of the Poland Library for coffee, a short program and a business meeting. Membership is open to the public for men and women. For information, contact membership chairperson Carol McCoy at 330-757-1080.