Pillow Talk:  Discovering Early New England Bed Chambers

An Historic Deerfield Forum

Few spaces are more personal than the bedroom.  In the past, bed chambers functioned as multipurpose spaces for sleeping, lovemaking, tending young children, getting dressed, washing and toileting, entertaining friends, giving birth, caring for the sick, and ultimately dying. The most important focal piece of the bed chamber was the bed and its textiles or “bed furniture.” For the very wealthy, highly decorated beds represented a status symbol.  The quest for comfort and a good night’s sleep was not to be taken for granted in early America. This one-day forum at Historic Deerfield brings together a diverse group of historians and specialists who will focus on the functions and material culture of the New England bed chamber.  We will discuss issues of fashion and status, comfort, privacy, sleep patterns, health, and hygiene.