June 15th – September 25th
170 Washington Street, Marblehead
The Marblehead Museum presents a retrospective exhibit about Marblehead Handprints at the Museum gallery at 170 Washington Street. If you remember Marblehead Handprints you will enjoy seeing them again. If you don’t remember Marblehead Handprints you will be charmed and fascinated by this local success story of a women’s small business that spread across the United States. Due to COVID-19 limitations the exhibit will have a soft opening, with more celebrations planned for later in the early fall.
The history of Marblehead Handprints, beginning in the early 1970s, unfolded against a backdrop of social change that was happening throughout the United States. Racial equality, gay rights, economic oppression and women’s rights were all being questioned at this time. Change was in the air and eventually led to greater awareness, expanded rights and improved independence for many.
Though Marblehead was by no means a hotbed of revolutionary thought at this time, it was influenced by the shift in society’s attitudes. Marblehead Handprints was not ever conceived as a protest, but it is representative of changes for women that began in the late 1960s and are still ongoing. The story of Marblehead Handprints is a reflection of the opportunities for women that became possible at the same time that the business was developing.
Molly Haley and Kathy Walters were young women living in Marblehead in 1970. Their interests brought them together when Molly was teaching silk screen printing at the Marblehead Arts Association and Kathy enrolled in the class. That’s how their friendship and business began. The business lasted for over twenty years, expanding to hundreds of products and stores from Marblehead to California. The bright, colorful designs by Molly and Kathy reflected the fashion changes of the time, and they have an ongoing appeal that still resonates with everyone who sees them.
Designed and curated by Pam Peterson.
