Crosspost from r/AskHistorians: What do you want to know about wool and science in the mid-twentieth century? AMA with Dr. Melissia Littlefield, author of Reinventing Wool: How a Natural Fiber Survived the Synthetic Revolution

Crosspost from r/AskHistorians: What do you want to know about wool and science in the mid-twentieth century? AMA with Dr. Melissia Littlefield, author of Reinventing Wool: How a Natural Fiber Survived the Synthetic Revolution

What do you want to know about wool and science in the mid-twentieth century?

Hi r/AskHistorians! My name is Melissa Littlefield and I'm a professor at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. My latest book is called Reinventing Wool: How a Natural Fiber Survived the Synthetic Revolution. Textile histories of the synthetic revolution in mid-twentieth century America tend to focus on the man-made fibers (e.g. nylon and polyester) that were reshaping the world of textiles. Reinventing Wool flips this perspective to ask what was happening to wool as synthetic fabrics began to emerge and then dominate consumer markets.

I'll be in this thread answering your questions about wool and science in the mid-twentieth century from 2:00-5:00pm CST today, October 13th! If you've already read the book and have a specific question about any of the research there, I would also be happy to chat about those questions, too!

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