Alice Holubar, Kiddie Packs, and Frostline DIY Kits: Gender and Families in the Colorado Outdoor Industry

Join us to explore the sometimes overlooked and frequently misunderstood accomplishments of Boulder’s women this March.

Colorado’s outdoorswomen helped to shape the modern culture of outdoor recreation. Alice Holubar, who owned the Boulder-based Holubar Mountaineering in the 1960s, was renowned as an equipment designer and community builder. Margaret Hansson ushered in a new generation of kids into the woods with her design for the Gerry Kiddie Carrier. And while a catalog for a Frostline Do-It-Yourself kit from the 1970s claimed that anyone should be able to sew a down vest, many men relied on the sewing prowess of their wives or mothers. This talk explores the often-forgotten stories of women who made Colorado’s outdoor industry—and the outdoors—a more welcoming space for women and families.

FREE + OPEN TO THE PUBLIC | Seating is limited – please RSVP here

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Rachel Gross is a Postdoctoral Teaching, Research, and Mentoring Fellow at the Davidson Honors College of the University of Montana, where she teaches U.S. environmental, consumer culture, and public history. She completed her PhD in U.S. History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017. The Smithsonian Institution, the Lemelson Center, the Hagley Museum and Library, and the Mellon Foundation have supported her work on the history of outdoor clothing and gear. She is completing a manuscript on the history of the outdoor industry from “buckskin to Gore-Tex.” Her public history work includes a museum exhibit on “Outdoor Gear Stories From the Treasure State” and lectures at historical societies and museums throughout the west.

Generous support provided by: City of Boulder Human Relations Commission + Elevations Credit Union.