Spill the Tea: Painted Faces and Powders

Spend your Saturday morning steeped in history. Join us for tea, light bites, and an engaging lecture exploring the hidden stories of women in the apothecary tradition — from healers and shopkeepers to educators and heritage keepers who sustained medical knowledge and community care across generations.
Cosmetic and apothecary historian Alicia Schult presents "Behind the Counter, the Family, and Beyond: Women in the Apothecary from Healers to Heritage Keepers." Together we'll explore the overlooked women who worked in apothecaries, examine how the apothecary differed from the pharmacy, and trace women's roles in healing traditions from pre-18th century Europe through WWII and the rise of modern regulations.
Your ticket includes a curated tea service, light bites inspired by classic tea fare, and Alicia's presentation. Raffle tickets will also be available for purchase during the event.
Alicia’s mission is to bring ancient knowledge of natural and herbal remedies to modern audiences in a way that is accessible and understandable. She strives to uncover hidden recipes and reproduce them, making this knowledge and healing abilities available to the world through her products. She inspires and educates others, just like her grandmother did for her.
She lives with her partner and their two apothecary cats in Wisconsin. They love traveling the world, perusing antiques and junk shops, and looking for lost information. Before the Historical Apothecary, Alicia self-published a few sewing and drafting manuals to more accurately facilitate and recreate modern historical garments. Currently, she is branching out and writing a novel rooted not in the historical apothecary but in other lost ancient wisdom.
She has been studying the ancient and historical art of compounding natural and herbal ingredients and their uses throughout history for over 35 years. She has degrees in history, museum work, anthropology, and archaeology. She enjoys teaching classes and giving lectures on historical beauty and apothecaries throughout history. Before the apothecary, she had her own bespoke historical clothing business and worked in the museum world. She still collaborates with museums for her work and has an extensive collection of original apothecary and beauty products, along with other artifacts, archives, and manuscripts. Her work can be seen in many museums around the world.
Want more? Join us Thursday, June 18 for the 18th Century Cosmetics Workshop — a hands-on evening of history, beauty, and a take-home kit worth $85.