Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

History

Advisor

Kathleen McCarthy

Committee Members

Megan Elias

Annie Valk

Kara Schlichting

Subject Categories

Cultural History | Food Studies | History of Gender | History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Social History | United States History | Women's History

Keywords

US History, Women's History, Mycology, Mushrooms, Foraging

Abstract

Unearthing origins of modern mycophilia, this dissertation explores the mushroom mania which reverberated through American society at the turn of the twentieth century, empowering Anglo-American women in new ways. America’s largely forgotten first mushroom fad illuminates gendered negotiations of foraging culture and public science. Beginning in the 1880s, a remarkable cohort of women helped turn mushrooms from shunned, mysterious organisms into wholesome delicacies for culinary and intellectual enrichment. Female enthusiasts fostered a vibrant mushroom culture and nationwide network of mycophiles. Culinary applications and poisoning fears legitimized women’s presence in scientific endeavors, positioning mycology as vital female knowledge for public safety and elevated, efficient foodways. Women leveraged this toward expanded roles. Even those without formal training claimed space and belonging as researchers, writers and authorities, sidestepping gendered barriers of professionalization and masculinization. In the process, they challenged divides between popular/academic, gastronomic/scientific and feminine/masculine. They enriched their communities, evidenced female capability and advanced the discipline. Yet mycology’s domestic ties only generated opportunities for some. Even while helping revitalize the ancient practice, privileged mycophiles functioned as restrictive arbiters of “correct” modern American foraging and foodways. Insistence on scientific adherence left little room for multiplicities of expertise, denigrating long-held customs among marginalized immigrant and Indigenous communities. Mycophiles refashioned foraging into a science-minded middle-class pastime. The competent forager was typified by whiteness and affluence, fueling exclusion in outdoor pursuits that persists today. Ultimately, this work interrogates convergences of academic, domestic and traditional understandings. It asks who could serve as custodians of knowledge and how authority was determined. The unique lens of mushroom culture elucidates societal concerns which continue to shape Americans’ relationship with the natural world and its offerings.

Download

Share

COinS