New Year, New (Old) Clothes!

Hello, friends!
As many of you know, I curate the Period Clothing Exhibit at The Oldest House in Laceyville, PA. This year, the House will open in late summer, because (we hope) we will be having the foundation repaired during the spring and early summer.
This means I'll be spending several days in late January and early February packing away all the lovely period clothing I've acquired and which has been on display at the House during the past three years. Everything will be safely stored while the work on the foundation is being done, and then once it's finished, everything will come out of storage and a new exhibit will be mounted.
So I've given quite a bit of thought as to what I might wish to display this year, and I've come up with a general concept. The 2016 and very likely 2017 display(s) will focus on work: around the house, in the fields, in the towns.
Because the very antique clothing from the 18th century is scarce, I'm just grateful for what we have. I cannot honestly say that the 1790's brocade 'round gown' would be worn for work, LOL. But I could create (I think) a small tableau with a maid/lady's maid figure dressed in the 1780's cotton 'indienne' and possibly with an apron as well, is lacing up the brocade gown, or otherwise in service, if you see what I mean.
Small challenge: most of my mannequins don't have arms, so it will be a bit of a challenge to make this look right, but I have confidence!
Also, the male 1780's figure in this area could be posed with some sort of antique instrument--a surveying thingie, maybe, or something else. I've just started thinking about this, so suggestions are welcome.
We know the folks in what was to become Laceyville by 1850 or so were largely farmers to begin with. But one man who lived in The Oldest House, Samuel Sturdevant, Jr., was also quite the businessman. He owned a couple of sawmills in the area and also other interests. I don't think he was a surveyor, and frankly I chose that profession because I think their instruments are small and light enough to fit in the display. Also, George Washington was a surveyor. So anyway, that might be what my 18th century man is doing.
The early 19th century people are another tableau. I suspect I'll put a riding crop in the man's hand (or where his hand would be if the mannequin had arms and hands LOL), to suggest that he has been out and about, perhaps on business. There are two female mannequins as well: I may just use one, however, and manifest an idea I had a while back: I'll put one of the authentic aprons I have from that period on her, as well, and put dried herbs and such in one hand and perhaps in a basket nearby or something. In these days, herbs and flowers were used to make or flavor many many things, from cordials to soap to tinctures that might help various illnesses. So in this way, she will be pictured as 'working.'
The next section of the display carries on from the Regency period to the early Victorian/Civil War and post Civil War Period. This is in the first bedchamber, which is quite a large space. Once the foundation is completed, I plan to switch around some of the furniture here, nothing too drastic but enough to make the flow of the display a little different. I have one male mannequin here, and I'm not sure what I'll do with him. I'll have to see. As for the women, I plan to bring the plainer dresses more to the fore, give them their shot in the spotlight, as it were. Prairie dresses and bonnets, traveling outfits, things like that. Depending on what plans other volunteers have for it, I could even have the antique sewing machine we were given a few years back as a highlight of this room, with a mannequin seated at it, and 'sewing.' We'll have to see.
The High Victorian room--and I'll be flipping the furniture here too, as this bedchamber is quite small, so I need to make more space!--will possibly have a typewriting display similar to the sewing display, with more utilitarian clothing on the mannequins.
And the Edwardian-WWI room--which is the largest area upstairs--will have mannequins in work clothes, including a WWI nurse, day wear, suits, etc. I plan to have a small display on Suffragettes as well, to tie in with the whole women in the workforce theme.
So, off I go now, to do more research!
Updates to come...thank you for reading...