Invested in the Environment of the Time: Behind the Scenes in the World of Living History

Invested in the Environment of the Time

Invested in the Environment of the Time

Invested in the Environment of the Time

Invest: to use, give, or devote (time, talent, etc.), as for a purpose or to achieve something.

Environment: conditions & influences - social & cultural forces that shape the life of a person or a population.

Time: a particular period considered as distinct from other periods. 

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I'm doing my best to replicate the 1770s.

How much are you willing to invest in your hobby of living history?  I mean, it is not cheap to recreate the world of the past.  I know that to get a decent set of "new" clothing - a coat, waistcoat, shirt, breeches, socks, cravats/neckstocks, buckle shoes, and cocked hat - can cost from as little as $800 to upward of $1500 or more in some cases.
And if you really want to be as accurate as you can, each garment should be hand-sewn.  Of course, you would have to find someone willing to take on such a task, which will certainly increase the total price.  Or do it yourself, if you know how to sew.
(Unfortunately, there are some who feel it's hand sown or nothing - - - don't even come out if it's not. Elitists like this put a damper on the hobby for everyone else who cannot afford such costs)~
Most of what I own is sewn by way of a sewing machine, either from a shop or by my wife.  I simply cannot afford period clothing any other way.  However, I have a knit cap and mittens that my wife made for me from scratch, beginning with raw wool.  She cleaned and carded and spun and dyed (using natural dyes) then knitted them for me.  And my wide-brimmed farm hat is also hand-made (by a man named George Franks III).
Even though the rest of my garments aren't hand-sewn,  I am doing my best to be as accurate as I can.  I like to think that if I suddenly found myself zapped into the past, no one would give me a second glance...until I opened my mouth (lol).
But to bring the past to life - to have that travel through time experience - one also needs to research the period being recreated.  There is nothing worse than seeing a well-dressed reenactor who has little to no knowledge of the era they are depicting.  Oh, they might repeat a line or two from a Facebook 'history' meme (spare me) or from a Hollywood movie (and we know the accuracy of those), but in actuality, they know very little.
Yeah...that just kills it, in my opinion.
So adding to your home research library is a must (I feel it's better to own than borrow so you can mark and highlight all you please).  Books on the occurrences of the day, whether it is of a war or migration or politics or every day living, or any other subject of interest can become a well-rounded course of a historical diet.
And there are also the accessories which accent presentations.  I have to admit, I am big on accessorizing.  When my presentation partner and I speak to groups, such as schools, historical societies, reenactments, or, as we did recently, with the Sons of the American Revolution, we come prepared.  We don't do power-point presentations and speak in mono-toned voices of what each picture shown on the screen is, but, instead, bring replicated or actual artifacts along with us to make our lecture come alive, and gives our audience the chance to see and touch history.  In fact, I had one gentleman tell me, "I just saw all this stuff in a museum!"
Now that was a compliment.

Such a fine patriotic group!

Recently, Larissa and I were asked to present about life on a colonial farm to members of the local Detroit Chapter of the SAR: Sons of the American Revolution, the largest male lineage organization in the U.S.  The SAR work with other organizations in furthering the understanding of the American Revolution - teaching and celebrating our early American history.  What's more, included with the SAR is the National Ladies Auxiliary Sons of the American Revolution, which has been of major assistance to the National Society.  Not to be confused with the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), the Ladies Auxilary of SAR is open to women related by marriage or bloodline to members in good standing or members deceased while in good standing, and they have raised thousands of dollars to help the Society in carrying out its mission of inspiring patriotism and informing others of the contributions of our revolutionary ancestors.

For us to present to the Sons of the American Revolution was such an honor! I mean, to be in a room filled with men who were descended from Revolutionary War soldiers is really quite a historical thrill.  And they were a fine audience indeed, for they showed a keen interest in learning how many of their ancestors lived before and after their tenure in the Continental Army.

Larissa and I with some of the accessories we bring to our historic presentations. We will get to what's on the table momentarily, but what is more difficult to see are some of the farm tools behind me:

I see two hand-made wooden farm implements behind me: a hay fork and a rake. In front of me there is a yoke with two buckets, and in front of Larissa we see a butter churn.

(Photo courtesy of Chris White)

What you are not seeing in these pictures is the scythe, a sickle, and a flail, which we also bring along for our presentations.  If we can, sometimes we will have two spinning wheels as well: a Saxony wheel and a great (or walking) wheel.

To get a closer view of our table items:

I spy with my little eye...pure beeswax and candles at various stages of dipping, a candle mold, a brass candle holder, an actual 18th c candle snuffer, a Betty lamp, a lanthorn, a butter paddle, a wrapped sugar cone and sugar nipper, sheep shearer, hog scraper, a block of tea, carding paddles, niddy noddy, wool on various stages from raw to spun & dyed, a tin kitchen, and, up front to the right, a "No Stamp Act" tea pot to show where our loyalties lie.

Larissa explains the process of cooking by way of a 'tin kitchen'.

(photo courtesy of Chris White)

And one more "accessory" that I purchased just this past January:

Every farmer needs his gun.
Yes, I finally purchased a replicated musket that would have been used for hunting. And...if I feel the need (and get permission, of course), I can always be a minuteman during some reenactment battles.
(I did not bring my gun to the presentation, for I was not sure if it would be allowed) 

As you can see, accessories can add greatly to any presentation, whether in front of a seated audience or at a living history event.  In other words, we should do our ultimate best to help recreate the world of the past utilizing the senses of sight, sound, touch, and, yes, even smell & taste.  It's my hope that those who come see us at a reenactment will feel as if they stepped through a portal through time, for we hopefully are, as the title of this post states, invested in the environment of the time.
And it's quite an investment indeed.
This is the sort of fortitude that works very well with the Civil War Civilian reenacting group I belong to, and I have high hopes that the same will occur with my colonial-era group, "Citizens of the American Colonies," as well.

Ah, there I am, speaking at the Citizens of the American Colonies living historians meeting about upcoming events for 2019, as well as encouraging everyone to raise the living history bar to higher levels.
Yes, we are in a Victorian setting, but, well, that's the way this large room we call our gathering room (or parlor) is decorated.

It's exciting to have such a group as Citizens of the American Colonies.  Most of my members came from (and still participate in) Civil War reenacting; they are folks who are interested in expanding their historical horizons, and while many are sprinting into the future to do WWII, others are finding heading further into the past around the time of our country's birth to be more enticing.
To join my group I only require that members do their best to not only have period clothing, but to research...research...and research some more, and then put that research to work.  Also, members must attend and fully participate in at least one event/reenactment under our moniker.
That's it.
No dues.  I do not believe in paying to play. And, so far, it's been working quite well.  You see, I'm not interested in someone giving me money to show they have a "vested interest" in reenacting.  Purchasing an 18th century wardrobe is, to me, enough to show me one's good intentions.  And then participating with us at a historic event, such as Colonial Kensington, Historic Fort Wayne, Mill Race Village for the 4th of July, or any of the other reenactments in our area, also shows the interest in being a member.  Of course, taking part in more than one event is a plus.
But knowing you have taken part in an event under my group's name is enough for me, and that's how I include members on the roster.
And it works:

Excited members of Citizens of the American Colonies (and a couple of friends) at Mill Race Village on the 4th of July, 2018.

I do realize that it can take quite a while to work up to a satisfactory level of living history as to bring the past to the present in a believable manner.  It's not cheap by any means, and takes time; many in the Citizens group are at various levels but continue to improve. It does give members something to strive for, and it encourages everyone to keep reaching for new levels.
So every March I have a "Citizens" meeting at my house, and it's here where we not only plan for upcoming events, but teach and learn on improving our impression, whether one portrays a historic figure of the period, such as I do at times as Paul Revere, or shows other aspects of living in the past - again, me as a farmer or Charlotte as a 'boot blacker.'  And it's here where longtime reenactors can share from personal past experiences as well as give hints of what has worked for them and what hasn't.
We never stop learning.
The following are a few pictures from my Citizens of the American Colonies meeting from March 2nd:

Jackie and Charlotte really began to participate last year and I was very glad at their wanting to do even more this year. 

Ken, on the left, has been reenacting the RevWar era since around 1970.
That's 1970 - that's one year shy of 50 years!
To his left we have one, and maybe two more potential members.

My son and his girlfriend were also in attendance.

We spoke a bit on accessorizing our campsites and I pulled out a few items I had:

Tom checked out a new flag purchase
I recently made: the Grand Union Flag.

Evan's mother took this picture of me putting the yoke with the milk buckets on his shoulders. Yes, as a colonial child, this could have easily been one of his daily jobs.
Remember: youth is the future of the past.

My favorite lanthorn, utilizing a cow's horn
as the translucent by boiling it in water and
peeling off thin layers to allow light to
pass through.

The lanthorn is such an unusual style of lantern as it becomes a wonderful conversation starter.
It's one of my favorite pieces.

My Citizens of the American Colonies meeting was decently attended, though there were a few who could not make it, unfortunately.  And a number were dressed in their colonial finest.

Time for one more picture:
a group shot of all Citizens of the American Colonies attendees, 
whether dressed period or modern.

One of the topics we spoke on at the meeting was where and how to purchase clothing and accessories to get into the reenacting hobby, or to add to one's collection.  This is an excellent segue into one of my favorite weekends of the year, The Kalamazoo Living History Show, which takes place the third weekend in March and is sort of a super-mall for reenactors.  It is where nearly 300 of the finest artisans and vendors of pre-1890 living history clothing, supplies & accessories, and other related items & crafts come together from throughout the United States and Canada to sell their wares.  Funny thing...I hear now and again that many reenactors are leaving the French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the Civil War to head forward in time to the 1940s and World War II. I have been told that people just aren't interested in bringing the distant past to life, that it takes too much time, work, and research to do so.  Well, judging by the upwards of 10,000 living historians who made the trek through all kinds of weather to the Kalamazoo Living History Expo, I would say the reports of the death of reenacting pre-20th century America are greatly exaggerated.
Now...just imagine:
three wedding reception-size halls, each filled with row after row after row of vendors, all selling their historical wares; most of what is found at this exposition centers from around the French & Indian War (1754 - 1763) era through the War of 1812 then up to the Civil War period.  There aren't many places in the Great Midwest where we can go to that specializes in the much-harder-to-find colonial accessories to the extent the Kalamazoo Living History Show does.
The living historian/reenactor can pretty much find nearly anything he or she may need to complete their kit, whether soldier or civilian.  Even long-time "time-travelers" attend, sometimes for no other reason than to visit with friends in the hobby.  One of the best parts for me is seeing so many friends!  I couldn't walk more than a few feet without running into someone I knew!
And nearly every vendor dresses to the time of their wares, such as the ladies of the Carrot Patch Farm:

Not only do these ladies do spinning demonstrations, but they sell what they make, including socks, hats, scarves, and mittens.

The farm that is now called The Carrot Patch Farm, was owned by Frank and Hattie Peterson, who purchased it in 1914.  Susan Hanson, a great granddaughter of the Petersons, still lives and works on the farm, newly designated as one of Michigan’s centennial farms.
“When I look across the fields, I know I’m seeing the same thing as my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents saw,” said Susan. “The land, the crops, the animals we raise, all give us this amazing sense of history and family.”
You know that tradition runs high here, and those traditions, as you can see, are carrying on to the generations of today and, I am almost certain, to generations to come.

The 1st Pennsylvania had a table there, explaining the history of the original unit as well as the reenactors who now portray them, including Tony, on the left, and my son, Rob.

Now here's something you don't see every day:

Wigmakers were on hand, working their craft as people watched. They make the wigs in a traditional manner, not unlike those of the 18th century, as you can see in this next photograph:

To see such a traditional 18th century craft being done
here in the 21st century allows one to witness the life
of a tradesperson that is not often seen.

Gentry and businessmen wore wigs.  Many wigmaker establishments were generally located within or near taverns and provided a lucrative business.  Tradesmen, merchants, clergy, military, ship captains and landed gentry patronized the wigmaker.  Wigs were not only fashionable, but served as a way to convey one’s status within the community.

Look at the quality!
I did have a traditional period wig at one time, but I just didn't feel comfortable wearing it, so I sold it to a friend.

I could not take pictures of every vendor, but of those I did capture I put my favorites here, such as William Booth - Draper.

A draper is a dealer in cloth, clothing, and dry goods. And as you can
see in the two photos posted here, they are true to their name.

Wm. Booth - Linen and Woolen Draper, Haberdasher &c.
All your needs, should you want to make your own 18th century clothing.

So...what if, as a female reenactor, you wanted to dress the higher class; maybe you are a woman of means, married to a shipping merchant like John Giddings, or maybe his daughter. You see, Mr. Giddings built and lives in this fine house:

The home once belonging to John Giddings, built in 1750~
A walk on a fine spring day in 1775.

This just might be the vendor for you - - -

I feel bad that I did not get the name of this business, but they are a top vendor of women's colonial clothing. The style is of a more middle to upper class fashion, and they had a fine selection of accessories to add to the look.

As I mentioned, it seems one could hardly walk more than a few feet without running into someone they know, such as...

My friend, Karen, who is also a member of 
Citizens of the American Colonies.

I see this woman here every year and I always enjoy watching her work at her loom.

My 5th great grandfather, William Raby, was a weaver,
and I was told that he would go village to village to weave
for the townsfolk who lived there.
This was in England in the 1760s and 1770s.

I had another set of English ancestors who were also from England but came over to the colonies much earlier - in 1710 - and, since they were Quakers, they settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Of course there were black powder rifles and muskets available.

From carved pieces of wood...

...to the finished product.

It was interesting to watch the process of making a gun. I know of a few gunmakers who do an admirable job at their craft.
And speaking of crafts, there was a tanner at the expo as well:

The Kalamazoo Living History Show is more than just a place to
purchase items for reenacting, as you can see.

But, unfortunately, I have little 'hands-on' talent like the folks seen here.  Oh, I can present and share my knowledge of history, but these artisans are true craftsmen who bring history to life in such a way that I simply have not been taught.
I suppose we all have our specialties, eh?

'Twas good to see Jas Townsend & Son at the expo.
Townsend sells quite a few accessories, especially for
the colonial-era reenactor. They also have clothing of a
variety of periods, as well as hats and stockings.
Lately they have been known for there wonderful videos
on cooking and other topics of the period.
Yeah...that's me with Mr. Townsend.

Now, a surprise awaited me that I was unaware of:  the living historians who portray Irish indentured servant Maggie Delaney and her "owner," Parson John, were also at the Kalamazoo expo.  I only very recently discovered the duo quite by accident as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed.  I belong to a number of history pages, of course, and a You Tube video, filmed and produced by Townsends & Son, popped up on one of the of a woman depicting the hardships of indentured servitude.  In the video, she speaks for nearly an hour in a thick Irish brogue, giving the viewer her story, sometimes being a bit whimsical and other times bringing us to tears of sadness.  As is written on their internet site called Parson John Living History Inc.:
As a teacher interested in helping people understand more about the American Colonies, Carol (who portrays Maggie) began looking for a character from history that is rarely portrayed at events.  With the help of fellow historians Gerry Barker and Colleen Gilbert, Carol began researching the “lower sort” and decided to concentrate her research on, and develop a character demonstration of an Irish indentured servant.  Through “Maggie,” Carol is able to teach the plight of many European immigrants to this country.  Ragged and dirty with nasty looking teeth, Maggie wears an iron collar, the sign of a runaway, and is complete with indenture papers and a story of traveling from Ireland to America. Maggie may be seen at events carrying a load on her yoke, selling produce or doing laundry – all in the way these duties would have been done by a lowly servant during the 17th and 18th centuries.

It was such an honor for me to meet the two 'stars' of the
You Tube video of the Maggie Delaney and the Parson
story. In fact, even though it is available to watch on the
internet, I still purchased their DVD...to show my
support for living history.
Plus it comes with a CD of traditional Irish music.

Maggie and the Parson were selling their wares as well,
including modesty scarves, shawls, and bed covers.

For my own colonial clothing, I have three pairs of breeches, two shirts, three waistcoats, three cocked hats, two pairs of shoes, multiple pairs of stockings, but only two coats.
I needed another.
Well...I don't necessarily need another coat, but I really wanted another one.  As I mentioned the costs of clothing previously, I cannot afford to spend a large amount of money.  And I 'commissioned' my wife to hand-sew for me a new shirt, so she is busy enough.  Luckily there is Samson Historical, a vendor whose prices are very reasonable...and the product is of good quality.

Me trying on my new coat.
Looks pretty good, doesn't it?

 Things do not necessarily have to be expensive to be of good quality.
And Samson's is helping to but that myth.

Abbie Samson, here, is co-owner of the store,
along with her husband, Casey, and between the
two of them, they have built up quite a fine
collection of clothing, dry goods and notions,
as well as leather goods and colonial era accessories.

If you scroll back toward the top of this post to the group picture at my Citizens meeting, you will see this next young lady, Jenny, dressed in her modern clothing.  And though her son is dressed period, she is not.
Until this day in Kalamazoo.
She went to Samson's and purchased for herself a short gown and pleated petticoat.

Just a few more accessories and Jenny will be as ready
as her son, Evan.
I am looking forward to having them both join us at
our upcoming historical events this year! 

To her credit, Abbie Samson has documentation for everything they sell that would be considered period, and in her travels throughout the internet she has disproved a number of reenacting clothing myths that too many took as fact.
Remember: never say never, and never say always.
Well done, Samson Historical.

Well...look who I spotted in the crowd!
Yes, my good friend, Dr. Franklin was also saving every
penny he earned by shopping frugally.

The Kalamazoo Living History Show is as good as it gets. I look forward to it all year long and save my pennies to purchase some of my many wants.
And the friends...oh, the friends you see there.
Invested in the Environment of the Time.
It is an investment, no matter what era you find yourself in, and if you are willing to devote the time and effort to do it right, the dividend can be of a fine reward indeed.

Until next time, see you in time.

Below are other postings you might enjoy:
Nighttime: Living With Candles in Colonial Times - The Light at its Brightest ~
A study on all things nighttime in the 18th century.

In the Good Old Colony Days~
An overview loaded with pictures and short video clips on life in colonial times.

Travel and Taverns
A look at traveling by stage and staying at a Publick House during the time of the founding generation.

A Year on an 18th Century Farm
Living by the seasons; it took a family to run a farm in the 1760s.

Cooking on the Hearth - A Colonial Kitchen
The woman of the colonial house certainly had enough to do to keep her family well, and her job in the kitchen was the center of it all.

It's the Little Things: Shadow Portraits, Bourdaloues, Revolutionary Mothers, and Other Interesting Historical Odds & Ends
Interesting little bits of facts and information that can be used during presentations.

Declaring Independence
A bit of history behind the Declaration of Independence

Books: Researching the 18th Century
A selection of books I personally own that I have found to be of great help in my research

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