Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.
Billow and breeze, islands and seas,
Mountains of rain and sun,
All that was good, all that was fair,
All that was me is gone...
. . . . . . . . .
You know this song, right?
Sure you do---it's the theme song from Outlander (unless you don't watch the series---
but you should at least listen to the song, for it is a beautiful one).
However, what I have written above are the words from the original poem written in 1892 by Robert Louis Stevenson that the Outlander lyrics are based on.
I suppose what Stevenson originally wrote fits me much better than the version sung on the show. (lol)
Yeah...I am certain of that...
When I participate in a reenactment, whether it is a full-fledged bonafide event or only a few of us dressing period and visiting a place like Greenfield Village, all that was me - the 21st century me - truly is gone.
That's what this hobby can do.
I hope these pictures convey that~
~ ~ ~
Meet the new month - same as the old month...
It is now September, and of all reenactments that were listed to take place in 2020, only one "official" local event is still on the books. But I'm not necessarily doing this Reenactor Photo of the Day as a sort of protest anymore; I'm doing it now mostly because I enjoy the heck out of seeing past pictures and, well, judging by the kind comments I receive from my posts, I'm not the only one liking them.
Included with each picture you'll find my own commentary as well as a little history lesson.
So, as I wrote for most of August:
To brighten up the news feed and get away from all of the harsh and getting harsher doom & gloom of our modern time, here is my daily Reenactor Photo for the Month of August: Doing it until whenever I decide to stop.
Now I ask my other friends in the hobby to post pictures with a small explanation on their own page. And if you do, please include your picture in my comments as well.
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| August 1
August begins with Lammas Day, or Loaf Mass Day, the day in
the Book of Common Prayer calendar when a bread loaf baked
with flour from newly harvested corn or summer wheat would be
brought into church and blessed. It's one of the oldest points of
contact between the agricultural world and the Church.
Many colonial farmers celebrated the holiday (or holyday, as
these special days of celebration or worshiping were called) on
August 1st, which marked the first major harvest of the
beginning fall season. Even though it is still technically summer,
August was also considered one of the months of harvest time.
As such, Lammas Day was a sort of Thanksgiving, and so it
remained for many colonial families until a national
Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed toward the end of the 18th century.
On a colonial-era Lammas Day, it was customary for the head of
the household to bring to church for a blessing the first loaf of
bread made from the new crop, which began to be harvested at
Lammastide, which falls at the halfway point between the
summer solstice and the autumn September equinox – roughly
being today, August 1st. That loaf was then used as the center of
the family’s Lammas Thanksgiving feast.
It is still somewhat celebrated in England and throughout the
British Isles and elsewhere throughout the world, though it is a
forgotten holyday by most here in America. A variety of Pagan
religions also still celebrate Lammas Day.
In this picture you see an 18th century scene with me and my
presenter friend Rebecca in the kitchen garden of the Daggett
Farm House in Greenfield Village, perhaps gathering summer
harvest vegetables to add to the Thanksgiving feast.
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| August 2 I have an affinity for gristmills; their importance in times past cannot be overstated. I have multiple books on the buildings and subject and have studied them intently, so whenever I see such a structure, I try to get my picture - preferably while in period clothing - taken with it. The photograph you see of me here, taken at Crossroads Village, sort of coincides with yesterday's Lammas Day picture, continuing on with the summer harvest...but only around 90 years after yesterday's image (lol). You see, by the 1860s, Lammas Day was pretty much forgotten and no longer celebrated in the US, though summer harvests, of course, continued on. This means the farmer visited the gristmill to have his grain ground into flour by way of large, circular stones, and levying a toll, usually in kind, for the service. The founding father of Atlas, Michigan, was Judge Norman Davison, who arrived here in 1831 from Livingston County, New York. He cleared the land and built a house for his family near the river on the site where the Atlas Country Club now stands. Soon after Davison settled in this location, many more settlers came to the town, and it was here that he erected a gristmill in 1836 - the one you see here. At Crossroads Village you can still see how the process of grinding grain into flour was done in the 19th (and even 18th) century, for it is a working mill, and one can then purchase Atlas Mill flour, made right there on the spot. Unfortunately, I am very sad to say Crossroads Village is closed this year due to covid. |
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| August 3 Every July I enjoy taking part in the public reading of the Declaration of Independence, which I actually do not take lightly. So many Americans have never heard or read the entire document, and reading it at a reenactment may be their first time hearing it, therefore having period-dressed reenactors doing the recitation may make it come alive and actually mean something more than hearing a mono-toned teacher read it in front of a history class. And sometimes after we finish our recitation we may add a little scenario, such as what we have done at Fort Wayne in Indiana. Upon completion of the oratory, members of the Queen's Rangers grabbed me and the other readers and threw us out of the fort. As they pulled me along I continued to yell about Liberty and Union! Down with King George III! Long live General Washington! And with each shout I was yanked even harder until I was locked out of the Fort. I certainly am missing our reenactments this year... |
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| August 4 If you've ever been to Greenfield Village then you most certainly would have seen the Eagle Tavern, built around 1831 in Clinton, Michigan. The Eagle Tavern was close to being razed before Henry Ford rescued it for his historic village, thereby preserving another piece of American history that would have been lost. Ford felt early American pre-automobile travel history needed to be preserved, for it showed everyday life of the average traveling citizen of the mid-19th century before the changes to come. The Eagle Tavern has the distinction of being the second structure brought to Greenfield Village, only following the JR Jones General Store. So in this 1st picture you see me at the tavern's original Clinton, Michigan site, looking like someone from its era who planned to visit the old place but found that it had disappeared...with a historical placard left in its stead. Just what are all these horseless carriages speeding down the road anyhow??
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| August 5
As part of our talk on historic everyday life on the farm, Larissa
and I bring along replicated artifacts to accent our presentation to
help make it come alive. I mean, we are in period clothing, so
having items used during that time only makes sense.
What she is showing here is the cooking apparatus known as a
"tin kitchen" (more commonly referred to as a reflector oven in
our modern times). Now, there has been some discussion on the
internet on whether or not a tin kitchen is correct to the colonial
period. Through my research I have found multiple sources that
point to a resounding "yes it was." More and more households
were equipped with tin kitchens for roasting, especially during
the last half of the 18th century. The cook would put the fowl or
meat inside and then turn it so the open side would face the fire,
using the small door in the back to baste and check on the food.
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| August 6
One of the very cool things a few of us get to do while reenacting
at Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne is take over a beautiful 19th
century house. Sometimes we will present in 1st person while
other times we go into immersion, such as during the Christmas
at the Fort. In this picture we are doing neither - - we are just
sitting back and enjoying the old-time sounds of the fiddle as
played by Pearl Jones. With songs such as Goober Peas,
Wayfaring Stranger, Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier, and even
the more modern (but period-sounding) tune Ashokan Farewell,
all are entertained, may sing along, and feel as if we are in a
parlor setting from the 1860s.
To hear the sounds of the past bounce off the walls of the past is
an experience in itself.
It is unfortunate that Fort Wayne will be closed for the rest of the
year - all events for 2020 now cancelled.
Very sad indeed.
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| August 7
Obviously, to me the best thing about being in Colonial
Williamsburg was the immersion experience I received while
wearing my period clothing. As mentioned before, I was in
1770s clothing my entire stay there. I was treated very
welcoming, was included in scenarios and made new friends,
but most important were my surroundings - not just the historic
buildings of the 1700s, but the interpreters in period clothing,
who were always ready and willing to strike up a conversation on
nearly every past subject. This is where it pays off to do a whole
lotta research - not just on the Founding Fathers and politics of
the day, but on everyday homelife, current events of the time
(including little-known-to-modernites details---without jumping
ahead in time---staying in the moment), and speaking on or about
the occupations of town such as the cooper, chandlers, carriage
maker, blacksmith, printer, cobbler, milliner...you know,
making conversations "real."
This happened quite often for me during my 4 1/2 day stay at
this amazing place.
Until...on the very last few minutes on our very last day just
before hopping in our car for the journey home when I, for the
first time since we arrived, changed into my modern clothing...I
was then just another visitor as I walked to my car to leave.
Please understand, all visitors are treated wonderfully at Colonial
Williamsburg, but, well, I, for those few final minutes, became
a tourist rather than a part of the town.
*sigh*
Can't wait to go back!
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| August 8I feel honored to be amongst some of the best reenactors in the hobby in this photo: Dave Tennies, Jackie Schubert, and Dave Walker. You see me here holding a carpet bag, which was very popular among the men of the 1850s and 1860s. As I would conduct business in town, or perhaps may take a small trip out of town, my carpet bag/satchel was the perfect piece of luggage for me to carry items I may need in my travels or in my business affairs. However, after the Civil War ended, men who carried carpet bags got a bad rap. The newly-coined term "carpetbagger" became a derogatory name for an individual from the North who relocated to the bedraggled South during the Reconstruction period (1865–77), for Southerners accused the Northerners of using their opportunity as a means of preying upon the misfortune of the defeated South, which actually did happen. However, since our reenactments all take place before reconstruction, I have never portrayed such a person. So---I find it funny (and historically incorrect) to be called a "carpetbagger" while at a Civil War reenactment (which many visitors and even reenactors do), for the term was not even coined at the time. While in Ohio I've even had a man portraying President Lincoln (not our own Fred Priebe, by the way, who researches and knows better) call me the term! I went up to him and asked how he even knew about that word. He looked at me confused, and I said, "Sir, just a bit of information: you would not have known to call me that. You were dead," and walked away. Ahhh...the importance of research. Yes, we take our hobby seriously. |
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| August 9
There has not been an official historic reenactment here in
southeastern Michigan in nearly a year, and we're feeling it.
Many of you may scoff and laugh at our "plight," but for those
of us who have this passion, it is a real sadness. So this is one of
the reasons why I continue to do a "reenacting photo challenge of
the day" that was supposed to end 126 days ago; seeing all the
great times I've had, remembering all of the period activities I've
done, and thankful for all the wonderful people I've met helps me
to work through this barren time.
This weekend would have been our Colonial Kensington
reenactment - another that I never cease to have a fantastic time
at. And we're all sad knowing this year it is not happening. Ever
since forming my "Citizens of the American Colonies"
reenacting group, Colonial Kensington is one event nearly every
member shows up, including my friend Rae Bucher, who you
see me with here. I have known Rae for quite some time as a
Civil War reenactor, but I remember how excited she became
when I mentioned that I was forming a colonial reenacting
group, and how she told me to "count me in" as a member. I am
honored to have such a person who studies and makes her own
clothing and has done a few pretty amazing events-in-time on her
own; Rae actually went to the Fetes Galantes at Versailles in
Paris in 2018, as you can see in the picture on the right. As she
told me, "At the Fetes, my travel partner and I agreed on the
feeling of being surrounded by ghosts the entire evening. It was
probably the closest I have come to actual time travel."
Yeah...that's it in a nutshell.
How so very cool.
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| August 10
Back in the day there was a wonderful reenactment held at the old
Walker Tavern in Brooklyn, Michigan midst the Irish Hills along
Sauk Trail/US 12/Chicago Rd/Michigan Ave.
Walker Tavern was an actual overnight tavern built about 1832
and was a popular stagecoach stop throughout the rest of the 19th
century. In fact, it was the next stop heading west from the Eagle
Tavern, now in Greenfield Village, which was once situated in
Clinton, Michigan along the same road (but you can read more
about these two taverns and their history in my latest blog post,
which will be published either later today or tomorrow).
The Walker Tavern reenactment was cool for a few reasons:
1) it was the first event of the season, taking place in early May
before Civil War Remembrance at Greenfield Village, so it was
sort of a prep event.
2) how often does one get to reenact in and around an authentic
period building, such as a tavern situated in the middle of what
was once an old historic stagecoach trail?
Yeah, that's what you are seeing in this first picture, which I
aged to give a more period look.
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| August 11
Many RevWar/Colonial reenactors should recognize the
gentleman I am with here: Mr. Townsend himself of Jas.
Townsend - "retailer of quality reproduction 18th and early 19th
Century clothing and personal accessories."
I always purchase my 'straight-last' shoes from Townsend's
("straight last" meaning no right or left). I've also boughten
(yes, 'boughten'!) numerous accessories such as period-correct
lighting apparatus, including the infamous Bettylamp and top-
notch tin lanterns, sugar cone, cutlery, books, and videos. They
also carry camping equipment, pottery, period coins, and
writing implements (quills, inkwells, etc).
Plus, he makes some of the best "how-to" period cooking
videos (and a log cabin building video as well), and they can be
found on You Tube (see link below).
Between Townsends and Samsons Historical (featured last
month), I can get nearly everything I need to survive in the 18th
century (also see in the comments below for links to some
of the best sutlers).
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For Townsend's You Tube video link, click HERE
And for links to other surtlers:
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| August 12
If I see a horse, especially at a reenactment, I most certainly will
ask if I can, at the very least, sit in the saddle for a photo opp,
or, for my biggest hope, to be able to take it for a trot,
which I've done as well.
Unfortunately, for this picture, which was at an 1860s event at
Waterloo Farm, it was strictly a photo opp.
Yes, I do know how to ride a horse, for Patty and I had taken
lessons when we were DINKS (Double Income No Kids) and,
like riding a bike, you never forget.
So, if any of my horse-owning friends will allow me to, I would
love to get back in the saddle again and go for a trot---
yes, in my period clothing.
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| August 13
The circular arrangement of the above design was seen as early as
October 17, 1777 at the surrender of General John Burgoyne at
Saratoga, New York. Eyewitness Alfred B. Street alluded to our
flag as it was first unfurled there:
"The stars were disposed in a circle, symbolizing the perpetuity
of the Union; the ring, like the circling serpent of the Egyptians,
signifying eternity. The thirteen stripes showed with the stars the
number of the United Colonies, and denoted the subordination of
the States to the Union, as well as equality among themselves."
As for hair fashion:
The natural hair, dressed up in the back in a queue (now known
as a ponytail), was often left unpowdered. In fact, powder for
everyday wear was usually omitted as early as 1760, and went
out of fashion in the nineties.
So don't mind us, for we (Robbie, myself, Mike Gillett, and
Robert Jones) are just queuing up in front of the flag.
Or maybe we're just men who follow 1770s fashion.
Either way, we're definitely not queue balls, that's for certain
(though I am certainly heading in that direction - thank God
for my cocked hat!).
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| August 14
We're going way back here---even before I began reenacting!
This was taken at Port Huron's Blue Water Festival in early
August of 1988 at one of those old-time picture booths where the
clothes fit over your own clothing and tied in the back. Tommy
was born only weeks earlier - yes, that's he Patty is holding in her
arms - and, I suppose this could be considered our first
"professional" family photo, and hung in our living room for
years. I remember saying to Patty that when Tommy got older
we'd tell him that we were actually from the 1880s and somehow
time traveled to the future.
*sigh* We didn't do that...though 15 years later we were time-
traveling back to the past via reenacting.
You see, even then...
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August 15
No e-mail, no texting, no phones, no skyping...no way to keep
in touch through long distance other than letter writing. And the
hopes that the letter would make it to its destination
(hmmm...sounds familiar for today as well...).
And it's because of these letters, as well as journals and diaries
that were kept, that we know so much about the everyday lives
of the common man and woman of the colonial (and other)
periods, for they wrote of everything in their close-knit world to
keep the receiver (or the reader) up-to-date on their activities in
their homes and towns. I have more than a dozen books of letters
and diaries/journals in my collection and never cease to find little
bits of daily life information not spoken of in the more
"academic" history books, which tend to concentrate solely on
the "great things" (mostly politically) our founders did. Yes,
knowing how they founded our nation is very important to know
(obviously), but, to me, just as important are the daily activities
to understand the societal environment in which our ancestors
lived, including their daily work habits and chores. Why did
they believe and act the way they did - religiously, morally, and
environmentally? How did the founders politics affect them
personally, if at all? What did they eat for breakfast, dinner,
and supper? How did they survive the cold/heat? What did they
plant and when...and how did they celebrate the harvest? What
tools did they use, both for indoor and outdoor work and activities?
Sometimes just a line here and there can answer such questions -
and the answers aren't always what we would expect them to be.
And this is how lives of long ago can be not only brought back to
life by us living historians, but can be more clearly understood,
especially in the colonial period, as you see me in here at Old
Fort Wayne in Indiana. These questions and answers are fewer in
the 18th century than in later periods.
The information is invaluable.
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| August 16
I absolutely love the lay out - the feel - of Crossroads Village up
in the Flint area. With the wood plank walkways, the dirt roads,
the wood fencing, the plants everywhere - - it just exudes
Victorian Americana everywhere you look - makes walking
around a sort of immersion experience.
Every-so-often a few of us will don our 1860s clothing and make
our way to this historic open-air museum just to take in the 19th
century senses that surrounds us.
A change I would make if I could would be to bring in trained
historical presenters to show more farm labor and more activities
inside the homes, such as cooking and cleaning, to bring more
life to the Village.
All's it takes is money, right?
The train ride, however, is pretty darn awesome.
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| August 17
As a surprise to us all at the Uncle John's Mill Revolutionary War
event, Citizens of the American Colonies member Charlotte
Bauer presented herself as a boot black (or shoe black), and I
was happily her first customer ever. Bootblacks have long been
the subject of nostalgia in American culture, but the reality of a
bootblack’s life was no quaint tale. The art of cleaning shoes, as
poorly as it paid, became a trade that kept working people one
step ahead of poverty.
When she showed up at this event, Charlotte found a spot right in
the middle of the American camp and set herself up to make a
little bit of survival money.
And it worked, for numerous others also had their shoes and
boots cleaned.
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| August 18
It was at the Clinton Grove Cemetery located in Clinton
Township in 2011 when my ten year old daughter, Rosalia, and I
did a cemetery walk together. One of five stops along the tour,
we portrayed father and daughter Adolph and Mildred Gutschow
and, because most people on these cemetery tours have never
seen or heard of a youngster portraying a deceased child, we
were quite the hit. People were very touched to watch and listen
to my daughter as she told her story as ten-year-old Mildred, who
died in 1910 at the age of 11 of a stomach ailment, while
standing by 'her' tombstone.
It was done in a 1st person manner,
which made it even more emotional.
I then would state to the tour groups that I hoped that no one in
our midst had ever had to bare such a loss, and tried to explain to
them (not from experience, thank God) just how heartbreaking
it was for a parent to lose a child. After one of our 17 (!)
presentations/tours had ended, one elderly couple stayed behind
and came up to us, and the woman, eyes filled with tears,
grabbed my hand and shakily said, "I just wanted to tell you that
we had lost a young daughter, and you are so right - it's the
hardest thing for a parent to go through. What you and your
daughter did for us was help to give us closure. Thank you."
It brought me to tears as well.
Wow-----I didn't even know how to respond...
But, it wasn't all so emotional...we actually had a little lightness
as well, like one time during an early part of the tour my
daughter forgot one of her lines. After a brief moment trying to
remember, she - as Mildred - told the group (totally off the
cuff), “Hey! I’ve been lying in this cemetery for a long time!
I'm allowed to forget!”
The people roared!
And then another small group came up a bit later and told us they
were descendants of one of Mildred's siblings; they thanked us
"for being our ancestors."
That was cool in a very different way.
All wonderful memories.
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| August 19
The game of Checkers was played throughout 17th and 18th
century Britain by members of nearly every class. It is said that
the game was called Checkers due to the checkerboard pattern on
the game board. However, in later 1600s, it became known as
Draughts (pronounced as 'drafts'), because the game pieces
were dragged or moved over the board, and by the early 1700s,
the name Draughts was in common use across all of Britain. Also
in the 1600s, more and more people were immigrating to the new
colonies in America, and many brought the game with them,
continuing to play it in their new land. However, in the American
colonies, the game was still called it by its original name,
Checkers (or 'Checks'). Thus originated the divergence of the
two names between what would become two separate countries.
So it was back to the 1770s I went once again where the good
doctor and I had a close game of Checkers going...until
something happened that neither of us expected: I made a
ridiculous move and he clobbered me with a six-man jump! I
congratulated him and gave him the ceremonious
18th century high-five.
Yes, I lost, but what a way to go!
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| August 20
Civil War reenactment at Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne.
I miss this.
I miss sitting 'neath a fly with family and friends, having fine
conversations with like-minded people, watching the reenacting
world go by, and being immersed in another time and place.
Even if the weather is not 72 degrees and sunny perfect, there are
few places I would rather be than where I am in this picture.
Here's to hoping next year we will be back to our normal and
back to doing what we love: being out and doing "historical
empathy exercises" by putting ourselves in "their" place.
Amen and amen.
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| August 21
My friend and wonderful Greenfield Village presenter Rebecca
and I pose for a picture in front of the former home of Samuel &
Anna Daggett, built around 1750 (though the house is depicted
as 1760s).
Employing a form of living history, the interpreters who work
inside Daggett are dressed in accurate period farm-style clothing
of the mid-1700's, and they work the house seasonally just as
they would have as inhabitants from 250 years ago. However,
rather than present in 1st person, as is done at such places as
Plimouth Plantation, the Daggett presenters remain in 3rd person
while emitting themselves in a sort of you-are-there manner - it's
in this way the presenters can verbally teach the visitor while sort
of immersing them in the everyday life of our colonial ancestors,
helping them to get a better feel for the time.
Sort of like being in the past and present at the same time.
As you know I will sometimes dress in my period clothing to visit
my favorite home. Why? Because, for me, I get so much more
out of it. And I will usually stay near the buildings of the time
period my clothing depicts, something I've been doing this for
nearly 15 years.
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| August 22
An Afternoon in an 1862 Parlor.
There is a period during the winter and early spring months when
there is so little going on for those of us who do living history.
So on one particular early March day, members of the MSAS
(Michigan Soldiers Aid Society) came over to our home to
participate in spending an afternoon in an 1862 parlor. We have a
large period-appropriate room in our house, and since
opportunities to reenact in historical structures are months away it
was only natural to take advantage of what was available. It can,
at times, be very difficult for groups to stay immersed in another
era for more than a few minutes without having the 21st century
rear its ugly head; usually modern-isms - current events,
movies, TV shows, what have you - tend to sneak into the
conversation to "remind" us that we are only living historians
and not really in the past.
But not this time. We truly made the attempt to be "there."
Conversations abounded on travel adventures, news of the
(Civil) war, and social issues. There were parlor entertainments
such as readings from poetry books and Shakespeare, parlor
games such as Wist, as well as music, as shown in this picture.
Everyone joined in as we sang popular songs of the day such as
Nelly Bly, Hard Times Come Again No More, Aura Lee, Some
Folks Do, and Wayfaring Stranger.
For the most part the afternoon went very well (yes, there was
another male there as well, though he was not in this picture),
until the "spell" was unwittingly broken later in the day.
The effort was there, however. And since this time I've had
plenty more opportunities at immersion and 1st person, all of
which continuously improved.
It has become my favorite method of reenacting.
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| August 23
The 150th photo!
Reflections of--the way life used to be...yep, that's what I'm all
about. And I have not been in my period clothing since July 4th -
that's 49 days!---I believe that's a record for me, and not one I
want to repeat! Usually it's not been more than two or three
weeks...year 'round!
So, yeah, yesterday (which happened to be August 22) a few of
us were biting at the bit just to get out in our 18th century
clothing and visit a historic site or two. Upon putting on my knee
breeches, waistcoat, jacket, cocked hat, and buckled shoes,
Patty asked me, "How does it feel?"
I didn't have to answer. She knew.
There were only four of us who went to Mill Race Village, where
today's reflective picture was taken, and then two of us also went
to the 1789 Navarre-Anderson Trading Post in Monroe
afterward. We had such a fine time at both locations, for it felt
very close to being at a reenactment. There were even a few
modern folks who came up to us and asked a few historical
questions, of which we gladly answered.
Yes, we followed the 6 foot rule so no need to shake your
finger at us.
No more will I go 49 days without having my time-travel experiences.
No more.
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| August 24
During a normal year Larissa and I spend a day up in Port Oneida
(Sleeping Bear Dunes) presenting as 1860s farmers during their
annual fair: "Every August, the Port Oneida Rural Historic
District awakens from its peaceful slumber and comes alive with
activity true to the period when it was a community of robust
settlers. Visitors take a step back in time at the two-day Port
Oneida Fair to experience life as it was in the late 1800s and early
1900s." We present at the 100+ year old Olsen Farm where the
focus is on historic food preservation and cooking demonstrations,
dulcimer music, presentations of Victorian farm life (that's us!!),
and quilting & soapmaking.
This is one of our busiest of presentations, for we do four of them
in five hours. And, I must say, we always pack the house (so-to-speak).
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| August 25
History has always been my passion, and I always tried to
involve my children in it. As they grew older, each has taken a
bit of the past with them in their own way.
And that makes me proud.
My son Robbie is pretty much the only one who has remained in
the reenacting hobby and enjoys the experience every-bit as much
as I do. He does military, as you see here (1st Pennsylvania
from the Revolutionary War), and also does some civilian as
well. This is his opportunity to camp "primitive," which I know
he enjoys, shoot guns (who doesn't?), and cook over an open
fire. He also constantly researches the past and is adamant on
getting it "right."
Oh, and he also met his fiance in the hobby.
Yeah...this is his thing...
As I said, each of my kids have taken history unto themselves in
their own way - what could make this man who has such a
passion for the past more proud?
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A slight change in my Facebook introduction here:
To change up the news feed to help get away from all of the harsh and getting harsher doom & gloom of our modern time, here is my daily Living History Photo...
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| August 26
The weather can get mighty warm in August. It did in the 1860s
and it does today. And yes, we do get hot in our reenacting
clothing. So when up at our event in Port Sanilac, sometimes we
have means of cooling off that can't be done at most other
reenactments; here we are, standing on the bluff which
overlooks beautiful Lake Huron. Our reenacting day was over so
a few of us took the opportunity to head to the lake, not unlike
what would have been done 150 years ago.
Did we go down to the beach? If so, how was the response of
modern people?
I suppose you're going to have to wait a few days to find out.
We did have a great time, however.
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| August 27We are at the beginnings of the sestercentennial (250th) anniversary of the Revolutionary War. This year of 2020 was the 250th of the Boston Massacre (1770), in three years it will be the 250th of the Boston Tea Party (1773), and in five years the sestercentennial of Paul Revere's famous ride and the Battle of Lexington & Concord will occur (1775). So last year I came up with a plan - an event - showcasing what is considered to be the 1st official battle of the American Revolution: Lexington & Concord. It took place at historic Mill Race Village and went wonderfully well. Yes, the living historians were smaller in numbers for our first time out, but I believe it will grow over the coming half decade. We did both battles as well as showed everyday life of 1775. At the end of the day, the redcoat reenactors, unfortunately, had to leave. However, those of us who portrayed American civilians and militia remained and were able to pose for a group picture. I have never received a round of applause before for putting on an event, yet these good people gave me one. I am certainly glad they didn't see the watering of my eyes when they did. I am so honored. From the bottom of my heart, I thank them. And I applaud them for bringing history to life in a very real way. We had planned a second annual reenactment for this year. I am sure I don't have to explain why it did not happen, unfortunately. Next year! And if you are interested in a full account of our Lexington & Concord event, please click the link at the bottom of this posting. |
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| August 28
For a number of years at the Jackson Civil War event (which was
supposed to be this weekend, by the way), the hosts made
wooden "false-fronts" for many of us in the special impressions
area. Since I portrayed an 1860s postmaster at that time, I was
one of the lucky few who had one. I set up my tent behind the
false-front then attached the fly as a sort of covering/ceiling,
helping to give a sort of parlor feel to it. It was there I would
place my desk, chairs, a table, and a few accessories. If you
look closely at the photo here, you can see this set up. When all
six or seven false-fronts were being used, it gave the impression
of a small frontier town.
I don't remember who snapped this picture of me - a very cool
nighttime photo, eh? - but I was preparing the mail for the next
day's pick up, for many members of the reenacting community,
mostly the ladies, took time to write letters to the men in the
military, and they would base these notes from actual letters
from the 1860s. They would then drop them by my post office
and I would make sure they got to the military camp for
distribution there. The soldiers would also write letters to their
sweethearts and families, many, once again, based on or copied
directly from 1860s originals, and they would give them to me. The ladies then could come by the post office to see if they had
any mail.
I always made sure to have plenty of period-correct stationary on
hand to keep it all authentic (you can find anything if you
search hard enough!).
I did this impression for nearly a decade, and for much of that
time "postmaster" was my nickname.
Ah...missing reenacting something fierce right now...
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| August 29 In my opinion, reenactments have one main motive: to teach the public about the past in a way they cannot get out of a history class; to bring the words in the history books to life. However, there are a few of us who take this to a different level. Not above or below, mind you, just a few steps in another direction. And that is where I mostly find myself - on this other sort of plain or "manifest." I greatly enjoy deeply researching of everyday life of long ago, finding the little things that the common person of the past knew or did but most in the modern day know little about, and then add that to my overall depiction and presentation of the past at a reenactment. The ultimate goal of living historians is to have the visitor feel as if they are actually speaking with someone from another era, not only by looks/clothing, but mannerisms, subject matters/speech, the accessories displayed, and in surroundings, such as what you see in this photograph. This was taken at the 1789 Navarre-Anderson Trading Post reenactment in Monroe. In looking at this picture, there is nothing modern here whatsoever. That's what we want. For the most part, this is the same common goal of most in this hobby; this is what we keep striving for. So visiting a reenactment can truly add flavor and color and bring life to those words in your history books. By the way...there is a second motive for a few of us in this hobby: to have a sort of sense of time-travel---to experience in the only way possible in our day and age the practice of going back in time. Oh, now, obviously not actually, but just the sense of...because if you do it right, it can be as close to actual time-travel as can be done in our day and age. Examples are forthcoming in future past daily photos. |
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| August 30
Beating the heat in 1863 - next stop---the Beach!
We were very hot, and the beach was just a short jaunt from our
Port Sanilac reenactment. We just wanted to have fun.
And we did!
Remember the Photo of the Day from a few days ago, where we
were standing at the bluff overlooking Lake Huron? Well here is
part two to that picture: some of the ladies actually did cool off on
that warm summer day and ventured into the Lake, romping and
splashing a bit. And do you see Meg on the far right in the above
picture, and jumping in the picture below?
Yep---she is wearing the bathing fashion of the
day she copied from an original.
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| August 31
Sometimes we living historians enjoy doing different scenarios,
based on historical occurrences.
It was a couple years ago at Detroit’s Historic Fort Wayne when,
much to my surprise, I found myself in an unfortunate situation:
a few members of the Queen's Rangers arrested me for being what
they considered a treasonist Patriot. As I stepped out of my house,
I was accosted by two members of the group, one held a bayonet to
my throat while the other pointed a musket to my chest.
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But here sits Ken, making the attempt at his normalcy, acting oblivious to it all as best as he can and planning for what might just be the best season of the year: autumn.
Yes, yes, I know summer technically has three weeks to go, and warm weather can stick around a bit longer, but the changing of the leaves, the earlier sunsets, cooler days and nights...all are on their way.
That's one thing that makes me happy.
I have high hopes that I will still be able to somehow celebrate this season of fall in the past. I have projects I'm working on...and when/if they come to pass, you will see the outcome posted here.
Until next time, see you in time.
To read more about our Lexington & Concord event, please click HERE
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