****All are sold ** Thanks!
We're doing the tidying thing and cleaning out our bookshelves. These books need a new home...
If interested email me at stephzsmith@gmail.com.
Early American Dress, The Colonial and Revolutionary Periods by Edward Warwick, Henry Ptiz, Alexander Wyckoff 1988 (hardcover)
$2
Boswell's London Journal 1762-1763 copyright 1950 Yale University Press $6 (hardcover)
Belonging to the Army by Holly Mayer $5 (hardcover)
Early Diary of Frances Burly I & II copyright 1933 $22 (hardcover)
The Dramatic Works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan $2 (hardcover)
Evelina by Fanny Burney (paperback) $2
The Diary of Samuel Pepys Volumes I & II 1659-1669 (hardcover) $14
The Way of Duty - A Woman and Her Family in Revolutionary America by Joy Day Buel & Richard Buel, Jr. (paperback) $3
Liberty's Daughters - The Revolutionary Experience 1750-1800 by Mary Beth Norton (Hardcover) $3.50
A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (paperback) $2
The Barkers of Bath Victoria Art Gallery Bath May 17-June 28 1986 (paperback) $4
A Visual History of Costume - The Eighteenth Century by Aileen Ribeiro (hardcover) $18
Silk Designs of the Eighteenth Century -- Victoria & Albert Museum $15
The Eighteenth Century Woman - The Metropolitan Museum of Art (paperback) $15
Masterpieces of Women's Costume of the 18th & 19th Centuries by Alien Bernstein (paperback) $3
Georgiana - Amanda Foreman (hardcover) $2
Parlor Politics - Catherin Allgor $2
Shoes and Slippers from Snowsholl - The National Trust $60
Past into Present by Stacy Roth effective Techniques for First Person Interpretation (paperback) $7
Pamela by Samuel Richardson $2 (paperback)
Fabrics for Historic Buildings by Jane Nylander $3
Landon Carter - An Inquiry into the Personal Values and Social Imperatives of the 18th Century Virginia Genry by Jack P. Greene (paperback) $2
The Forgotten Art of Building a Fireplace by Vrest Orton (paperback) $2
Friday, October 4, 2019
Sunday, March 12, 2017
March Hive
Sunday - March 19, 2017
Reenacting Boston 1765-1775
Thanks for your patience waiting for the March Hive Line-up. We've combined parts of the canceled February Hive with the March Hive and came up with a great line up for you!
Our focus will be interpreting Boston and the New England seacoast. Greg Theberge is going to share with us the latest research on the Boston Massacre and how that was translated into Don Troioni's latest painting on the subject.
Matthew & Liz Mees are going to give us a glimpse into life in Boston 1765-1775 through three lens - The Town, The Inhabitants & The Economy.
Finally Elizabeth Sulock will tie it all together with a discussion on how to take this information and develop an impression that is appropriate for reenacting civilian events (New England seacoast 1765-1775).
We'll be at our new location at the Masonic Hall in Lexington, 2 Bedford Street. Doors open at noon. We'll start at 12:30. As always, we'll have coffee and tea - snacks to share are welcome!
See you Sunday!
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Monday, February 6, 2017
February Hive 2017
We are pleased to announce this season's Hives, as well as a symposium planned for June.
This Sunday, February 12 is the first Hive. We have a new location at the Masonic Lodge in Lexington 2 Bedford Street (up near the Green).
With the growing interest in civilian events, we're going to focus our attention this year on pre-war New England, starting with the Boston Massacre. It is exciting to see more and more historic sites looking to improve the accuracy of their events and we are pleased we can contribute. The Bostonian Society has adopted the approach pioneered by Minute Man NHP by teaming up with reenactors to apply material culture standards based on primary sources to this event.
As you know, it's not enough to just show up and an event with a great kit. Unless you know the background of what you are reenacting, you are just a person dressed in funny clothes. This Sunday we are lucky to have a slate of speakers who are going to share some new research with us and give us a context in which this pivotal event occurred.
Gary Gregory will be discussing how the media was setting the stage for conflict. John Bell will look at some of the people involved and the conditions in the city that would lead to the event. And Greg Theberge will be sharing some exciting new material on what went down that evening, based on the testimonies from the trial as well as other published documents.
Oh yeah - and we'll take a look at the clothing standards and how they differ from the Battle Road guidelines that have become the baseline for so many events.
The doors open at noon for a half hour of The Buzz. Catch up with friends, grab a cup of coffee. The lectures start at 12:30 and we'll probably go till 4 -- we have a lot of material to cover!
The Hive is free, coffee and tea will be available, As always snacks to share are always welcome! So noon -- Masonic Lodge 2 Bedford Street Lexington, MA Be there!
The March Hive is on Sunday the 19th, where we will be continuing the civilian theme as we explore the professions of the New England seacoast cities and how these can be translated into creating an impression. More info to follow.
And mark you calendars for the weekend of June 3/4. The Hive will be holding it's first symposium. Announcement to come -- watch your email!
See you Sunday!
Lexington Masonic Lodge 2 Bedford Street
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Be the Change you Want!
There has been a lot of discussion lately on social media regarding parity for women at reenactment events. Here's my two pence for what it's worth.
Set Realistic Goals
Ladies - you are never going to have complete parity at a Rev War encampment. It's not about you - it's about the battle, the uniforms, the cannons and the muskets. If historical accuracy is your goal, most of you shouldn't even be there, let alone be cooking for the masses, having teas, and sitting around in nice gowns under a dining fly. This is not to say that you can't do something else while you are there. There are lots of opportunities to do great impressions - laundress, petty sulter, etc.. However, not everyone wants to do these, nor should they. So what is a girl to do?
Set up your own area -- Demonstrations, children's activities, etc. Or get out of camp all together and set up shop at a local historical house for the day. Most places would love to have you and you'll be a star in more ways than one.
Experiment with your real 18th century role
Let's face it, women were second class citizens in the 18th century. Why not experiment with this reality. Spend your weekend being subservient. Instead of saying hi to your friend the officer, curtsy at his passing and acknowledge him as sir. Try being a servant. Lots of teaching moments for sure - for others and yourself.
Be a Leader
Volunteer to join an event organizing committee. Talk is cheap, but those who actually roll up their sleeves and do the work are the real heroes. If you want increased visibility for what you are doing, get involved. Most organizers are thrilled to have help and appreciate offers of additional programs -- if you propose something well thought out and appropriate, I guarantee you'll never be turned down.
String your own ropeline
My last post that advised women to leave the ropeline was, by some, misconstrued. My point was to know that there are other options. Interpreting as a guide can be an awesome experience for visitor, interpreter, as well as the site. Sometimes that's all a woman or non-musket firing man can offer at an event. Example - Lexington Green on Patriots Day. However, at large events take your interpretation past the ropelines. Offer a camp tour, better yet, do a camp tour from the vantage point of a camp follower. Even just the act of getting dressed can provide a great half hour of education. (A great way to justify the making of a new shift and/or handsewn stays!)
Be Creative
Here's an example. Except for the a very small number of women, the Boston Massacre is a man's event. What self respecting woman would be hanging around with a mob during a tumultuous March evening? The stars of the evening are the mob, the 29th, the Old State House, and the Sentry Box. When women volunteer for this event, save for a few speaking parts, your role will be an that of an interpreter. But like most ropeline gigs, there is lots of time before and after an event to do something amazing. As I've already mentioned, few sites will turn down a well planned and executed program.
Be the Show
The civilian events that Hive puts on are an offshoot of those that pioneers like Barbara DeLorey planned in the early 2000's with her women's group. She recognized that there were lots of untapped opportunities for interpretation. These ranged from themed reenactments with first-person scenarios to demonstration and teaching events. We at the Hive have continued that tradition and will continue to do so in the future. We have been fortunate to have sites like Minute Man National Historical Park as a venue for many of these programs, which speaks to the importance of great partners. It's exciting to see other sites climb on board. Newport Historical, for example, set the bar pretty high at last year's Stamp Act event. Not only was it a well planned event, the site made the reeanctors feel welcome and valued -- which was a stark contrast to a certain other maritime event that happened earlier that summer.
Do it Well!
Whatever you do, do it well. Do your homework, bring your documentation, deliver on what you promise. Don't wait around for something to happen, make it happen. Be warned, however, it's hard work.
You can't change history, our roles were what they were. But that shouldn't limit you from doing great living history. Remember, as a friend of mine once said, "Men need a cast of thousands to do a military event. You ladies are lucky, put two of you in an historical setting and you have a great event!"
Set Realistic Goals
Ladies - you are never going to have complete parity at a Rev War encampment. It's not about you - it's about the battle, the uniforms, the cannons and the muskets. If historical accuracy is your goal, most of you shouldn't even be there, let alone be cooking for the masses, having teas, and sitting around in nice gowns under a dining fly. This is not to say that you can't do something else while you are there. There are lots of opportunities to do great impressions - laundress, petty sulter, etc.. However, not everyone wants to do these, nor should they. So what is a girl to do?
Set up your own area -- Demonstrations, children's activities, etc. Or get out of camp all together and set up shop at a local historical house for the day. Most places would love to have you and you'll be a star in more ways than one.
 |
| Mount Vernon - Post War Event |
Experiment with your real 18th century role
Let's face it, women were second class citizens in the 18th century. Why not experiment with this reality. Spend your weekend being subservient. Instead of saying hi to your friend the officer, curtsy at his passing and acknowledge him as sir. Try being a servant. Lots of teaching moments for sure - for others and yourself.
Be a Leader
Volunteer to join an event organizing committee. Talk is cheap, but those who actually roll up their sleeves and do the work are the real heroes. If you want increased visibility for what you are doing, get involved. Most organizers are thrilled to have help and appreciate offers of additional programs -- if you propose something well thought out and appropriate, I guarantee you'll never be turned down.
 |
| Market Faire MMNHP |
String your own ropeline
My last post that advised women to leave the ropeline was, by some, misconstrued. My point was to know that there are other options. Interpreting as a guide can be an awesome experience for visitor, interpreter, as well as the site. Sometimes that's all a woman or non-musket firing man can offer at an event. Example - Lexington Green on Patriots Day. However, at large events take your interpretation past the ropelines. Offer a camp tour, better yet, do a camp tour from the vantage point of a camp follower. Even just the act of getting dressed can provide a great half hour of education. (A great way to justify the making of a new shift and/or handsewn stays!)
Be Creative
Here's an example. Except for the a very small number of women, the Boston Massacre is a man's event. What self respecting woman would be hanging around with a mob during a tumultuous March evening? The stars of the evening are the mob, the 29th, the Old State House, and the Sentry Box. When women volunteer for this event, save for a few speaking parts, your role will be an that of an interpreter. But like most ropeline gigs, there is lots of time before and after an event to do something amazing. As I've already mentioned, few sites will turn down a well planned and executed program.
 |
| Challenge Event Minute Man NHP |
The civilian events that Hive puts on are an offshoot of those that pioneers like Barbara DeLorey planned in the early 2000's with her women's group. She recognized that there were lots of untapped opportunities for interpretation. These ranged from themed reenactments with first-person scenarios to demonstration and teaching events. We at the Hive have continued that tradition and will continue to do so in the future. We have been fortunate to have sites like Minute Man National Historical Park as a venue for many of these programs, which speaks to the importance of great partners. It's exciting to see other sites climb on board. Newport Historical, for example, set the bar pretty high at last year's Stamp Act event. Not only was it a well planned event, the site made the reeanctors feel welcome and valued -- which was a stark contrast to a certain other maritime event that happened earlier that summer.
 |
| Effigies at the Stamp Act Event Newport 2015 |
Whatever you do, do it well. Do your homework, bring your documentation, deliver on what you promise. Don't wait around for something to happen, make it happen. Be warned, however, it's hard work.
You can't change history, our roles were what they were. But that shouldn't limit you from doing great living history. Remember, as a friend of mine once said, "Men need a cast of thousands to do a military event. You ladies are lucky, put two of you in an historical setting and you have a great event!"
Finally have fun - after all this is a hobby.
 |
| Sandy S. having fun at Longfellow House - Cambridge, MA 2015 |
Monday, April 18, 2016
Battle Road -- Beyond the Rope Line
Ladies – Its time to get off the sidelines!
 |
| Along the rope line at Tower Park (thanks to my friends in this picture for agreeing to share this image) |
2016’s MMNHP’s Battle Road Saturday’s Events are over. A sunny, yet cool and breezy day brought out
hundreds of visitors. For the Hivesters
at Hartwell it meant a steady stream of guests that started to arrive in droves
even before we had officially set up for the day. There was other activity on the road,
specifically the Tough Ruckers who were pushing though their individual
marathons in fatigues and combat boots laden with backpacks not to mention the
memories that 26.2 miles of walking would give them time to honor, savor, try
to forget or all of the above. I meant
to ask them if during their journey they ever heard the ghosts of April 19th
urging them forward.
Since the “tactical demonstrations” have
moved up to Parker’s Revenge, Hartwell has become an oasis of living history
without the pressure and highly orchestrated activities of a battle
reenactment. The quilting frame was
set-up for those who needed some meditative stitch therapy. No matter how many
stitches per inch you achieve, in a half an hour your blood pressure is lowered
by 10 points. There were lots of sewing
projects that were seeing steady progress without the distractions that happen
at home – like cats sitting on your project or the Internet beckoning. Lunch was a cornucopia of amazing period
foods, some of which were the successful results of the Preserving the Harvest
event of the previous season. The less
than successful outcomes also had their place - but as teaching
moments.
Things quieted down when many of the tourists were attracted by the clarion call of musket fire. It
is at this time when some of the best tourist interactions occur. Often these
are the visitors who truly come to learn and linger to hear their thoughtful
questions answered.
So after a good night’s sleep and now that the rest of the
props and clothing from Saturday’s event have been put away, I’ve had time to
do my AAR, which generally is just batted around between a few close
friends. But this time I’m going public
because I’m kind of frustrated. Because once
again, the majority of women participating at this event are on the sidelines
or in this case the rope lines.
Been there done that.
Yes, you are doing a valuable service as guide and interpreter and the
Park Service and the Tower Park organizers rely on the help. And believe me, I'm not disparaging the role of guide and interpreter. But the actual battle is less an hour – what
about the rest of the day? Ladies, once again, like every other event of the
season, the guys are the show and you are taking a supporting role when you
could be spending your day as the main event!
Battle Road is unique as it is really a collection of event
and venues. There is something for
everyone. But the more I think about it,
the ladies (and the guys who don’t want to spend their day burning powder)
could do some amazing living history but are once again are focusing their day around an hour on the rope line. But here's the thing - organizers are going to keep doing what they are doing unless you ask for change. The guys make sure their battle happens - maybe it's time to make sure you have other options - and there are other options.
So I challenge you ladies to elevate your participation at
Battle Road. Let’s plan something really
worthy of your great clothes, research, and hard work. It’s time to get off the sidelines and get in
the game! Why not:
·
Set up a first person zone and practice
scenarios focused on either domestic life or the events that would become the
start of the Revolution.
·
Bring out the spinning wheels and teach each
other to spin – or use a tape loom.
·
See if it is possible to quilt a petticoat in a
weekend
·
Make a seasonal meal
·
Teach someone a new skill
Learn a new skill
·
Do Laundry
·
Finish a project
·
Spend the day visiting and learning
·
Do a fashion show for the public
·
The possibilities are endless
Who’s in????
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
March Hive -- Staying Warm from the Inside Out
This Sunday, March 13th is the last Hive of the season. The topic is "Staying Warm in the 18th Century - from the Inside Out" We'll be looking at how both men and women dressed when the weather got cold -- from inner wear to outerwear.
The doors open at noon for "The Buzz" -- grab a cup of coffee and catch up with a friend. The lectures start at 1 and will run till 3. The last hour will be a chance to work on a project or get help with something you are working on.
We have something extra this time!! - Roy Najeck will be offering a concurrent cartridge pouch workshop for up to 5 people. This is a 21 round pouch with a black leather shoulder strap suitable for militia, state troops and pre 1779 Continental Army. The pouch is based on originals from New England and the Champlain Valley. If interested email Roy directly at roy@najecki.com No experience in sewing leather is necessary. You will learn the basics from 12 - 1 and work on your project while the lectures are going on. The cost is $60 (includes all materials)
Also, we have two openings left to Saturday's shirt workshop. If interested see the Larkin and Smith website Ihttp://
As always, there will be coffee and tea served, snacks to share are always welcome.
The Hive is free - located at Minuteman Technical High School on route 2A in Lexington. Follow the main entrance and go all the way to the end of the building and use the entrance (the one near the pool) follow the signs for The Hive.
Also we're looking for volunteers for set up, clean up and coffee duty. Email me if you can help.
See you this weekend!
--Steph
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