Creating Civilian

Creating Civilian Events that is!

Here in Hiveland we were a little surprised with the reaction to the clothing standards put forth by the organizers of the east coast Hermoine events.  For those of you who aren't aware, this summer the recreated ship that brought Lafayette to the colonies in 1780 is arriving at various ports along the eastern seaboard.  At each port events are being organized to have the ship greeted by accurately costumed reenactors.

Courtesy of l'hermione.com

Personally I think there are several reasons that these standards have ladies' stays in a twist.  Reenactors don't like to be told what to do, especially when it comes to what they wear.  Many are not used to detailed clothing standards.  But I believe the biggest reason this has caused such a kerfuffle is that there are so few civilian events out there and people are afraid of being excluded.

Other than the occasional ball, a ladies tea organized by the host unit at a military encampment or a stroll down sutler's row, there are not a lot of opportunities to put on the finer clothes and do something other than laundry or tending some hunk of meat on the fire.

Market Faire MMNHP

As a friend said to me once, "Guys need a cast of hundreds to pull off a good event (military that is), you ladies can have a great event with just two of you".   What he meant was you don't need a lot of organizing and a huge complement of people to pull off a good civilian event.  We do them around here quite a bit and I encourage others to do the same.

Golden Ball Tavern Holiday Open House

Want an excuse to wear a French Fashion Plate?  Attend a Mozart opera or concert in kit (be sure to contact the artist director and get permission before you do).  A couple years ago, a group of us attended a showing of Dangerous Liaisons and purchased box seats.  The audience thought we were part of the show and we actually received a standing ovation from the cast!

Tea with the Derby's

Have a small dance at a local historic house.  Most historic properties welcome the participation of volunteers.

Want to wear those 1780's confections? - plan a post-war/celebrate the victory/end of war event.

Reenactor play date

Schedule a "renenactor play date" at a local historic site.  Bring your sewing projects and spend the day getting something done.  At the same time you can educate the public on clothing of the period and how that relates to commerce, class, etc.

Do yourself a favor and plan a civilian event this summer.  I think you will find they are fun, low-pressure, and very rewarding!

Next: What does 1780 in New England look like?  Preparing for the Hermoine.

February Hive

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Taking Needle to Fabric  

The Buzz -- 10 - 11:30

Book Club -- Book to be Announced

Sunday Morning at the Movies -- Barry Lyndon - Part 1

Lectures 12 - 1:30

The focus of this Hive will be to learn how to make good fabric choices, not only ones that are appropriate for the garment and time period but also fabrics that have the right feel, texture, etc.  The second part of this workshop will be to learn hand stitching techniques that will enhance the beauty of appropriate fabrics.

Fabrics of the 18th century -- Look at the wide range of fabrics that were available to the buyer of 1770 New England.  We’ll explore the advertisements, as well as the period swatch cards, and sources like Barbara Johnson’s journal.

Round Robin Breakout Sessions - Pick 2  1:30 - 3:30

“Touch This” - Sometimes what seems like a great buy turns out be a disaster to sew, especially when one shops on-line. You will learn the hallmarks of a good fabric by touch and feel.  You’ll quickly learn how to avoid the clunkers that don’t turn out to be the bargains you thought they were.

“Buttonholes” - As our dear Mr. Cooke always quips - "it’s the first thousand"!  Besides practice, there are some secrets to creating great buttonholes.  In this session, you’ll learn the basics as well as some of the tricks of the trade.

“Stroke Gathers” - A seemingly easy technique that requires a little skill and a lot of patience. Used to attach sleeve heads to the body of a shirt or shift, as well as attaching a cuff to a sleeve, a well done stroke gather is a thing of beauty.

“Basic Stitchery”  - You might know the basics but may not know the techniques to create secure and consistent stitching.  In this session we’ll cover: running stitch, combination stitch, back stitch (several variations), underhand hem stitch, whip gathers, and eyelets. You’ll also experiment with different size needles to find the right tool for the job.  Bring your sewing kit. 

Location: Minuteman Technical High School, Lexington, MA

Coffee and tea are available and as always, snacks to share are always welcome.

The Hive is free to the local living history community and is brought to you by the Hive volunteers, Minute Man National Historical Park and the generosity of Minuteman Tech for the use of their facilty.

Another Day, Another Account Book

William Poynz by Gainsborough (1762) - Wearing leather breeches

Another day, another account book and a trip to the Worcester Historical Museum.  This time, it was the account book of Joseph Newell, a tailor from New Braintree, a town in central Massachusetts, a world away from the bustling 18^th century seaport city of Newport, Rhode Island.  These books are different in many ways, most notably, Joseph Newell’s book shows its age. The once colorful cover is faded and torn, the pages, especially the first ones, are brittle and water spotted, often hard to read, especially at the edges – making the dates of the entries difficult to decipher. Despite the condition issues, the book is still a treasure. (At least for us clothing geeks).  Filled with page after page of entries that represent a man's livelihood, this book, like Mr. Gould's, was easier to read the more you looked at it, though Mr. Newell’s handwriting posed more of a challenge – he wrote in a tiny, fine-lined script, in contrast to Mr. Gould's rather consistent, neat penmanship.  (I wish we could share a photo, but neither site permits photography and the books are too delicate to photocopy.

After perusing several pages, you get a good idea of the types of items being made and what was being accepting as payment.  Similar to what we found in the Newport book, Mr. Newell is loaning money and/or making payments in cash– probably because, most often, cash is what shows up on the credit side of his ledger. He occasionally trades goods for other goods, wheat for rye, for example.  He also is trading his time. Though it’s not clear what his is doing in trade (he doesn’t say), but he is charging 2 shillings per day for his labor. By way of comparison, he is charging anywhere from 4 shillings to 4 shillings/9 pence to make a pair of breeches.  So can we conclude that it took roughly 2 days for him to make a pair of breeches?

Though he made coats, “jacets, “trousis", great coats, drawers, a cloak, and did lots of mending, Mr. Newell’s specialty was leather breeches – made of sheep skin, deer skin, lamb skin and “moos”.  I need to spend some more time studying the prices, as sometimes it appears that he included the skins in the cost, he sometimes lists the skin cost separately.

Leather Breeches Maker, English Advertisement

 Speaking of prices, we see a stark contrast of the seemingly inflated prices listed in the Newport account books when compared to those in New Braintree. We’ll most certainly need the help of someone experienced in numismatics (vocabulary word of the day) to give us a more informed perspective on the value of money  and how it varied by colony, year, etc.   Lots of things to learn here, as we continue to scratch the surface!

18th Century Accounting 101

Remember Accounting 101? Debits, Credits and all that financial stuff?  18th Century account books also used that same method of accounting for goods and services.  I sell you this, you pay me that.  The tailor's book of Mr. Gould kept track of his transactions in a very effective and easily understood way.

Mr. Gould used a plain unlined notebook, the left side for the name of the customer, the date of the transaction and the cost for goods and services provided, listed in pounds (£), shillings and pence.

The right side of the notebook was used to note payment, both partial and full and the dates those payments were made, also in pounds (£), shillings and pence.

The totals on each side were balanced, though it was not unusual to see payments made in a series of entries over time.

What makes the entries fascinating, on so many levels, is what they can teach us about 18th century life, not only from the clothing/textile perspective, but from the relative value and measures of commodities and other services used in payment.  Cash, of course, is always good, and could consist of colonial money, British currency and the foreign coinage of many nations, especially the Dutch and Spanish coins.   But it is the payments using methods other than cash that are the most interesting for us.  (Mr. Gould probably liked the cash!)

Looking at the credit side of the account book we see that Mr. Gould was paid in the following manner.

August 29, 1772  -- A kintle of codfish = 18 £  
August 23, 1771 -- A gallon of rum = 5 £  
December 7, 1772 --  A 1/2 hundred sugar = 25 £
August 7, 1771 --  2 half barrels of beef = 8 £  
August 15, 1771 -- A quarter of "rise" (rice) = 6 £  
December 28, 1772 --  Cordwood = 18 £  
August 23, 1771 --  1 dozen pipes = 1 £, 4 shillings
October 17, 1772 --  16 silver basket buttons = 11 £, 13 shillings, 4 pence  

Other items he was paid with included molasses, chocolate, Indian corn, lobsters, flour, silver straps, gold cord, and "by sundries at Capt John Kilburn shop".

Mr. Gould had a consistent charge of 7 £ for the making of a pair of breeches.  Would you be willing to make a pair for a 1.4 gallons of rum?  How many codfish in a kintle?  Any ideas?

Transition:18th Century Styles

When did it happen? When did the changes begin that brought the 18th century from sober and long standing styles, to new and evolving styles? We are really going to look closely at primary sources to try and determine when and how those changes took place.

Lewis Walpole Library

This print from the Lewis Walpole Library is dated 1775.  Notice that the woman's gown no longer sports robings on either side.  Also notice that it does not close center front, the opening is still there, but much narrower. 

Not a closed front gown, and not an open front either!  So the next logical step is to assume this is a transition from one style -stomacher and robings- to the next-center front closing gown.  Also note the stripes on the sleeves are up and down, not sideways.

Lewis Walpole Library 

  This print from 1775 shows us a woman at home wearing undress, having her corns cut!

 

This zoomed in view shows us she is wearing a jacket in the French style.  This excerpt from the Lady's Magazine, May 1775, gives us the clue as to what is going on.

"Nightgowns in the French jacket fashion, flying back and tying behind with large bunches of ribbon. Sashes round the waist, and fastened with a small buckle."

The term nightgowns is referencing English fitted gowns, telling us that now they flying back like a French jacket.  This jacket fits the description, it is not closed and appears loose to the body and has a sash around the waist.  Dovetailing perfectly to the description given in the Lady's Magazine.  Is this the transition to the "zone" gown?

What gown style is right for me?

In our area we reenact the period from 1770-1783.  Will one gown work for us?  Probably, but that question and answer requires some thought and some research.  Here's the thing, your clothing doesn't have to be the latest in fashion, by the same token, you shouldn't be wearing styles that haven't been invented yet.  (you can go back but not forward) And frankly, it's the latter that needs to be addressed as we take steps towards greater authenticity.

The basic rule of dressing for 18th century reenactors has essentially been -- stomacher front gown for French & Indian War and a center front closing gown for Rev War.  In our humble opinion we need to be a bit more specific than that and base our choices on documented research not reenactor tradition.  The busy bees at the Hive have been pondering this as of late and are trying to nail down a date when the front closing gown started to take hold.  Examination of  artwork would suggest somewhere around 1775-1778.

This first image by Anna Frankland Lewis is dated 1774.

LACMA

 This is her version of the "Dress of the Year" which would make it in the forefront of fashion in 1774.  It is still a gown with an open front, with probably gauze or lace trimmings and a vertical decoration running down either side of bodice center fronts. Make note of the fact that this still a fashion plate, not a real gown.

This next watercolor by Anna Frankland Lewis is the earliest representation of a closed front gown that we have yet found and it is dated 1775.

 This is Anna's interpretation of either a fashion plate or image from an almanac. You can clearly see the closed front bodice of this gown.  High fashion in 1775- in silk.

 This blown up version shows clearly the gown meeting in center front, with the same vertical trimming at center front as the earlier gown. The aesthetic has changed.  This is a pretty dramatic change for a gown style that has been in place for many decades.  It is daring, revolutionary and cutting edge. 

How long did it take for this fashion to reach down into everyday life of the ordinary woman?  Right now in 2011 it takes about a year after seeing something trendy in New York City to see the same fashion trend in small town Massachusetts and we have the internet!  and magazines! and TV!

Let's look at the questions this all brings up. 

Was there a transition style from one to the other?

Where does the so called zone gown fit into the equation?

How quickly does the front closing gown become the style of choice in the colonies - especially for the poor and middle class?

How did one learn how to make this new style? 

So what are you finding?  When are you seeing center front closing gowns appearing and when are they being worn by the masses (Colonial & English women)?   Your thoughts?
 
The buzzing bees

Focusing the Zoom Lens: 1770-1783

The Hive blog in the next few months is going to be taking an in depth look at the styles of gowns worn during the time period of 1770-1783 from both the standpoint of fashion and social context.

A common error made by many reenactors is dressing “generically" 18th century.  If a re-enactor is wearing something that was worn sometime between 1740-1790  it is working for them. Many will read this and say why bother, it is just a hobby.  Get over it.  Why do the guys bother discussing uniform buttons for days on end and the lock of a musket or the strap on a cartridge case?  If those details are important for them, shouldn't our details as women be important to us?

 Here in the New England area, Revolutionary War reenactors participate in events that range in date from 1770 to 1783, a span of thirteen years!   That 13 year time period saw not only the Tea Party and the American Revolution, but also a revolution of style in clothing, especially for women.  It is our intention to focus as best we can on those stylistic changes over that 13 year time period.

 Up until the explosion of the internet, providing us ALL with access to newspaper archives, portrait and print collections as well as the treasures locked away in museum storage, this information was available only to a small circle.  Colonial Williamsburg with its many archives and collections, always had this advantage and has shared much of their research with symposiums, books and exhibits.  Now it is up to all of us to start doing our own work, the information is there.  Shame on us if we don't even look at it!

We are going to take a methodical look at portraits, extant garments and the social media of the day, the satires, to build a case for change over time in women's clothing among the various social strata, and how we should or should not be reflecting those changes in our dress.

Each of those areas of research has issues: portraits in the colonies reflect the upper class of society, extant garments are often undated or misdated with no provenance and the satires have pointed jokes that we often don't understand.  

We will do our best to look at all the research available and hopefully we can draw our own conclusions when presented with the data.  We will strive for frank discussions based on facts not opinions.  Please join us in our quest!

Here We Are! Where are we going?

Old Sturbridge Village - 2009

At a recent event, I had a chat with someone who has been away from the hobby for a few years.  She noticed something remarkable about how the women were dressed at the recent BAR event in Needham, Massachusetts.  She noted how just a few years ago there was a real bell curve when it came to accuracy in women's clothing.  A few were really bad, most fell into some middle ground of generally acceptable, but not really great either, with only a few really outstanding impressions on the other end of the spectrum.  Her current observation was that most of the middle ground have joined the ranks of the good and she noticed a larger gap between poor impressions and ones that were really well done.

Hartwell Tavern 2010

What this seems to indicate is that we, as female reenactors, have made great strides in presenting ourselves as 18th Century women.  It is especially noticeable at events at Minute Man National Historical Park where standards have been in place for several years.

Foodways Preservation Program - Hartwell Tavern 2010

The majority of women are now in stays and gowns. There is a nice diversity and selection of fabrics, very few bad cotton prints, and for the most part, women in our New England area are reflecting the recent scholarship on how people in greater Boston were dressed in the 18th Century.   This has all happened in the last 5-6 years, and not by accident.  The Internet has made the dissemination of information easier, museums are putting their collections on line, specialized yahoo groups have emerged, new clothing patterns have become available, there are more quality sutlers out there, new books published, and a community of sharing at Minute Man NHP, through the Hive Programs, have all combined into a perfect storm for reenactors to create and wear more historically accurate clothing.

 Hartwell Tavern - 2009

So what's next, now that the basics are well in hand?

Though we’re looking much better overall, if we zoom in the lens of the time machine a little closer, it becomes evident that we should focus our efforts on paying closer attention to time, place, social status, and the details of our overall look.  Over the next several months, this blog will be looking at how we, as women in New England, can fine-tune our impressions.  We will do that by examining the documentation and hopefully opening up a dialog that will bring additional findings to light and start the process of bringing our 18th century impressions to the next level! 

 Shift Race - Hartwell Tavern MMNHP

Please feel free to comment and make suggestions, a dialogue takes more than one person!

 The Hive Collective

What Does a Newbie Need? Let's start with Shoes!

Getting started in 18th Century re-enacting, what do you really need? That is a frequently asked question as new people enter the re-enacting world.  Let's start from the bottom up with shoes!  The focus of all newbie posts will be the Rev War time period.

Shoes

Shoes are one of the biggest expenses a newcomer makes when starting out.  It is part of the outlay of entering the hobby and it can be expensive to provide shoes to an entire family when first starting out.  It is one of the items that you must purchase and cannot make for yourself without training.

 This pair of shoes was sold at the Karen Augusta Auctions, dated to the 1770s,  it is one of those rare common shoes that survives.  Simple leather shoes are not in abundance for study, so it is especially helpful to view this pair with such good closeup views.

This heel is described as an Italian heel as the style of heel is progressing from the earlier Louis heel which lands more to the back of the foot.

The Female Bruiser,  c1770

The Polite Macaroni, c1774

Statute Hall, c1770

The Female Bruiser, c1770

The above images are details from several British Satires online at the Lewis Walpole Library, if you follow the links you will see the full image of the print.  Notice that the lower class woman waiting to be hired as a servant has a lower clunkier heel than the others, but it still is a higher heel than a man's shoe.  Most of the shoes have rectangular buckles, one has a ribbon rosette in lieu of a buckle.


Sources for Shoes!

There are vendors for historical footwear online and sutlers at Revolutionary War Events.  If you have extremely hard to fit feet, it might be advantageous to wait for an event that you will attending and try on the shoes if at all possible.


Sarah Juniper

Sarah is well known in the re-enacting world for her custom made shoes.  Located in Great Britain, she takes custom orders via mail (not email) and her prices reflect the labor and materials of hand made shoes.  Prices begin at 178GBP

Advantage: High Quality, Custom Fit, Choice of fabric or leather uppers
Disadvantage: Expensive, Currency Exchange not favorable, Overseas Transaction


Burnley and Trowbridge

Offers an excellent choice of leather heeled and low heeled shoes and slippers for women.  These shoes are high quality leather, very well made and durable.  The price is extremely reasonable for such a fine quality shoe. Prices  $90.00 -$120.00

Advantage: High Quality, Choice of Leather Color, Excellent Customer Service, Timely Delivery
Disadvantage: Not available in half sizes


Fugawee

An online vendor with a variety of historical footwear Fugawee offers machine made shoes that are well made and durable.  The Connie style is the best choice for the Rev War time period, with the Debbie as the next best choice.  Prices begin at $85.00

Advantage: Available in half sizes, Good Quality
Disadvantage: Internet sales


American Duchess

New to the marketplace, American Duchess is now offering a satin shoe with a choice of custom dye colors known as "Georgiana".  A good option for fancy dress and indoor events, since up until this time only expensive custom shoes were available in any sort of color besides brown, black or red.  Shoes will be offered in leather in the near future.   Prices begin at $100.00

Advantage: Custom Colors, Available in half sizes, Excellent customer service and return policy
Disadvantage: Internet sales


Flying Canoe Traders
These sutlers will not sell shoes through the mail unless you have already had the opportunity to try them on for fit.  Low heeled and rubber soled, these shoes work for lower class impressions.  Prices begin at $160.00

Advantage: Extremely durable and comfortable, Sizes available for trying on
Disadvantage: Rubber soles,  Available only at re-enactments