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 - 2013

The second Hive of the season is all about developing your interpretive skills

Hive 2 Sunday,  February 10, 2013 -- "It's Up To Interpretation!"

The Buzz 11:30 am-12 pm Discussion: The Challenge – Getting Started

Need some inspiration to gett ing started on your impression for this year’s Challenge?  Learn about how others are getting started, become inspired, and get the support you need to take the first steps.

Lecture 1pm - 1:30 pm  “Clothing Makes the Man (or Woman)”

How come some people look like they just walked out of a portrait?  What are the elements that create a total 18^th century look from way a garment is worn to the accessories –we’ll highlight several types of impressions including civilian and military.

A Bit of Theatre 1:30 pm—2:00 pm 

His Majesty’s10th Foot Players Present “Theatricals for your Amusement” 

Theatre is a great way to get a better appreciation of the spoken word of a period and the closest thing we have to an verbal time machine – so enjoy the show!

Breakout Sessions 2:15 pm-4:00 pm

●      Deportment – Enroll in Master and Mistress Mees’ 18^th Century Finishing School to brush up on your deportment. Learn how (and who) to greet, practice your courtesies and bows, and avoid social awkwardness at your next gathering.

●      First Person Clinic – Does the thought of doing a first-person interpretation make you break out in a cold sweat?  Join John Adams interpreter Tom Macy and other expert first-person interpreters who will take the mystery out of role playing. They’ll discuss the tricks and traps and let you practice what you’ve learned.

●      Accouterments Real & Reproduction – View items of militaria from local collections – guns, cartridge boxes, powder horns, as well as some their reproductions that allow us a closer/hands-on view or details.

January Hive 2013

The first Hive of 2013 will be held on Sunday, January 20, 2013 and the focus will be clothing!

Here's the schedule:

Noon - 1pm  - The BUZZ

Come early, catch up with friends, meet new people – get the latest buzz.  We’ll be talking about this year’s Challenge Event.  So if you were considering participating, stop by and find out what it’s all about.  

Lecture: 1pm - 1:45 -- The Process of Putting Together a Great Kit

What are the steps to creating a really terrific kit? We will explore where to start, how to document your choices using primary sources, as well as selecting appropriate patterns and fabric. Most importantly, we’ll look at the elements that set an impression apart, from the fit to the details. Whether you are just starting out or are an experienced reenactor who would like to get to the next level of accuracy, you should find this helpful.

Breakout Sessions 2 pm - 4 pm

●      Newbie Clinic for Women – By watching our models transform into their 18^th century selves, you’ll learn about how to build your kit from the inside out and from head to toe.

●      Kit Tune up for Men -- Fixing Baggie Breeches & Wobbly Waistcoats  -- A good fit can dramatically improve the look of your small clothes, even if you bought them off the rack. Bring your ill-fitting breeches and waistcoat and learn the simple methods you need to know to give them a proper 18^th century fit.

●      Converting your Center Front Closing Gown into A Stomacher/Robings Gown  -- If you have some leftover fabric (or a matching petticoat) you can easily make your center front closing gown into a stomacher front gown – a style that is more appropriate for Battle Road/pre 1780’s New England

●      Darning a Sock – Have you blown out the heel of your stocking?  Ripped a hole in them running through the woods? Learn how to repair the damage!  Save your stockings with this useful skill

●      Hand Sewing101 – Are you taking any of the clothing workshops this year? Considering hand sewing a garment but don’t know where to start? Join us for a primer on basic hand sewing – from what kind of needle to select to mastering the basic stitches you’ll need to know. You will make a small drawstring bag

●      Finishing Your Shift – Have you finished the shift you started at a previous Hive workshop?  If you need an little motivation or help restarting your shift project, join Sharon for a shift sewing circle.

You'll be able to register thru the Hive website starting next week.  In the meantime, if you have any questions email hiveworkshops@gmail.com

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!

Doc' what ya got!

When it comes time to make something new for your 18th century wardrobe, we strongly encourage you to use primary sources for your inspiration. But what about what you've already have? How do you "doc what ya got"?

First, let's start with what year this garment is appropriate for.  The next frontier for this hobby is to dress for the year - generic 18th century is so yesterday (so to speak).  Take a look at the details, does my gown have robings and a stomacher or is does it close in the center front? Does it have a completely separate bodice and skirt? How large are the cuffs on my coat? What does the collar look like?  How long is my waistcoat?  These details will certainly help date your look. But why do I need to know that?  Well, you wouldn't wear 1812 clothing to Battle Road, so why would you wear 1780's high fashion to a French and Indian event, for example? So start by determining your timeline.  Look at portraiture, genre art, museum collections. But beware of the latter, unless a piece has a specific provenance or is consistent with other accurately dated examples, museum pieces are often misdated or dated to a very wide range or are remodeled pieces that are difficult to date accurately.

So you've found your clothing pictured in genre art or in a museum collection.  Good start. Now you need to look at your fabric.  Can you find a description of that fabric in period ads or inventories? Runaway ads, for example, are full of detailed descriptions, though sometimes things aren't always what they seem. Words like "calico" don't mean the same as they do today.  You can double check the meanings of these terms in the OED or Florence Montgomery's "Textiles in America"

CT Journal 1/11/1781

So far, so good, now don't forget the details. You may want to get your feet wet by documenting your accessories. How am I wearing my handkerchief? How long are my shift sleeves? How is my hat shaped?  What kind of basket am I carrying? Artwork is teeming with details! Find an example and print off the picture. If someone asks you about that market basket you are carrying, you can whip out your documentation to show them -- it sure beats saying, "I don't know,  I saw it in the XYZ sutler catalog."

Hogarth's A Harlot's Progress

Market Basket - notice the one in the Hogarth print (lower right)

So start somewhere, but most importantly - start! Before you know it you'll be an old pro at this.

Documenting Your Kit - Easier Than You Think

Snakes, spiders, swarms of biting insects, wearing wool in 100 degree heat -- that's nothin' for most reenactors. But ask someone to provide documentation for their kit and they end up looking like they've just seen a ghost. But here's the deal, everyone should be able to document what they are wearing. Now it could be argued that not each person who takes part in this hobby is interested in the clothing aspect of things, but I would make the case that as a costumed living historian, it's actually one of the most important. It's the first thing others see and it's the visual memory you leave behind.  And consider for a moment the history you can teach using clothing as a prop.  Think: taxes, importation of finished goods to the colonies, social status, manufacturing, trade, etc.,  Being able to provide the sources for your clothing choices is an important part of taking your impression to a higher level.

So what is involved in providing documentation for your clothing? It's actually much easier than you think. Over the next week, we are going to share several examples, from working class to gentry.  The good news is, that it does not require writing a master's thesis, much of the work has already been done for you, if you look hard enough.  There are great reference books at your disposal to draw from, as well as countless on-line sources; and for you overachievers out there, well, the sky's the limit.

Today, we're going to start with gentry kit for a lady.......

Gentry Kit for a Lady: 1773

Shift: Linen, based on Copp Family shift at the Smithsonian Institute, CT provenance

Stays: From pattern drafted from pair at Memorial Hall, Deerfield, MA

(In progress: silk & wool covered stays)

Gown: Modeled after Dorothy Quincy portrait by John Singleton Copley – pink silk taffeta, open front 1772

Cap – Wired, lace with silk ribbon

Apron: Linen – hand embroidered

MFA accession# 64.1913 New England provenance

Handkerchief: Fine Linen trimmed with lace – Gainsborough, Countess Howe 1763

Hat – Straw trimmed with white silk ribbon - Gainsborough,  Countess Howe 1763

Thomas Gainsbourgh 1763 - Countess Howe

Fabric & Trim Samples

Shoes:  Silk Shoes

Silk covered shoes by American Duchess – silk dyed blue

Next: We'll take a look at a middlin' kit using many resources you are probably already familiar with.