Fun articles of interest

I just wanted to call your attention to a neat article in the latest edition of the Colonial Williamsburg Journal.  (For those of you who do not receive this publication, there is a wonderful abridged version available online, along with a nice archive of articles past.)  "Reflections on Reenacting" provides a fun glimpse into this “hobby” with personal anecdotes by the author, D.A. Saguto (CW’s master boot and shoemaker).  Mr. Saguto touches on the difference between reenactors and interpreters, as well as the practice that has become known as “living history.”  If you are completely new to the concepts behind these practices, this is a good overview.  And for those of us who are familiar with these ideas or have experience with them ourselves, you will find yourself smiling and nodding as you read.

Also in this edition is another insightful article about John Trumbull and his famous painting, The Declaration of Independence.  (Remember our post about visiting Trumbull homes in Lebanon?)  Be sure to click on the Online Extra called “Explore The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull.”  You can roll your mouse over each signer’s face to reveal their names, and learn some fun facts as well.

If this kind of random stuff gets you as excited as it does me, be sure to investigate this publication's archives and upcoming issues!

Conversations at Poplar Forest - And Online!

Each year, Poplar Forest hosts a performance entitled Conversations with Jefferson.  The performances feature the inestimable Bill Barker as Mr. Jefferson in discourse with other talented interpreters portraying historical figures from his lifetime.  In the past, he has entertained guests such as Aaron Burr, Dolley Madison, and even Napoleon Bonaparte.  This year's Conversations is scheduled for May 7, 2011 when Mr. Jefferson will host King George III in the person of another exciting interpreter, John Hamant.  Visit the Poplar Forest website for more information about this program and to purchase tickets.

Coinciding with this event each year is another performance geared towards a younger audience.  Shaping the World: Conversations on Democracy features the same Mr. Jefferson and a guest, but occurs in more of an interview format with elementary and middle school students as the audience.  The students are engaged by being encouraged to ask the questions themselves.  This program is broadcast by Blue Ridge PBS and other local PBS stations, and is also streamed by the Virginia Department of Education.  Poplar Forest also provides lesson plans and other materials to compliment the program.  What an excellent and interactive resource for education this is!  And now, for those of us who are no longer in school, but still consider ourselves students of history, these programs are available as free downloads via iTunesU.

Mr. Jefferson (Bill Barker) and Patrick Henry (Richard Schumann)

answer questions during a 2010 Shaping the World: Conversations

on Democracy program.

The property at Poplar Forest was inherited by Thomas Jefferson upon the death of his wife's father, John Wayles.  Poplar Forest became Jefferson's retreat and over time he designed and built the octagonal home.  His grandson, Francis Eppes (the only surviving child of his daughter Maria), began living there in 1823, though Jefferson still oversaw improvements on the property.  Having received the property through a bequest in Jefferson's will, Eppes sold it in 1828, just two years after Jefferson's death.  It remained in private hands until 1983 when a nonprofit corporation was formed to purchase and begin preserving and restoring the home and land on which it stands.  As a National Historic Landmark, Poplar Forest continues to provide visitors with a unique look at Jefferson's retreat, as well as the opportunity to see an ongoing archaeological and restoration project.

The events above are only a glimpse of what Poplar Forest has to offer.  I hope that those of you who live nearby or plan visits to the area will stop by to appreciate what has been accomplished and continues to be explored at Poplar Forest.  Unfortunately, due to distance and my limited vacation time, I have yet to visit Poplar Forest myself.  It has been on my dream destination list for quite some time, and I hope to have the chance to visit very soon.  So I am very grateful for these new online Conversations and other updates via the Poplar Forest facebook page, which allow me to keep up with what is going on at Jefferson's retreat.

First Person Interpretation Retreat at Mystic Seaport

Back in January, I attended an ALHFAM event at Mystic Seaport. Mystic is a lovely village of relocated historic buildings staffed with professionals who bring 19th century maritime trades and customs to life. And just like OSV, it is a site close to home that I never had the time to visit. Our blog wasn’t around last winter, and we have some friends visiting Mystic soon, so I figured it would be fun to back-track a bit and share some stories about my visit.

The event I attended was hosted by one of ALHFAM’s professional interest groups. The First Person Interpreter’s Professional Network (FPIPN, pronounced “pippin”) is dedicated to connecting those who use first person to bring history to life so that they may share experiences and techniques and provide training opportunities. I have done some personal studying of the practice and have enjoyed observing some immensely talented people portray historical figures in various settings. Because I am currently only in the earliest stages of thinking through and developing my own first person persona, I thought it would be great fun to learn more about it from those with extensive experience, and to meet some of the people who enjoy sharing history as much as I do.

The FPIPN retreat was fantastic! (The program is still online here, if you are interested.)  Over the course of the weekend I attended several sessions, witnessed some great presentations, and had the chance to mingle over coffee breaks and meals. I think most of the sessions were geared towards beginners, which was really helpful for me, but there were definitely some very experienced practitioners among us as well. In the sessions I attended, we discussed topics such as studying historic dialects and tips for finding appropriate clothing. It was also interesting to hear about others' experiences with first person and how guests respond to their work.

The last event before leaving was a tour of the costume shop. It was a small group, so we had plenty of time to look around and ask questions. Downstairs, they have some work areas set-up with patterns laid out and works-in-progress hanging. Upstairs, rooms are lined with racks where costumes hang or shelves for shoes and hats, along with some small changing areas for the interpreters.

One of the rooms upstairs in the Mystic costume shop.

Men's costumes hang in another room upstairs.

Inspirations hang on the walls of the work rooms.

One of the first things that come to mind when thinking back to that weekend was the cold. To say it was freezing is an understatement. A BIG understatement. We kept pretty busy, but did have some time to look around the village. Unfortunately, because it was so frigid, I was only able to walk around quickly and snap some pictures. I will definitely be going back when I have a chance to look around some more. Below are some pictures from my brisk walk around town:

A personal highlight of my Mystic adventure was visiting Mystic Pizza. I think most people are familiar with the film of the same name, featuring Julia Roberts; the story is set in town and although they did not use the actual restaurant in the film, several scenes were filmed in Mystic. The restaurant walls were filled with articles and memorabilia from the film. If you know me at all, you know how much I love pizza. While the pizza wasn’t quite what I was expecting, it was very good and definitely worth the visit. I was also sure to purchase my own “slice of heaven” t-shirt!

Mmmm!  Pizza!

Frolicks in Williamsburg

Over the years we have formed many acquaintances and friendships in town and it is always such a pleasure to reconnect (thanks for lunch Mr. M.!) and to meet new friends each time we visit. In particular on this visit, we began a great friendship with a family from Virginia. We had been reading their blog for some time, eagerly following their descriptions of their visits to CW and their accounts of their studies in history. It was so nice getting to meet them at last! We ended up spending quite a bit of time together over the course of our stay, and we had so much fun bonding over our common interests, experiences, and costuming adventures.

Ashley (left) and new friend Miss C. sharing stories

On Tuesday evening, we also joined John Millar and his group for an evening of English country dance at Newport House. Thank you to all of you for your warm and enthusiastic welcome!

Ron Carnegie as Washington

We also had the opportunity to spend some time in the St. George Tucker House, meeting fellow donors and volunteers from all over the world, and taking a much needed reprieve from the heat! One of my personal favorite programs at the Tucker House is the informal presentations given by some of the “Nation Builder” interpreters. This setting not only allows the interpreters to share stories and answer questions that a larger audience might not permit, but it also provides the opportunity to communicate with the interpreters out of character. This can be a rewarding experience for both visitors who might be new to the concept of first-person interpretation and for those (like me) who are studying the practice. During our stay, we had the opportunity to visit with two of my favorite founding fathers (and interpreters!) Thomas Jefferson/Bill Barker and George Washington/Ron Carnegie.

Bill Barker as Jefferson at the Tucker House

One "serious" change (at least to us!) was the introduction of plastic wrapped goods in the Raleigh Tavern Bakery. As we understand it, the division of CW that runs the restaurants and taverns recently assumed control over the RT Bakery, which necessitated an imposition of their set of regulations on this premesis as well. I understand the concepts of sanitation and all that, but it was the experience that really made a difference. Even with the paper cups and the cash register, walking into the RT Bakery was always such a special experience; those signature smells of freshly baked ginger cakes and Sally Lunn bread have now been replaced with baskets full of plastic wrapped items that really diminish the sense of uniqueness. We were also disappointed to see that they no longer offer Chowning Rolls. Thank goodness for those CW cookbooks, but those rolls will be sadly missed.

Mmmm, Raleigh Tavern Bakery!

This was our first visit to the recently reconstructed Charlton’s Coffeehouse. During our earliest visits to CW, the Armistead house still stood on this site. Over the years, we have followed the progress of the excavation and reconstruction, so it was particularly exciting to visit the project at its successful end. It is a shining example of the efforts of CW and its extraordinarily talented staff (which includes the interpreters who now bring it to life).

We also attended some of the newer theater programs, which we haven’t had the opportunity to see in the past. These included Polly Honeycombe, a classic 18th century comedy of misguided love, filial disobedience, and mistaken identities, with a twist of CW comedy and a rousing 18th-century-trained audience to boot!

Further adventures from our latest trip to CW to follow!