April 11, 2011

The 150th Anniversary and Civil War Era Dinner Invitations

So, tomorrow is the generally accepted date for the beginning of the Civil War (you know how historians are.) I wasn't even going to mention it but I felt the need because I am already sick of hearing about it. :D Every time I open a newspaper there's a story about the Civil War or stranger-- Civil War reenactors.

As much as I love to see how other people view us-- I feel like the media regurgitates the same few sensational aspects of it. I love reading that reenactors " even make their hardtack from scratch," as if there is a hardtack mix we should know about. (For those of you not familiar with hardtack the ingredients are: flour and water.) Another interesting topic that gets noted frequently is the price of reenacting items. Normally, the papers will say something like "ladies spend upwards of $1,000 on a nice dress,"-- of course people think we are crazy! Other good topics are "reenactors go on extreme diets to replicate soldiers on half rations," and "women even squish themselves into corsets!" 

Okay, now that I am done my rant. :D I am excited for this year's reeanacting season. The weather was is so nice today that I can imagine myself in my dress holding my basket full of apples while skipping barefoot down the company sheet, smelling summer and gunpowder.

I shall be commemorating only with Civil War Era Dinner Invitations from Martine's Sensible Letter-writer, published in 1866:






A fill-in-the-blank card. Manuals of the time recommended fill-in-the-blank cards for people who frequently had parties. Other options included having your name printed in by the printer and only leaving the invitee's name and date blank.

To fill the card in, follow the first example.




Is everyone excited for the 2011 season?

10 comments:

  1. Ha! Hardtack Mix! I understand, it's weird when people try to tell you about yourself.

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  2. Please continue to rant! I may even rant on my blog as well!!
    Hmmm...I just might!
    (I am, however, very excited for this year's season as well!!)

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  3. I love this rant! Can't wait to go to the reenactment at Pennypacker Mills in May!

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  4. Can't wait for the season to start! Just a few weeks for me!

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  5. I'm very excited too!

    Maggie, I'm thinking of packaging and marketing "Hardtack Mix." :D

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  6. Ken, Thanks for the permission-- sometimes I feel like I need it. It isn't good keeping it all bottled up. :D

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  7. Jess,
    We are not going to Pennypacker this year, we've decided to do Shippensburg instead. :( But I expect you will have a blast.

    Sophia, I'll be looking forward to more photos.

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  8. Hardtack is really the best part of this post, I think... It just proves what my father keeps saying, that if you read an article on something you know in the newspapers, they always get it wrong.
    Which makes me think, they always get it wrong, regardless of whether you know it or not... huh.

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  9. I shall be commemorating only with Civil War Era Dinner Invitations from Martine's Sensible Letter-writer, published in 1866:

    This is coincidence I just offered this 1866 book om my shop 15 mins. ago. It is very amusing.
    http://www.etsy.com/listing/74188362/1866-martines-sensible-letter-writer
    Thanks., betty W.

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  10. It's lovely! I think I'll take it.

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