This post is a response to Ken's post at
Passion for the Past. Go on over and check his blog out if you haven't already.
How long have you into history?
-I have been into
history since elementary school. I was really interested in ancient Egypt
first.
What got you into it?
- I had a really cool
Egyptian set when I was a kid that had stamps for Egyptian letters. My best
friend and I used to write each other notes in “Egyptian.” We also played
French Revolution (barricades, anyone?) and runaway slaves. I guess we were an
eccentric duo.
What was it that clicked inside your head that all of a sudden made you
realize you had an obsession with the past?
-I loved historical
fiction. I really wasn’t interested in fantasy books like most children.
Do you only study a certain era in history or all eras?
- I am limited in my
areas of history. American history is my favorite but history does not exist in
a vacuum so American History is a world affair. My favorite eras and places in order might
surprise you: Revolutionary War, French
and Indian, Civil War, Ancient Egypt. Maybe not.
Do you only study American history or do you study world
history?
-I’ve taken a good
amount of classes on Chinese and Indian history as well but it’s not my focus.
Are you partial to daily life, politics, or wars of the
past?
- I am one of those
people who is happy that she gets to choose what historical period she wants to
be in for a few days. However, if I had to pick another period to live in for
one month, I would probably pick Colonial.
Whichever subject you chose (daily life, politics, or war), what interests
you most about the chosen subject?
-Daily life of the
average person is my favorite thing to study but I do believe that you need to
study as many aspects of a time period as you can. These things didn’t exist
independently of each other and we should work together with each other to help
create a fuller picture of the past. I
force myself to read books on politics and military strategy. Surprisingly, as
with most things, it gets more interesting the more I learn about it.
How do you do your research? Do you look up information
on the internet or stick with history books? If you research on the 'net, do you double or triple check the sources?
I read A LOT.
I try to read everything I can about a subject that I am researching. I read
current books, magazine articles, scholarly journals, newspapers ect. I ask
more knowledgeable people to point me in the direction of sources. I check old archives.
I read older books on the subject to see how historiography on the subject has
changed. I collect primary accounts and secondary accounts from the period (it’s
nice to know what people of the time thought about an event, even if they weren’t
there or their information was not correct.) I make note of conflicting sources
and try to factor out who is reliable and who isn’t. You would be surprised how
misinformation spreads.
If by book, do you read multiple books on the same subject?
-I do read multiple
books on the same subject but sometimes on related subjects too. For instance,
if I am studying colonial cooking, I will also be studying economics and trade
to see what exactly was available and at what prices.
To
what extent do you research?
- Too much. I am a
perpetual researcher and never get around to writing anything up. My
perfect job would be assistant researcher, although I would love to be a
writer. Maybe, someday.
If you reenact, why? What makes you want to put on period clothing and
subject yourself to ridicule by family and friends and strangers?
-I reenact because it's fun. If it wasn't fun I wouldn't do it. I like to spend my weekends in the past because I am overcome with technology and modern work. It's nice to get a taste of historical work (working together at home with family and friends.) I like teaching about the period but I like creating a different world for people to get lost in, more. I kind of like the strange literary "gypsy," caravan-style meetings. All reenactors have friends all over the country and we all drive far distances to meet up with our friends and build a town for a weekend. Then we don't see each other until the next meet up, sometimes we only see certain friends once a year. If you go to an event where you don't know anyone, you are almost certain to know someone who knows someone you know. :)
Is dressing in period clothing a want or a need?
- I think it’s still
a want at this point. It is definitely a preference over modern clothes. I feel
pretty in dresses, even my dirty Civil War dress. Modern clothing clings to
every body flaw. In the past, you could achieve an attractive “shape”
regardless of what your body shape was.
How do you feel while wearing accurate period clothing?
- I feel “at home.” I
do wear a Colonial dress 5 days a week in the summer so maybe it’s from that. I
feel most at home in a corset. It just makes everything feel very secure and
covered.
How long have you been doing living history?
- Well if you count
those years of pretending as a small child, then for a very long time. I did
come Colonial living history with a homeschooled family when I was in 7th
grade. I didn’t reenact until I was in
college because my family wasn’t really interested in history at all. I had to
go to reenactments by myself. I've been reenacting the Civil War Era for 6 years.
To what extent do you portray one from the past:
mainstream, progressive, or hardcore?
- I am a happy
mainstreamer. I am always trying to improve but I am also poor and
frugal. My kit is limited but quality. I frequently do without than to do
incorrect. I am far from a hardcore, though.
Do you believe in time-travel?
- I wish it was
possible, but I do not think it is possible in the way we want it. I mean, I
think Einstein had a theory and I’m with Einstein. But I don’t think that would
put us in a world of the past.
Actual time-travel or mind-travel?
-I do love
mind-travel. I think the world needs more mind-travel and the best place to get
it is from living histories and books.
Have you ever experienced "seeing the elephant" while reenacting,
whether soldier or civilian?
In other words, have you ever felt you were "there"?
-Yes. Every time I can’t go to the ball because I
don’t have a nice dress. I sit in my tent and mope and girls put on their beautiful
silks and I’m stuck in my grease covered work dress.
How do you feel upon entering a period home?
- When I enter a period home I feel like I want to build my
own. I love a house where you can fix things yourself. Historical homes make me
relaxed. There isn’t the background noise like in a modern house: no toilets
flushing, no air conditioner running in the back, no hard drives buzzing or
refrigerators running. It’s glorious.
Does the feeling change when entering said home while in period clothing?
-When I enter a
period house in period clothing I feel like I am a part of the house. The house is another world and I am just the
ambiance.