Neshaminy Civil War Reenactment 2015 *Warning Photo Heavy!*

The Neshaminy Reenactment is a fantastic first reenactment of the summer event. Some people do not like it because it is surrounded by modern conveniences and is not a real battlefield.  Although it is not the site of any Civil War battle and is in a state park, its negatives are also its positives. The fact that it is a state park means the event attracts many people who wouldn't otherwise be interested. It also has the attractive price tag of absolutely free for spectators.

The park itself is not devoid of history. The park is located at the intersection of Neshaminy Creek and the Delaware River. Neshaminy is a Lenni-Lenape word thought to mean "place where we drink twice" and "Neshaminy Creek" was the title of a song published in 1860s in Godey's Lady's Book. Dunksferry Road at the edge of the park is also one of the oldest roads in PA, being built in 1679 to allow access to the ferry there. 

Without further ado. Highlights from the event:

The weather for this event was fantastic and it's always great being by the water. If you'd like to see more photos, you can visit the facebook album:

Photos from the Neshaminy Reenactment. Be sure to tag everyone!To see the highlights, please visit my blog post on the...
Posted by World Turn'd Upside Down on Monday, April 27, 2015

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The 3 Things You Need to be a Good Reenactor

Do you need a gun? A new dress? Better display? More shirts? Trousers? The answer is: None of the above.

Reenacting has developed a "stuff" problem. And why shouldn't it have? Most people knew they were destined to reenact the moment they imagined themselves in period dress. The stuff is a big draw. It is a big part of reenacting, but it's not the only thing.

In recent years the stuff has become more important than it should be. The current trend of "Accuracy is King," has reigned long enough. The beginnings of the trend were innocent enough. Everyone wants to be as accurate as possible. It's a noble goal and it's a great thing to aspire to; however, it has had some unforeseen negative side effects that have been a great detriment to the hobby.

The stuff became more important than the people. It stratified the hobby, fostered elitism, and dare I say it--promoted bullying under the guise of help. But the time has come for this to end. In the next few years we need to see a shift from a stuff focused hobby to a community focused one.

We don't need to hear about how farby one company dresses. We need to hear how friendly they are. We need to hear about how well they interpret and interact with the public. We need to hear how much money they raised for preservation and what research they are working on. The costumes are only one little part of it. After all, people learned, taught, raised money and had a taste of the past, even when the costumes were made out of nylon. Getting nice clothing is the easy part. It's time that we focus on the harder things like interpretation, preservation and community.

When I first started reenacting, I thought that I needed a lot of things. But now I realize that we only need 3 things:     

1. Respect for the safety of yourself and others.
2. Pleasant Disposition
3. Willingness to learn and share with others.

The rest will grow from here. 

A crotchety reenactor can have the best kit in the world but they're still crotchety. A better kit does not always equal a better reenactor.

Tweet This Tweetable:A better kit does not always equal a better reenactor. http://ctt.ec/gadsV+ #worldturndupsidedown #reenactor 

Crossing the Elbe: WWII Event at Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation 2015

I don't believe that this has happened again. One minute I'm prancing out of work in my pretty, ankle grazing dress in rural Pennsylvania in the year of our Lord, 1763 and the next minute, POOF, I'm in EUROPE in who knows what year. I hope you all see the automaton cart below that sounded like the gnashing of teeth of thousands of tortured souls. I was afraid to go near it but wouldn't that be a big help on the farm!    

This happens every time our farm is converted from it's usual Colonial goodness for WWII day at the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation. I have to admit that this is an event I never really stayed for in the past as it was not a period I was interested in recreating. Also, despite what you may have heard or what you may have seen me wearing today, I am not switching to WWII anytime soon. :) 

This is a small event but a good event if you've never been out to the farm, you have no problem sensing that you are in a different time period. There are no telephone lines and you are surrounded by woods so it's easy to get lost in the time bubble. 

Civilians, Russians, Americans, British, and Germans among others were represented at this event and in addition to the lovely displays there were also 2 veterans present to tell their stories. The event continues tomorrow, if you are in the area you should check it out.

Your Family Memories May Be at Risk: Which Solution is Right for You?

A few months ago, my family was digging through the family video tapes. My cousin was getting married and we thought it would be fun to find some footage of her as a little girl.

We put a tape in. The pictures shook a little bit, which was normal with home tapes but the picture became very staticy and eventually engulfed in lines.  Same with the next tape. As it turns out, the lifespan of a home recorded VHS tape is only 10-25 years.

Luckily, not all of the family tapes had been affected but it was enough of a warning sign to try to get them converted to another medium. (You'd think that someone who spends a great deal of time stabilizing and conserving things from the past that I would have foreseen this. I knew it would happen eventually I just thought we had more time, somehow.)   



Electronic media storage devices have been an awesome advancement as they have allowed us to store massive amounts of data in small spaces and tend to have a long shelf life under good conditions. Digital photos are now vastly more poplar than prints or film photos. But just like everything in the world, digital storage devices also deteriorate through the years and have problems.

Digital photos and electronic media has become so popular that even new couples to get their wedding photos on a CD or USB drive with all of the intentions of printing photos from them later. Which rarely happens as their friends have already seen the photos so there is nothing pressing them to print them. Unfortunately USBs and CDs are "temporary" storage solutions only meant to store items short term until the couples can find a different solution which many times doesn't happen until years after the fact when it is too late. 

I urge people to reevaluate their family memories ASAP. Below is a breakdown of the possible types of storage commonly available today and the issues associated with each type to assist anyone looking to protect their family files:

Electronic Media Storage: USB drives/ Hard Drives

Issues :

- Number of times file are added and deleted severely affects longevity.
- Exposure to hot and cold temperatures.
- Everyday drops and bumps.
- USBs are frequently lost due to their size.
- Software and hardware malfunctions.
- Popular file types change over time so in the future you may not be able to open the files.
- Popular hardware changes so you may not have the physical equipment to open the file in the future. Have you tried opening a file on a floppy disk recently?
-Lifespan: 2-5 Years

Remember this?

Cloud Storage: Sites like Facebook, Flickr, even Blogger, as well as sites dedicated to storage like Dropbox and GoogleDrive. 

Issues:

- Issues with privacy/hacks.
- If a company goes out of business, what happens to your files?
- If something happens to you, does your family know how to access the files?
-Lifespan: ???

CD-Rs and DVD-Rs: 

Issues:

- While professionally made CDs and DVDs can last decades, homemade ones deteriorate in as little as 5 years.
- Can be scratched or cracked easily.
- Heat (such as being left in a hot car) can speed up the deterioration process.
-Lifespan: 2-5 Years  

Issues with Photographs:

-Can be damaged by fire, water, etc. (There are far more people who have lost photos, videos and documents due to hardware failure than people who have lost these things due to natural disasters such as fires or floods.)
-Can take up a lot of space. 
-Not all negatives, films, papers and ink created equal. Low end items will show color shifting earlier.
-Fade when exposed to sunlight.  (Always display a copy and keep the original packed away.)
-Lifespan:  65-100+ Years

Regardless of what media you choose, it is smart to have a copy of all important documents at a different location. Water and Fireproof boxes are a smart investment for irreplaceable documents. Not only will they protect your files from fire and water damage but it helps to have your documents all in one place in the case of an emergency. Also remember that no method is perfect, so reevaluate your documents and storage systems every few years.

For more information on proper storage of photographs and documents check out this page: Care for Antiques.   
  

Secret Life of Bloggers Blog Party Post: Indoors and Outdoors

This is a long one! The weather has had everyone cooped up in their houses so you get to see a lot of what I do when when I'm stuck in for days: mostly cleaning, organizing, writing.

You know it's cold when you are wearing two pairs of horrible wool reenactor socks to do stretches.

After three times of trying to reinstall this shelf, I finally got it in. The shelf did fall on my arm 2 of the 3 times and is still hurt.

I can't remember where I heard about this but I was advised to date the books on my "To Read" List and if I hadn't gotten to them in a year, I should just pass them on to someone else. Don't do this. It will make you feel like you accomplish nothing. :D The problem with my To Read List is that it grows and I definitely don't get to them in order. 

That moment when you are wrapped up in your favorite blanket, about to go to bed, and you realize you look like you're going to the opera.

If you didn't see enough snow last post, we just keep getting more and more of it.

Attempted yoga. I'm not good at it and it was a bad idea with my hurt wrist.

The drive on the way to work was slush covered and my car had some fun.

The snow got increasingly worse over the next day.

This was around 4 PM but the snow continued all night.

A few days after the snow, the weather became strangely warm.

We had a 50 degree day and decided to venture out for a walk. The snow melted completely at Valley Forge where it looks like they might be getting ready to build some new cabins.

I have been working with the Chester Historical Preservation Committee to host a ball that will benefit a historical church and trolley car. It's been a lot of work but it will be worth it! If anyone is interested in attending, I would love to hang out with you.

Hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather and looking forward to spring!