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How Important is Accurate Reproduction Clothing?

Thomas Shaw

That depends on the goal. To me it is unimportant for house museum guides. A woman in a"Victorian" gown on a tour of a historic house is more of a distraction than a benefit. The focus of theinterpretation is on the furniture or the architecture or the family who lived there. The rooms arefabrications anyway, due to the passages needed to accommodate the public. Besides, the guide is indanger of knocking things off tables with her skirts. An interpreter demonstrating glass blowingprobably would be better served by wearing modern protective clothing if the fundamental

processes and the products are the focus rather than the recreation of the period shop and thetechniques in all their detail.

Accurate clothing is most important for interpreters who are portraying a particular person from thepast. The visitor will take in everything about them. I firmly believe that visitors can spot a phoney.While their mental images of the past are largely formed by motion pictures (often erroneously so)they instinctively know what is legitimate even if they cannot articulate the particulars.

These folks are not the ones we should be worried about. We should be most concerned with thepeople who do not catch us in our inaccuracies. Visitors trust the museum's personnel to be theexperts. We all have a certain public authority which they crave. Much of what they "learn" is notspoken. They absorb sights, sounds, and smells, independently of staff interaction. Character playersshould be as accurate as possible for this reason. In the case of "street players," what they wear isone of their only "props." The best clothing will assist the public in successful suspension of thepresent. This in turn will provoke them. A museum would not allow character interpreters to conveyinaccurate biographical information. In the same vein, they should appear to be who they claim to beas nearly as possible.

Between the extremes there is considerable room for "accuracy fudging." In the case of the HistoricFort Snelling, our soldiers wear dress coats with decorative braid attached by machine. It the 1820sthis was handsewn. There is no possible way we could afford to provide each of our two dozen or somale interpreters with a dress coat made exactly right. What we pay about $225 for would cost $500.We content ourselves with accurate materials and patterns. Personally, I think that museums shouldexpend the same amount of intellectual and financial resources on clothing as they would onfurniture or machinery or livestock or crops. If they are not willing to do this and character

interpretation is not their principle focus, then they would be better off saving the money (even poorperiod clothing is expensive) and dressing their staff in uniform polo shirts and blue blazers. They

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need something to identify themselves to the public. It is my opinion that the "modern rustic garb" ofpseudo-period shirt with Amish trousers and a straw hat does more harm than good. It is not periodclothing but does convey some sense of "old times" that will probably fool many visitors.

I think the public does "get it." There are two things with which all visitors can connect--things oneeats and things one wears. I'm sure all interpreters get the usual "Are you hot in all those clothes?"question. While irritating, the question does indicate to me that the public is aware of dress. Theynotice that something different is happening. They ask if everything is handmade. They wonder howyou can stand do be corseted. Historical clothing is interesting and immediate. Questions about it aregood ice-breakers for shy visitors. In the end, however, it doesn't matter if the public "gets it" or not.Museums have a public responsibility to be as accurate as current scholarship allows. Since museumsform public perception, they are obliged to do the best they can.

This does not mean that all museums can or should attire their staff in historic clothing. As I saidbefore, I think it is only desirable in certain circumstances. If the museum takes the matter on, itreally should take it very seriously. Costumes are for clowns. real people of the past wore real clotheswhich were fashionable, practical, durable, and made sense in their lives just as modern people do. Itis insulting and insensitive to dress interpreters in costumes. It shows a disregard for people of thepast. I am not suggesting the museums revert to ancestor worship, but I firmly believe that the mostimportant gift that living history museums can give to the public is the spark of empathy in order thatwe might recognize people of the past as sophisticated, that we recognize them as fundamentally

different from ourselves, and that we judge them on the terms of their culture, not ours.

Carol Hall

We have observed that visitors are much more knowledgeable about inaccurate clothing than theyused to be. They may not know what is right, but many notice what is wrong, such as modernglasses, make up, jewelry, and the style of shoes.

Although visitors may come with preconceived notions about period clothing, they often tell us howmuch they enjoy seeing our costumes. They say that the interpreters look real. These commentshave increased each year as we have been improving our costume program.

From my viewpoint, costumes are the most visible "artifact" because visitors interact with theinterpreters. They notice costumes as much or more than they notice some of the furniture. From anhonesty standpoint, it is just as important to provide accurate clothing as it is to have furniture of theright period in a house.

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Kathleen Kannik

In planning period clothing for a site, the first endeavor is to decide whether the goal is to provideclothing for interpreters who portray period characters or to provide a uniform for the staff membersto distinguish them from the public. Once this decision is made, further decisions will follow with

more ease.

One might ask, "Why all the fuss about authenticity?" Does the public know the difference or evencare? We can learn from the experience of sites such as Colonial Williamsburg, who realized tat theirpublic is much more informed than in the past and removed many garments from their wardrobestock, replacing them with much more accurate reproductions. More accurate film and televisioncostuming, some gaining professional award recognition, has brought public attention to to accuracyin period clothing. The availability of printed matter on historic clothing has also multiplied many

times over the past twenty years, and most local libraries now have numerous books on the subject,especially if there are any living history enthusiasts in the area. Many museums offer exhibits of theircostume collections, and even the Smithsonian has had "hands on" costume programs, offering theopportunity to try on stays and other unfamiliar garments. The public has learned to look at the rightstuff, even if they don't know for sure if it is right!

What difference does it make? With a volunteer or museum staff member in an interpreter's uniform(you know--the lady in the drawstring mob cap with the "blouse" and "skirt," the modern eyeglassesand black running shoes), the visitor sees a 20th-century person in a costume, one of their peers,who can tell them all about "how they did it back then." With a good character (maybe wearing astarched constructed cap, contacts, stays, jacket, petticoat, stockings, and period shoes), visitors seea person from the period right before their eyes, who helps them step back in time, and who can tellall about how she does it!

An accurate looking garment helps the interpreter to convey the information he or she has to sharewith the visitor and helps the visitor experience the past through the character. To be accuratelooking, the garment must be the right cut and silhouette of the period, fit in the fashion of the

period; be made of reasonable facsimile of original cloth used for the garment (including color, fiber,weave, weight, print, etc.), be constructed with the proper interfacing, linings, etc., have properbuttons and trims for the garment of the period. To help the character tell his or her story, addaccessories such as pocket items or carry tools which tell one's trade or what they are doing. Then just add the posture, movement, and gestures which tell the character's social standing, health, andmaybe a hint at the character's history. Remember, gestures say a thousand words; and if thecharacter looks like someone from the right time, people will believe it.

Beth Gilgun

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Does the public really get it? No! But then again, most reenactors don't either. For that matter, Isuspect that most volunteer docents don't. That doesn't mean that clothing isn't important.Remember Colonial Williamsburg in the late 1970's? Anyone with historic clothing background cameaway shaking their heads and groaning. Even if this is only 10% of your market, they are the peoplemost likely to give you free advertising by word of mouth. The people who care if things are correctreally care. They are also the people who will sing your praises or can you. And the rest of the publicwill have a better experience if your docents are properly clothed.

Which brings me to: Can accurate reproduction clothing really convey more information than merecostumes? There is a minority of people who come to your event or site who have a knowledge ofhistoric costumes. These people will be very turned off if the costuming is not right. For the rest ofthe audience, there is still an advantage to having period correct clothing. For one thing, you are notbuying into the Hollywood version of the past. A recent TV movie actually showed an Empire chest of

drawers as a 1750s chest. Those who know turned off the television set. So those who know costumewill "turn off" your site if you are not true to your time frame. Accurate reproduction clothing allowspeople to see movement correct to the undergarments and also wrinkles and draping of correctfabrics. While the public may not get it, they are getting more by osmosis if the site is using the rightfabrics, underpinnings, and garments than if there was no care taken in costuming.

When you have people clothed in correct undergarments and correct outer garments, you havepeople who are moving in a the way an 18th- or 19th-century look of each garment.

A question: Why would you costume a site without doing it authentically? The old SimplicityBicentennial patterns just don't make it. Without correct cut, fit, and cloth, you are not going to getyour message across to the general public. While you may be reaching a small percentage of thepopulation, I think that you are reaching the portion of the public who will give you the best return. Aproperly stayed or corseted body gives the public a good view of the 18th-century body with correctmovement. Movement is important. Pay attention to stays and corsets.