Learning From Original Items

You have to learn history before you can share it with others. Here are some of my favorite resources for viewing original clothing and material culture from the 1860s.

Local Museums
Make a research appointment at Seattle's MOHAI or the Washington State Historical Society in Tacoma. There's nothing like seeing a real artifact up close--unless that's seeing it up close, with a professional on-hand for commentary. Smaller institutions also may have collections available to view, so ask at your local museum or historic society.

Museum On-Line Collections
Featuring clothing, housewares, pictures, and documents of historic interest.
Historic New England
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Met Online Collections
Minnesota Historical Society's Civil War Collection.
The Museum of London
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Washington State Historical Society Online Collections
Wisconsin Historical Museum Online Collections
The Henry Ford Museum: Collections Access
Library of Congress Digital Collections

UK National Trust
The Smithsonian Online Collections
Museum of the Confederacy/American Civil War Museum

For manufactured goods heading West in the 1850s and 1860s, you can't beat the Arabia and Bertrand collections:
Steamboat Arabia, More Pictures, Even More Pictures and the Virtual Tour.
Steamboat Bertrand (and the official site).

Textile/Clothing-specific Resources
FIDM Museum & Galleries
Kent State University Gallery of Costume (and Inside Out display)
Europeana Fashion Project (Museum Collection Database)
Demode Couture
The Fashionable Past
Fashion Timeline at Corsets and Crinolines
CDVs at The Graceful Lady
Images of period dresses from private collections, at All The Pretty Dresses
More CDVs from the Barrington House Museum

CDVs, fashion plates, and patterns from La Couturiere Parisienne
Original bonnets and caps from  Mrs. Parker's Millinery
Quilts at the International Quilt Study Center & Museum
More quilts at the Shelburne Museum

Event: WCWA Militia Ball

The WCWA's Militia Ball was held last Saturday evening, April 18.  Attendance by the 4th was rather sparse, but overall there was a good showing of our WCWA friends, Union and Confederate. We were also joined by a number of persons from outside the reenacting community, who added a pleasant mixture of new faces to the party.

Dance Set for the Evening

I) Grand March
II) First Waltz
III) Virginia Reel (Sir Roger de Coverley)
IV) Jig
V) Opera Reel
VI) Spanish Dance
VII) Rustic Reel
VIII) Final Waltz

Due to time constraints, the French Quadrille, Polka, and German (Parlor Cotillion) were not danced.

Toasts were offered at dinner

Waltzing

High spirits on the dance floor

Rounding Out Your Impression: Primary Sources

Glamour: 1865 (from Peterson's Magazine, January)

One benefit of reenacting 150(+) years in the past, is that the books, magazine, pamphlets, and newspapers of the time are in the public domain.  Yes, you can actually read the same papers that your ancestors got their news, humor, and fashion advice from.  Why not pick up a copy of Harper's and find some truly dreadful Victorian jokes to share around the next campfire?  Or regale your comrades with Mr. Foster's hit new song?

Here are some of the resources I've found useful for tracking down written primary sources from the 1850s-1860s.

The Library of Congress: It's not always the easiest to navigate when looking for a particular title, but they have tons of resources which are fun to browse.

Google Books (Advanced Search): One of the easiest ways to search for a particular topic is using this advanced search.  Enter your subject or title in the "all the words" bar ("leather work", "etiquette", "Godey's", "agriculture", "housework", etc.), check "full view only" (to get things you can read for free on-line) and set the year range (say 1855-1870).  Advanced tips: the "more editions" button can get you from the 1861 set of a magazine, to all the available years; compound words are sometimes spelled differently in the period: ie, "sunbonnet", "sun-bonnet", "sun bonnet"--if one search yields no hits, try varying the spelling.

Internet Archive: Less useful for subject-browsing that Google or LOC, Internet Archive can track down specific titles which the others may not have.  It's particularly nice for finding a whole year's worth of a magazine or newspaper (many period periodicals were published in bound volumes after the initial run of issues, and these are often what have survived in libraries and ended up posted on-line).

Project Gutenberg: If you know the title or author of a period book, you can search here: e-books, all public domain, and all free.  Unfortunately, I've never found a 'sort/exclude by date' option, so it's not easy to browse for specifically 1860s titles.

Harper's Weekly (and here): Probably the most famous of the national newspapers in the 1860s. Don't have time to read it all?  Check out the Cartoon of the Day.

And some of my specific favorites:

Links to Etiquette, Advice, and Household Books

Links to Literature and Sheet Music including the excellent Levy Sheet Music Collection from Johns Hopkins (allows you to search by title, subject, or instrumentation, and to limit the year range).

Links to Textbooks

Added 8/4/15: The British Library has an extensive collection of historic images from the 17th-19th centuries on their flicker account.  And they're all public domain!

Luminous-Lint has historic photographs (and information on the history of photography).

Event: Retsil Veterans' Home Living History

Today, members of the 4th US presented a living history demonstration at the Retsil Veterans' home. As the blogmistress was unable to attend, details are scarce.  Nonetheless, we can all agree, I'm sure, that with this fine looking group of regulars on hand, the Union cause is sure to prosper.

Introductions

"Allow me to introduce you."

New to first-person conversation?  There's no better place to start than at the beginning. The preferred period method for introductions features a person presenting one friend to another--you meet people largely on the recommendation of your existing acquaintances.  

"Mrs. Jones, have you met my sister, Mrs. Smith?"

"Mrs. Denny, allow me to present M. Hugo, from Paris."

"Miss Thomas, may I present Dr. Adams?"

When making an introduction, you always present one person to the other; the higher ranking person is addressed first. To determine precedence in this and most other social situations, some guidelines:

1. Ladies outrank gentlemen (this is the most important rule)
2. Married ladies outrank unmarried ladies (also universal)
3. Older persons outrank young ones
4. Accord higher precedence to people with whom you are less familiar, and lower to your close family and friends
5. Social status—this is bit nebulous, unless you're dealing with actual aristocrats—but could come up if you're introducing two people of the similar age, gender, marital status, and proximity to yourself, in which case the one of greater social prominence goes first

Dropping in additional information (relationship to you, recent travel abroad, a visitor's hometown) is appropriate. The idea is to get people acquainted with each other, after all, and those details may help start a conversation.

Miss Leslie (The Behavior Book, 1853) writes that it is acceptable for ladies who are travelling alone to introduce themselves to genteel (female) strangers, when there is no one available to make an introduction. Similarly, persons meeting a the house of a mutual friend (according to Charles Day in Hints on Etiquette and the Usages of Society, 1844) may introduce themselves, as the host's invitation indicates that they are both respectable. Another period option is to present a letter of introduction from a mutual associate.  In certain situations (public balls),  a designated 'floor manager' or 'master of ceremonies' is delegated to introduce potential partners for the dance only; these introductions are different from normal social introductions and do not allow for future social interaction.

In any case, make sure to use social titles and surnames, when speaking to adults. Avoid reenactorisms, such as calling a middle-aged woman "Miss Betty"*, or addressing the postmaster as "George"**.  Use of first names, in period writing and address, is limited to family members, children, servants, and some intimate correspondence between friends. The exception is to differentiate between people with the same title and last name, in which case the first name is added for the junior parties.

Example: The Smith family has four daughters and three sons. Both the eldest son and the eldest daughter are married. The middle son and daughters are grown-up, but unmarried. The youngest son and daughter are still children, and not brought into adult society.

The family is addressed as:

Mr. Smith (dad)

Mrs. Smith (mom)

Mr. John Smith (eldest son)

Mrs. John Smith (daughter-in-law)

Mr. Robert Smith (younger adult son)

(Master) Michael Smith (child)

Mrs. Brown (married daughter)

Mr. Brown (son-in-law)

Miss Smith (eldest unmarried daughter)

Miss Deborah Smith (other unmarried daughter)

(Miss) Liza Smith (child)

In public, Mr. Smith refers to his wife as Mrs. Smith; she calls her husband Mr. Smith (what they say privately is their own business). They call their children by their given names. [Note: Mr. Day's book condemns the practice of calling one's own children Mr._ or Miss_, which means some people did it.]

When Master Smith grows up, he will be styled "Mr. Michael Smith" (unless/until he attains a professional distinction styling him as "Dr.", "Professor", or "Reverend", or assumes a notable military rank). The younger men will continue to use their first names in any situation where multiple "Mr. Smith"s create ambiguity.

Similarly, Mrs. Brown uses her husband's first name when more than one Brown is around. When Miss Smith marries, her sister Deborah will stop using her first name and simply be "Miss Smith". When little Liza is old enough to enter society, if any of her older sisters are still unmarried, she'll be styled Miss Elizabeth Smith. If Deborah never marries, she'll continue to hold the title of "Miss Smith"; in that case, Liza could pass right from "Miss Elizabeth Smith" to "Mrs. MarriedLastName" without ever being the sole "Miss Smith".

Women can attain professional titles, but they are very, very rare. The Rev. Miss Antoinette Brown (later Rev. Mrs. Blackwell) and her future sister-in-law, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, are quite exceptional--as is their shared sister-in-law, Lucy Stone.  [In order, they are the first woman ordained by a mainstream protestant sect in America, the first woman to receive a medical degree in America, and the the first prominent woman in America to keep her own name after marriage.]

References

Leslie, Eliza. The Behavior Book. Philadelphia: Willis P. Hazard, 1853. Available here. 

Day, Charles William. Hints on Etiquette and the Usages of Society. Boston: William Ticknor & Co, 1844 Available here.

Thornwell, Emily. The Ladies' Guide to Perfect Gentility. New York: Derny & Jackson,1856 Available here.

*That's "Miss Betty Thompson" if she's a spinster, with an elder sister who is also a spinster ("Miss Thompson"); exceptions if you can document a local custom appropriate to your impression

**It's only appropriate if he's your son or brother.

Clothing Resources for Civilians II

If you don't want to make your own clothing, there are still options available: buy used, hire a dressmaker, or buy off the rack.  Be careful, in all cases, that 1) the materials used is appropriate to the time and garment, 2) the pattern/shape is appropriate to the period and you, and 3) that it fits you, or can be altered to fit you. Women's clothing in particular tends to be highly individualized, and it's hard to reproduce a good, period look if the clothes aren't carefully fitted.  

Appropriate clothing material is a huge topic on its own.  For a quick and dirty guide:

Cottons-- Good choice for daywear.  For dresses, look for period appropriate prints (it's own post), plaids, and stripes.  Solid-colored cotton dresses are rare-to-non-existent, excepting some sheer materials.  Trim on cotton dresses is usually limited to self-fabric accents, with the print of the fabric serving as the decoration. Solid white cotton is used for undergarments (chemises, drawers, petticoats) and white accessories such collars, cuffs, undersleeves, and chemisettes.

Wool-- Lighter weight (tropical) wools are good for day dresses and outerwear.  Solid colors are appropriate, as well as stripes, plaids, and prints (hard to find); finer wool dresses may be richly trimmed.  Some warm undergarments are made of wool (petticoats, drawers, waistcoats).  Wool flannel is also used in gymnastic and bathing costumes.

Silk-- Appropriate for nice day and evening-wear; also for fashion bonnets, fine accessories, and to trim good wool dresses.  Silk dresses may be richly trimmed, or kept plain to show off the material. Solid colors, woven designs (stripes, plaids,"figured" silk), and prints (hard to find) are appropriate.  Look for smooth textures rather than 'slubby' finishes.  Silk is by far the most common material for evening and ball gowns; rare exceptions exist, none of which are cotton quilting prints.

Linen-- Available in the period, but not popular for women's dresses.  May be appropriate in place of cotton for undergarments, white accessories, aprons, and household uses.

Blends of the above were also used in period.  Rayon, polyester, acetate and other synthetic fibers did not exist.  They don't breath as well as natural fibers and melt when exposed to flame--use cautiously or not at all.

[Link warning: outside sites ahead.  Not affiliated with or representative of the 4th US, WCWA, etc. Though I'm aiming to suggest vendors of accurate goods, not all items on linked sites are appropriate for a given impression. This list is not exhaustive, and I have not ordered from all the persons/companies listed, nor can I make any guarantees on their behalf.]

Where to Buy Used

• Facebook groups: Civil War Reenactors Trade Blanket exists for this reason; The Authentic Civil War Civilian and The Civilian Civil War Closet also sometimes have items or shops listed (you can also post requests, ie, "Does anyone have X item for sale to fit a size Y?")
• Talk to other reenactors at events; some of the "sutlers" at WCWA events sell by consignment.
• The authentic campaigner has classified ads, but I have no experience with them (and the site tends towards military).
• Originals by Kay has some used garments posted with their ready-mades
• Ebay (quality varies, go carefully... and run screaming from polyester, 'goth/steampunk' descriptors and most items made abroad) 

Some Custom-Sewists

Originals by Kay, once again
The Fitting Room, custom corsets (local)
Joy Melcher
Michelle Forbes

Where to Shop New (Ready-made)

(These are just a few places I've found which carry accurate items--and not necessarily all the items they carry are accurate for our period.  When in doubt, ask for references, do some research or run it by someone whose taste you trust).

Stockings: Burley & Trowbridge, Ezra Barnhouse Goods, Aldridge Clothiers, Abraham's Lady, Originals by Kay, Mrs. Christen's, The Lady in White (does beautiful work, does not have a website; ask for contact information)

Shoes: Robert Land (I have & love his lady's 1860s shoes), Fugawee's, American Duchess's "Gettysburg" boots, Ezra Barnhouse (slipper and overshoes), NJ Sekela [Edited Mr. Land has retired from shoe-making, at a great loss to the reenacting community.]

Undergarments (Chemise/Drawers, Petticoats, Hoops): The Lady in White, Originals by Kay, Needle and Thread/ Wooded Hamlet (cage crinolines), The Dressmaker's Shop (cage crinonlines)

Women's Dresses: Originals by Kay, Abraham's Lady

Fashion and sun bonnets: Anna Bauersmith, Timely Tresses, Mrs. Parker's Millinery, Miller's Millinery, The Dressmaker's Shop (Here's an interesting post from Anna about the wearing of early '60s fashion bonnets)

Caps and Accessories: Victorian Needle (Jewelry),  Southern Serendipity (headdresses and jewelry), Originals by Kay, again (everything), Talbott & Co (sunbonnets and aprons)


Given how long the ladies' clothing list has become, men's and children's attire will have to wait for another time.

Event: Lincoln Funeral Display

Over Presidents' Day weekend, members of the 4th US attended a display of 19th century funerary customs, whereat we interacted with the public, and added a great deal to the ambiance. The focus of the event, held at Evergreen-Washelli Funeral Home (Seattle), was a reproduction of Abraham Lincoln's coffin.  On Monday afternoon, there was also an informative presentation on the Lincoln assassination, and the late president's elaborate funeral(s).

The Union Army honors our late President Lincoln, Photo-credit to Mr. Scriver.