Costume Society of America: Historic Jamestowne, Day 6

We left Williamsburg early in the morning, hoping to make a brief visit to Jamestown before flying west.  Alas, an hour and a half was insufficient time for even an abbreviated visit.  Bypassing the living history area altogether, we barely had time to look through the two museums at the archaeological site and walk the shorter of the two path-circuits. 

Also, I very cleverly packed my camera, and failed to get any pictures of my own.

Costume Society of America: Williamsburg, Day 5

Saw several more excellent presentations this morning/afternoon, survived my own presentation, dined at Josiah Chowning's Tavern, and enjoyed a splendid musical interlude at the Rayleigh Tavern in the evening.  The five-piece ensemble (harpsichord, viola de gamba, violin/English guitar, flute and voice) performed an hour of 17th-18th century music by female composers, as well as a few pieces known-to-have-been-performed-by celebrated female musicians of the period.

Unfortunately, amidst the excitement, I neglected to bring my camera.

Edited to add:
That should read "to everything after lunch".  I actually did get some pictures of the morning's trade demonstrations, which included the apprentice weavers dying yarn, and a visit to the cooper's shop.

Madder and indigo dye pots behind the weavers' shop.

Costume Society of America: Williamsburg, Day 3-4

Conference sessions + ALL THE HISTORIC TRADES = A lovely, very busy, few days.

Spent a lot of time in this room, listening to all my favorite
living authors talk about their cool new research.

Walking past the Great Hopes plantation.
It's still closed for the season, but the sheep were out.

Also, it has a windmill.

The cabinetmakers' shop has some lovely furniture.
And an honest-to-god HARPSICORD MAKER.
And he was MAKING HARPSICORDS.

Costume Society of America: Williamsburg, Day 2

Another full day in Williamsburg.  I started with a tour of the textile artifact storage and conservation lab.  It is beautiful, roomy, and I am thoroughly jealous of the space. 

These flat storage drawers are great.

Afterwards, there was a visit to the Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, which was everything I hoped it would be.  I especially enjoyed the special exhibition on printed fabrics, copious porcelain, dollhouses both gigantic and compact, and a fun gallery of keyboard instruments.  My favorite staging elements were the recordings of several of the instruments in use (playing contemporary pieces), and the video fashion show, with interpreters (cheekily!) modelling reproduction print garments. 

 

Then it was back to historic trades--today we got into the foundry, the James Geddy House, and the carpentry shop. 

Spinnet in the Geddy House.
I want a half-green room.

Wares in the foundary--today they were casting brass.

And then, we decided to live it up in style, with a carriage ride around the historic district.

Horses! Also, an open carriage.

In the afternoon/evening the conference programming started. There were some meet-and-greets, a keynote panel, and the opening of the marketplace (wherein, I may have acquired more books than was strictly advisable).

Costume Society of America: Williamsburg, Day 1

Guess who's on the road again?  I'm back on the east coast, this time for my first ever meeting of the Costume Society of America.  And it's in WILLIAMSBURG!

The historic trades tour was lead by the
knowledgeable and well-dressed apprentice tailor.

The master weaver at work on her 8-harness loom.

The wig makers' shop was fascinating and entertaining.

Like the swallows of Capestrano, all chintz and indienne
prints flock annually to the Governor's Mansion.

Scientific instruments in the Wythe house.
Check out the model solar system.

Civilian Symposium, Last Day: Gettysburg

The last day of Symposium flew by.  First off was Hal's discussion of a Texas store ledger--and the research he's done on the community surrounding it--which was exquisite.  I really hope he publishes when he's done transcribing and analyzing it.  The final lecture was Carolann discussing fabric printing technology.  It really helped me conceptualize visual signifies of 1830s vs. 1860s prints (picotage!), and the rainbow box for ombre prints slightly blew my mind.

Christ Lutheran Church, founded 1835;

Of course, the down note was the announcement that this will be the last Symposium.  I have thoroughly enjoyed attending it: to have met so many interesting researchers in my hobby, to have learned from them, and to have seen all the great originals shared by Carolann, Kay, and others.  I enjoyed dancing to Smash the Windows, and meeting all the people whose usernames I know from The Sewing Academy.  I liked getting to explore the towns which figure into so many of the primary sources I've read from the period--Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Baltimore, and Washington City.

Thank you, Carolann, for putting on this conference for so many years. I'm sorry I won't have the chance to do it again, but am grateful for the opportunity to have attended the last two.

Civilian Symposium, Day 3: Gettysburg

Classes! Originals! More classes! A ball!

The faculty strut their conference dresses and vests.

Last minute attempt at a cache peigne.
Rushing the hair accessories is better than rushing the dress.

[More ball pictures later, as most weren't taken on my camera.]

Highlights of the day included Cheyney's talk about slave society (most informative), John's talk on peddlers (most energetic), and Mr. Mescher's cravat (most magenta).  Honorable mentions to the final reel of the ball (most puns), and Paula's dress (most ruching).

Civilian Symposium, Day 2: Gettysburg

Workshop day!  Mine started with a walking tour of Lincoln's time in Gettysburg.  It was really windy

The late 1850s rail station. I probably should have
crossed the street to photograph it.

Next up was a class on trims from Carolann Schmidt.  We learned dagged tucks, reversing tucks, and talked fringe.

Studying petticoats for trim ideas.

I visited The Button Baron on my way down to the vendors' room. The shop is small (the front two parlors of a house), but completely full of fun things. Highly, highly recommended.  The vendors' room are also Most Perilous to the budget. Fair warning.

The vendor's room was on the edge of town--right near cemetery ridge.

In the evening, Annette Bethke gave the first talk of the conference, an hour-long overview of homespun dresses in the Confederacy. I love spreadsheets.  After that came my favorite part: the displays of original garments. There will be different ones out for each of the three days.  So many pretties!

Original garments on exhibit.

Civilian Symposium, Day 1: Gettysburg

Made it to Gettysburg today. Wandered around the downtown area for a while, including a stop by the David Wills house, where a certain president stayed before delivering a certain well-known 'few brief remarks.'

Yep, Lincoln slept here.

I also got to attend a special program at the battlefield interpretive center's cyclorama, which was very fun.  It was also appropriate, since I'm missing a conservation class to attend the symposium--there was a good hour of the conservation researcher discussing the construction, history, and restoration of the piece.  Then she gave us a guided tour of it.

Cyclorama at Gettysburg.  The perspective was fascinating.
And the rope on this well sort of stole the show.

It was a very up-close-and-personal tour.  I actually got to duck under the painting and see it from the back, where all the seams are visible (unfortunately, the lighting levels were not good for my camera).

But here's a view of the diorama, painting,
canopy, and roof, from below.

See the road?

This is me standing on that road.

Fun fact: the battle detritus in the foreground "diorama" area is donated reenacting gear; they wanted it to needed to look used and weathered.  Apparently, it moves around occasionally as new pieces are added or removed. Also, the plants are all fire-proof. 

2018 Civilian Symposium, Day 0: Baltimore

Returning to the Civilian Symposium, now in Gettysburg, PA.

Not that I'm quite there, yet. I flew in via Baltimore this time, and took the day to explore a tiny portion of the city.  The history nerd's obligatory first stop, of course, was Fort McHenry*.

Fort McHenry, sans British warships.

As of 1400 hours, the banner was (appropriately) still waving.  Also, the view was spectacular. The buildings reminded me a lot of Fort Snelling, which makes sense time-wise. For future planning, the "Banner" circulator buses which run out to the fort also go past about a million other museums.

My next stop was the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History.  The permanent exhibits on the third floor are pretty. Like, really nicely curated and presented.  I'm not entirely sure where one was supposed to start, but the circuit lay-out ensured I still saw everything, and the internal logic between the cases worked in multiple directions--while covering four hundred years of history.  When I grow up, I want to design exhibits like this.

The second floor has a special art exhibition Reflections, with some stunning photography.  I liked the artist's concept of photographing the work spaces of important figures. Also, the labels told the stories behind the art, which always wins me over.

Reginald Lewis Maryland African American Museum.

The Baltimore Civil War Museum was also on my agenda, but it's apparently closed on off-season weekdays.  However, they did make up for it by having some interpretative signs out in the city. And, since it's in the old President's Street depot and I needed to catch the lightrail from Camden Yards, when I left the museum I ended up following the route of the 1861 Baltimore Riot.  

A Civil War walking tour coincided with my return journey.

*Also, it is tradition in my family, upon completing an over-night flight, to locate the nearest coastal fortification and giggle at the artillery, instead sleeping or something.