This past weekend I started volunteering at Pioneer Farms in Austin. I helped out at the General Store running the register. The General Store, as the rest of the town site, is interpreted in the 1890s. New clothes!! Right now make do with homespun generic with an apron. Not ideal, but will work on proper 1890s. I plan to help out there 2 days or so a month at the store and at the German Farm site. The German Farm is interpreted as 1868, so my 1860 work dresses will be fine. Not sure the site is quite appropriate for Germans in Texas in 1868, but the cabin was built by a German so that is how they interpret it.
I spoke with the site director and they really want the site to interpret the history spot on and eventually get AAM acredited. I would like to help them with their costuming and maybe some of the interpretation. So now until I get another full time job I'll get my dress up fix and serve an organization that appreciates the help.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
The Civil War and the Material Culture of Texas, the Lower South and the Southwest
This passed weekend I attended the 3rd Biennial David B. Warren Symposium put on by the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. The focus was the Civil War. I missed the Friday night talk as I couldn't leave Austin until late. Saturday morning, then, was the first session I attended. The first presentation was on the William Hill Collection. This is a database being put together by the Kitty Powell Library at Bayou Bend. The database will catalog Texas artisans from the 1850-1900 censuses and 19th century Texas newspapers. It is based on the craftsman database at MESDA in Salem NC. The library has a grant to develop the database and will be working on this soon.
The next presentation was Pretty Pictures for Troubled Times: Portrayals of Plantation Properties. John Vlach was the speaker. He wrote the books Back of the Big House and The Planter's Prospect: Privilege and Slavery in Plantation Paintings. This was an interesting presentation on how the plantation was represented in art. It gave me a great idea for a conference proposal.
The next presentation was Reconstructions: Material Culture of the South Carolina Plantation by Dana Byrd. She discussed the plundering of the south by Union troops during the war. She stated that looting was done for 3 reasons either as souveniors, simply to destroy or due to envy of the weathy. It was an interesting session
Lunch was catered by Central Market. There were no tables in the room where lunch was served so we sat on a bench in the hall. On the wall was the strangest anime video called "City Glow". If you want to see it you can view part of it on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulpalandjian/4094110606/.
After lunch we listened to No Cotton in the Kingdom: Textiles in the Civil War South. This is the one session we were really looking forward to and unfortunately we were disappointed. It was presented by Katie Knowles. The first part of her talk was spent explaining what fibers were; I really think most of the audience knew what silk, wool, linen and cotton are and where they come from. The next part she discussed cotton in eighteenth century France. She finally got to the 19th century and discussed the importance of cotton on the south's economy. She knew quite a bit about the effect of the cotton trade but little on the use of cotton outside of plantation cloth. I guess I expected images of the different textiles and uses, which were not presented. She also made a bad connection between a dress in a painting and one in a fashion plate. Was not very impressed with her research or her presentation.
The final presentation was on Monumental Achievement: the Civil War and the Making of American Memory. This presentation included slides of different Civil War monuments, almost exclusively from the Northeast. It was interesting to see the different types of monuments groups and cities put up in recognition of the Civil War dead.
After the symposium we went to see the King Tut exhibit. Wow...disappointing! The majority of the exhibit consisted of artifacts from other kings and tombs. Yes, they were great to see but I expected Tut. There was only small artifacts and the bed from his tomb and a reproduction of his mummy. I guess I just thought there would have been at least one "wow" artifact, you know the items you really think of when you think Tut. So then we visited the Life and Luxury exhibit on 18th century France. Beautiful! Really enjoyed that one. No photos though.
We had dinner at a great little restaurant with a friend of Nancy's and then to bed early. We had not planned to attend the next day's event, just too expensive; however, there was a drawing for free tickets and Nancy won. So to bed early to be on time to catch the bus.
Sunday we start at the new Bayou Bend Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center, which by the way is really nice. The Center also houses the Kitty King Powell Library and Study Center. Nancy and I were given a tour of the library. Very nice space. We then boarded the bus to travel to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to view Discovering the Civil War, a traveling exhibit from the National Archives. The exhibit also included pieces from the Nau Civil War Collection. The National Archives exhibit was basically a display of documents from the Archives, which are now digitized. Little on the home front. The Nau collection was all military focused with lots of guns and dags of soldiers. I'm glad I saw it but glad I didn't have to pay for it. We then went to Silver Eagle Distributing, Nau's business. Here we had lunch and listened to a talk about Robert E. Lee followed by a viewing of more of Nau's collection. I was able to get a few photos from this viewing.
All in all it was an enjoyable weekend even if it wasn't outstanding. I heard some good talks and met some very knowledgeable people.
Next conference is the Sexuality & Slavery: Exposing the History of Enslaved People in the Americas conference at UT. Shoud be interesting.
The next presentation was Pretty Pictures for Troubled Times: Portrayals of Plantation Properties. John Vlach was the speaker. He wrote the books Back of the Big House and The Planter's Prospect: Privilege and Slavery in Plantation Paintings. This was an interesting presentation on how the plantation was represented in art. It gave me a great idea for a conference proposal.
The next presentation was Reconstructions: Material Culture of the South Carolina Plantation by Dana Byrd. She discussed the plundering of the south by Union troops during the war. She stated that looting was done for 3 reasons either as souveniors, simply to destroy or due to envy of the weathy. It was an interesting session
Lunch was catered by Central Market. There were no tables in the room where lunch was served so we sat on a bench in the hall. On the wall was the strangest anime video called "City Glow". If you want to see it you can view part of it on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulpalandjian/4094110606/.
After lunch we listened to No Cotton in the Kingdom: Textiles in the Civil War South. This is the one session we were really looking forward to and unfortunately we were disappointed. It was presented by Katie Knowles. The first part of her talk was spent explaining what fibers were; I really think most of the audience knew what silk, wool, linen and cotton are and where they come from. The next part she discussed cotton in eighteenth century France. She finally got to the 19th century and discussed the importance of cotton on the south's economy. She knew quite a bit about the effect of the cotton trade but little on the use of cotton outside of plantation cloth. I guess I expected images of the different textiles and uses, which were not presented. She also made a bad connection between a dress in a painting and one in a fashion plate. Was not very impressed with her research or her presentation.
The final presentation was on Monumental Achievement: the Civil War and the Making of American Memory. This presentation included slides of different Civil War monuments, almost exclusively from the Northeast. It was interesting to see the different types of monuments groups and cities put up in recognition of the Civil War dead.
After the symposium we went to see the King Tut exhibit. Wow...disappointing! The majority of the exhibit consisted of artifacts from other kings and tombs. Yes, they were great to see but I expected Tut. There was only small artifacts and the bed from his tomb and a reproduction of his mummy. I guess I just thought there would have been at least one "wow" artifact, you know the items you really think of when you think Tut. So then we visited the Life and Luxury exhibit on 18th century France. Beautiful! Really enjoyed that one. No photos though.
We had dinner at a great little restaurant with a friend of Nancy's and then to bed early. We had not planned to attend the next day's event, just too expensive; however, there was a drawing for free tickets and Nancy won. So to bed early to be on time to catch the bus.
Sunday we start at the new Bayou Bend Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center, which by the way is really nice. The Center also houses the Kitty King Powell Library and Study Center. Nancy and I were given a tour of the library. Very nice space. We then boarded the bus to travel to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to view Discovering the Civil War, a traveling exhibit from the National Archives. The exhibit also included pieces from the Nau Civil War Collection. The National Archives exhibit was basically a display of documents from the Archives, which are now digitized. Little on the home front. The Nau collection was all military focused with lots of guns and dags of soldiers. I'm glad I saw it but glad I didn't have to pay for it. We then went to Silver Eagle Distributing, Nau's business. Here we had lunch and listened to a talk about Robert E. Lee followed by a viewing of more of Nau's collection. I was able to get a few photos from this viewing.
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| Leather housewife |
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| Donation list from Gonzales for the comfort of soldiers in Terry's Regt. |
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| General Order No. 12 from Marshall, Tx. printed on wallpaper |
Monday, October 31, 2011
Cool Things in the Mail
A couple of cool things in the mail the last week. First the exhibit catalog for the new exhibit at Kent State Museum, "On the Home Front: Civil War Fashions and Domestic Life." Wish I lived closer to see the exhibit in person. The catalog is divided into sections: Military Influence; Outerwear; Color, Pattern, Trim; Memories and Mementos; Foundations; King Cotton; and Weddings. There are photos of dresses, children's dressing, accessories and quilts. One of the dresses in the wedding section appears that it was made for a pregnant person. It has the weirdest waistband treatment. There are some lovely shawls and quilts. But it definately leaves you with wanting more. The photos give you a great overview but of course do not give you the detail. I still think it is a great resource. If you can't visit the exhibition I suggest getting the catalog. You can order the catalog by calling the museum or emailing with shipping address and credit card number. It is $7.95 with shipping to be determined.
The other book I received is "The Civil War Remembered: Official National Park Service Handbook." This contains essays by reknown Civil War scholars like Ed Ayers, James Horton, James McPherson, and Drew Faust. Lots of images. Looks like a good overview of several aspects of the war. You can find the book through e-parks at http://civilwar.eparks.com/store/product/88361/*The-Civil-War-Remembered/.
The other book I received is "The Civil War Remembered: Official National Park Service Handbook." This contains essays by reknown Civil War scholars like Ed Ayers, James Horton, James McPherson, and Drew Faust. Lots of images. Looks like a good overview of several aspects of the war. You can find the book through e-parks at http://civilwar.eparks.com/store/product/88361/*The-Civil-War-Remembered/.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The Civil War in Texas: Changing Interpretations After 150 Years
This past weekend I passed on Texian Market Days and attended this conference sponsored by Victoria College/University of Houston-Victoria. (While I felt bad not going to TMD as it was the 25th year, after seeing some of the photos I'm glad I didn't as it seemed to lack authenticity. Lots of netting on hats, false ringlet falls in unnatural colors and badly made up Simplicity patterns in upholstry fabric. I don't think I would have had a good time.)
The conference was well done with many well-qualified speakers. I was pleased to see several papers on minority populations. But not a lot of new information, although I did learn about some new sources I wasn't aware of. A new book to look out for: the letters between KM and Minerva Van Zandt. Being edited and I hope is published soon. The talk by Terry Alford on Booth and the assassination of Lincoln was very good. Very indepth information and background on Booth. Information you don't get from the History channel programs :). I also found the session on Bernard Bee Jr. very entertaining.
The obligatory "home front" papers were interesting. One paper was on the effect of the war on the home front, basically the same that I did for the Harrisburg conference even with the same sources, but with a completely different thesis. In this talk there was a lot of starvation and lives turned upside down. Sounded like she was talking about the upper south rather than Texas. She seemed to take the experience of people in Galveston and Corpus Christi and apply it to the entire state. Even one of the other speakers addressed this saying it was hard, a challenge, but nothing like what they experienced in other southern states.
I also enjoyed the session on the German population and their experiences in the war. But again, not much new information. I did learn quite a bit during the Latino topic session. That is a population I have not yet researched. There was an interesting session on Sally Skull; a kind of first person performance. Some of the speakers took roles of some of Skull's relatives, husbands, and acquaintences and commented on her life. It sounded like a lot of what they read was taken from letters, diairies and other period accounts. An interesting way to explore a person's life and discuss contradicting accounts.
The rest of the sessions concentrated on military and reconstruction topics. There were a few books there, but I either have them or were not a topic of interest.
Next weekend I'm going to a symposium on material culture of the mid-19th century south. I'm hoping it meets my expectations; the topics sound wonderful. After that, events dry up. There is Imprisoned on the Frontier in November but I think money is going to be an issue getting up there so I may have to pass. Not much else on the calendar. Leaves me time for research.
The conference was well done with many well-qualified speakers. I was pleased to see several papers on minority populations. But not a lot of new information, although I did learn about some new sources I wasn't aware of. A new book to look out for: the letters between KM and Minerva Van Zandt. Being edited and I hope is published soon. The talk by Terry Alford on Booth and the assassination of Lincoln was very good. Very indepth information and background on Booth. Information you don't get from the History channel programs :). I also found the session on Bernard Bee Jr. very entertaining.
The obligatory "home front" papers were interesting. One paper was on the effect of the war on the home front, basically the same that I did for the Harrisburg conference even with the same sources, but with a completely different thesis. In this talk there was a lot of starvation and lives turned upside down. Sounded like she was talking about the upper south rather than Texas. She seemed to take the experience of people in Galveston and Corpus Christi and apply it to the entire state. Even one of the other speakers addressed this saying it was hard, a challenge, but nothing like what they experienced in other southern states.
I also enjoyed the session on the German population and their experiences in the war. But again, not much new information. I did learn quite a bit during the Latino topic session. That is a population I have not yet researched. There was an interesting session on Sally Skull; a kind of first person performance. Some of the speakers took roles of some of Skull's relatives, husbands, and acquaintences and commented on her life. It sounded like a lot of what they read was taken from letters, diairies and other period accounts. An interesting way to explore a person's life and discuss contradicting accounts.
The rest of the sessions concentrated on military and reconstruction topics. There were a few books there, but I either have them or were not a topic of interest.
Next weekend I'm going to a symposium on material culture of the mid-19th century south. I'm hoping it meets my expectations; the topics sound wonderful. After that, events dry up. There is Imprisoned on the Frontier in November but I think money is going to be an issue getting up there so I may have to pass. Not much else on the calendar. Leaves me time for research.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
A Change of Plans
A slight change in things is causing me to miss Texian Market Days next weekend. However, it is allowing me to go to the The Civil War in Texas: Changing Interpretations After 150 Years in Victoria, Texas. I will miss TMD and playing dress up for the weekend, but the conference I think will be a great experience and lots of great information. Once again I'm finding I'm getting more out of research and true living history events rather than playing a dressed up docent and going to mainstream events, so I think this is a turn for the best anyway.
AAR after the weekend.
AAR after the weekend.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Got Sprouts
My experiment in period gardening is working at least for two of the crops: Cucumbers and radishes
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Seeds are sowed
This afternoon we cleaned the plot, broke up the dirt and sowed seeds: peas, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, and carrots. All period varieties from Landrum Seeds. Of course I forgot my camera, so no photos. We discovered an abandoned eggplant plant bearing fruit. Some may be thinking we've started late, yet a bit. But Texas' growing season can be quite long and sources are saying end of September to November 1 for planting our choices. So we'll see. We may get nothing, squirrels may eat everything, they may freeze or we'll have a great bounty in the spring.
The plots are a bit difficult to plant in as they are called kitchen gardens but planted as ornamental. So we're working around edging plants and a center plant we can't remove. We oly planted part of the plot with the vegies as we plan to plant herbs in the spring.
The plots are a bit difficult to plant in as they are called kitchen gardens but planted as ornamental. So we're working around edging plants and a center plant we can't remove. We oly planted part of the plot with the vegies as we plan to plant herbs in the spring.
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