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Kitty Calash

~ Confessions of a Known Bonnet-Wearer

Kitty Calash

Search results for: what cheer day

What Cheer Day: Emotional Goals and Historical Content

25 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by kittycalash in Events, History, Living History, Museums, Philosophy, Reenacting

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

authenticity, emotions, first person interpretation, historic house museums, interpretation, John Brown House Museum, museum practice, Rhode Island Historical Society, What Cheer Day

Petulant Alice faces her first hurdle, Kitty and Goody Morris. Photograph by J. D. Kay

Petulant Alice faces her first hurdle, Kitty and Goody Morris. Photograph by J. D. Kay

I think about three or four things most of the time: food, sex, museums, and clothes. That seems pretty adequate, but from time to time I am forced to consider intersections between these rather broad topics. The intersectionality of clothing and museums seems pretty obvious: from accurate costumed interpretation to proper packing and storage, easy. Food and museums will be much on my mind in the coming year, as we work on “Relishing Rhode Island,” and I’m continually harping on how eating locally and seasonally is the core of eating historically. Sex and museums is a little harder (yes, I know about the Museum of Sex), though one gets a chance even in a historic house museum, and really, it’s not just about the act: it’s about the feels.

Mary assists Alice in the hallway as she prepares to face her mother. Photograph by J. D. Kay

Mary assists Alice in the hallway as she prepares to face her mother. Photograph by J. D. Kay

In the main, I am not particularly good at the feels aside from some very hands-on experience with anxiety, but a number of things have coalesced recently to make me reconsider the intersection of emotions, museums, and history.

Hamilton is one, and if you read this, you probably watched the Hamilton’s America documentary  on PBS last Friday. If you didn’t, go do it now. Really: I can wait. And here’s why:

In the thinking I’ve been doing for some time about Hamilton,* I’ve reached the conclusion that what makes it so damn good (aside from the brilliant writing) is how Lin-Manuel Miranda has captured the emotions. The quotes I wrote down from the documentary are about emotion and drama, because I’m looking for them (confirmation bias for the win) but here they are:

“Each piece of music is specific to an emotion and a character”

“I got into the history through the characters”

“Research is over and you write the character defined by history”

“Write the parts you think are a musical”

Goody Morris helps Alice drink lemon water to soothe her stomach. Photograph by J. D. Kay

Goody Morris helps Alice drink lemon water to soothe her stomach. Photograph by J. D. Kay

What is a museum exhibit but “the parts you think are a musical?” While Our Girl History struggled with being Alice (I know a bit about the part where your ego gets connected to a character), she had to portray a character defined by history, but also by emotion. And in thinking about Hamilton, about What Cheer Day, and about the exhibits that give me pleasure, and art that brings me joy, I have reached a couple of conclusions.

I believe that museums, where we currently set educational and interpretive goals, and increasingly experiential goals, need to begin setting emotional goals for their programs and exhibitions. You could argue that experiential and emotional goals are the same, but I disagree: I believe that interpretation helps define the experiences that create emotional responses, and within the intersection of experience and emotion we will find the educational goal revealed, because we are always working within a content-driven context.

James checks on sister Alice. Photograph by J. D. Kay

James checks on sister Alice. Photograph by J. D. Kay

I also believe the reason gun-based reenactments retain their popularity is their easy emotions. “Boom!” is exciting anywhere: there’s an immediate reaction of shock, surprise, a mild fear, and excitement. Traditional reenactments have those “boom!” emotions embedded within them, which is how they retain their potency. Until we locate the emotion within the everyday– and trust me, it’s there– we will not see the primacy of non-military reenactments and living history.

*Yes, I was aware of it when it was in previews at the Public Theatre. I am *that* kind of hipster, but really, it was because Oscar Eustis went from Trinity Rep here to the Public and there’s a PVD-NYC theatre connection.

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What Cheer Day 2014 Gallery 2!

13 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by kittycalash in Events, Living History, Museums, Reenacting, Thanks

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

19th century clothing, authenticity, fashion, John Brown House Museum, living history, Museums, Rhode Island Historical Society, Rhode Island history, thanks, What Cheer Day

Think of this as the afternoon photos.

The fortune teller came!
The fortune teller came!
She had many interesting things to tell Miss Sally Brown
She had many interesting things to tell Miss Sally Brown
And promised better fortunes and comforts to the maids
And promised better fortunes and comforts to the maids
The mantua maker, surpris'd!
The mantua maker, surpris’d!
The fortune teller even told visitors' fortunes
The fortune teller even told visitors’ fortunes
Miss Ruth Smith asked for advice on a new gown
Miss Ruth Smith asked for advice on a new gown
The deliveryman arrived with an order wine an empty bottle and a full head
The deliveryman arrived with an order wine an empty bottle and a full head
Mr Taber shared his fashion plates with visitors
Mr Taber shared his fashion plates with visitors
News of a happy future for Sally and Carl
News of a happy future for Sally and Carl
Caught sleeping!
Caught sleeping!
Battledore and shuttlecock
Battledore and shuttlecock
Lawn games
Lawn games
Mrs Brown and Mrs Brown!
Mrs Brown and Mrs Brown!
Mr Mason and wife Alice; Mr Herreshoff and fiancee Sally
Mr Mason and wife Alice; Mr Herreshoff and fiancee Sally
The ensemble
The ensemble
Eliza!
Eliza!
Bonnet swapping
Bonnet swapping
And, finally, all done.
And, finally, all done.

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What Cheer Day 2014 Gallery

12 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by kittycalash in Events, Living History, Museums, Reenacting, Thanks

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

19th century clothing, authenticity, Events, fashion, John Brown House Museum, living history, Rhode Island, Rhode Island Historical Society, What Cheer Day

An overview of the day, to begin with.

Our new maid, Eliza, greets the mantua maker
Our new maid, Eliza, greets the mantua maker
Mr Mason confers with his tailor, Mr Taber
Mr Mason confers with his tailor, Mr Taber
Alice receives the mantua maker's letter
Alice receives the mantua maker’s letter
Taking Mr Mason's measure
Taking Mr Mason’s measure
It was a long night....
It was a long night….
Mr Herreshoff arrives from New York
Mr Herreshoff arrives from New York
Mrs Brown and her sister, Miss Smith, entertain company
Mrs Brown and her sister, Miss Smith, entertain company
...and quiz Mr H
…and quiz Mr H
Visitors from New York meet the ladies and mantua maker
Visitors from New York meet the ladies and mantua maker
Mr Taber and Mrs Brown
Mr Taber and Mrs Brown
Motherly love
Motherly love
Not, perhaps, as dissolute as he appears?
Not, perhaps, as dissolute as he appears?
Miss Sally Brown and Mr H
Miss Sally Brown and Mr H
Mr H and a visitor
Mr H and a visitor
Did the vegetable milk remove freckles? Esther is not certain.
Did the vegetable milk remove freckles? Esther is not certain.
Miss Brown and Mr H
Miss Brown and Mr H
Mr Young, our sometimes troublesome deliveryman
Mr Young, our sometimes troublesome deliveryman
Mr Taber threads a needle
Mr Taber threads a needle

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What Cheer Day Review

27 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by kittycalash in Events, History, Living History, Museums, Reenacting

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Clothing, Costume, historic houses, historic interiors, John Brown House Museum, living history, Providence, Rhode Island Historical Society, What Cheer Day

There will be more, and better, images

Let’s begin with the easy part: pretty pictures of a pretty house. (It’s too easy, right?  More on that later this week.)

There are only a few for now– while our photographer took over 800 images, before he can process and sort them, we have to put the house back together first!

October 25 was a Saturday in 1800, the last Saturday before the first public schools opened in Providence on October 27. Mr Sweet, the tailor’s apprentice, had too much current-day public school homework to join us.

Mr Mason begins his day

It was as well, perhaps, that Mr Sweet did not see the client in his natural environment. His tailor, Mr Taber, arrived with many samples and plates for Mr Mason’s perusal, and the room was in quite a state by the day’s end. I do not know why Mr Mason could not take the short walk to Cheapside, but his custom is so good that the tailor made an exception and came to call.

Lawn games

Late in the afternoon, we played battledore and shuttlecock; I was surprised and pleased to see the images and how much like Diana Sperling’s drawings they looked. It was a pleasure to see that we were doing something right, though a cold scoop bonnet was no help in seeing the shuttlecock.

Nancy Smith hears her fortune from Goody Morris

The fortune teller came, much to the consternation of Mrs Brown and her sister. I believe it was the housekeeper who thought she could get away with inviting her friend to the house; in any case, it was foretold that Kitty should have comfort in her life, which was a great relief to someone who had been wearing straight-lasted and very flat shoes for some twelve hours.

Mr Young and Goody Morris

Of late there has been a man hanging about the house; he enjoyed Goody Morris’s conversation as well, though late in the afternoon he caused quite a disturbance with a delivery of wine. We think he had been imbibing from our order, and his behaviour caused our new maid, Eliza, much distress. Mrs Brown was not well pleased at the commotion in her house.

What Cheer Day 2014

Still, by the end of the day, we were well satisfied with our work, and posed for the passing limner.

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Gallery

What Cheer Day Photo Gallery

10 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by kittycalash in Events, Living History, Museums, Thanks

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

John Brown House Museum, living history, Rhode Island, Rhode Island Historical Society, What Cheer Day

This gallery contains 19 photos.

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