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Kitty Calash

~ Confessions of a Known Bonnet-Wearer

Kitty Calash

Tag Archives: John Brown House Museum

Punch-Drunk Love

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

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

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

1790, 1790s, 18th century, George Washington, John Brown, John Brown House Museum, Providence, Rhode Island Historical Society, Rhode Island history

No, Love: I didn’t get drunk and punch someone.

Worst. Housekeeper. Ever.

Worst. Housekeeper. Ever.

On Saturday, we commemorated the 225th anniversary of President Washington’s visit to Providence after Rhode Island finally ratified the United States Constitution on May 29th, 1790. We like to take our time with these things, to be sure that we will have all the rights we’re accustomed to. Happily, we did decide to go along with this United States of America business, and as a reward, His Excellency President Washington made a formal visit in August, 1790. It rained then; this time, we had sultry summer weather.

Once again, the housekeeper spent the day running back and forth and up and down the stairs. Fortunately, I didn’t trip on the gown too much: it’s longer than I usually wear, but I did catch the hem on my shoe buckle, so some tweaking will be required.

Mr Brown greets the President

Mr Brown greets the President

There was the kind of ceremony and formality you would expect, with very little drama, which made for a simpler day than we often have. The afternoon was warm, the speeches were short, and the toasts were drunk.

Of course, you have to look out for John Brown’s housekeeper, who is all too happy to spend her afternoon reading and making punch. Unlike a real 18th century person, I had no idea where to start with punch beyond the basic: rum. I turned to my friends for assistance, and got some solid advice, including a reference to Punch: The Delights and Dangers of the Flowing Bowl.Chapter VIII helpfully turns to “How to Make Punch, or the Four Pillars of Punch.”

Mmm, punch.

Mmm, punch.

I don’t always manage to read all the way through the directions I am meant to be following, but the oleo-saccharum was relatively straightforward, since the instructions were entirely on one page. Lemon peels, sugar, mashing. These are simple things that you can handle even in a week when the workplace van has been stolen and recovered, and you’ve had conversations in which someone asks you to find a photograph for them, even though they don’t know where they saw it.

No, I won't say how many cups I've had.

No, I won’t say how many cups I’ve had.

That went well enough, but I got distracted along the way by the excitement in the house, and added the correct ingredients in the wrong order. I don’t think it mattered. Water, black tea, lemon juice, and a bottle of Smith & Cross rum all went in to the redware pitcher and wafted up the back stairs, giving the servants’ quarters a festive ambience.

While the partakers did not know, the bowl from which they ladled punch had once been used in cleaning the Mr Brown’s house– but that only meant it was quite clean, and thus suitable for use. The bowl was nearly emptied and replenished once, by which time Mr Brown’s housekeeper had sampled quite enough of the concoction.

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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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What Cheer! Wednesday

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by kittycalash in Living History, Museums, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on What Cheer! Wednesday

Tags

18th century clothes, 18th century clothing, 19th century clothing, interpretation, John Brown House Museum, living history, Museums, Reenacting, Rhode Island, Rhode Island Historical Society, weekend, What Cheer Day, work

The cast at the end of the day

The cast at the end of the day

Where are you going this weekend? I’m going to Providence in 1800, along with my family and friends.

The mantua maker is coming, and writes a very pretty letter about the new fashions she has found for the young ladies.

Mr Herreshoff and Miss Brown hope soon to be married

Mr Herreshoff and Miss Brown hope soon to be married

Mrs Brown will be in, and receiving guests, and we hear that Mr Herreshoff will come to call as well. While he may decry the state of the roads, we expect him to have news of business conditions in New York, and his prospects for the future.

Miss Alice– Mrs Mason, now– will be at home with her sister, Miss Brown, and Mr Mason is living here now as well. I do not know how I shall keep their room in order, since he is hardly outside of it!

There are other visitors I expect as well; there is a man (I cannot call him a gentleman) who has been doing jobs for us, though he does not live here at the house. He seems extraordinarily interested in the house, and will not stay away. Whatever can be his interest? There may also be a tailor and his apprentice– though the apprentice tends to daydreaming, and looks above his station, studying Latin at all hours. I think he will not be long in his apprenticeship if he will not pay attention.

If you have not visited us before, you can find directions here.

 

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