Solid historical interpretation is
far more than putting on funny clothes and talking about the famous events that
happened in famous people’s lives. History is made by everyday people going
about their everyday lives. The public wants to connect with people they can
relate to…so you will get questions like ‘Who are you?’ ‘What is the job
you are doing?’ ‘Why are you here?’ I would like you to consider,
if Samuel Champlain was putting his team together, think of it as a Zombie
Apocalypse Team, what would your roll on it be? Think about your own character
and the role you would play on that team. Now, build your character and your
interpretation around that person. Don’t think about trying to portray a famous
person, build your character around what you, yourself could bring to the
table. It will be far more believable if you can weave your own self into the
historical character you develop.
When developing your characters,
consider the site and its history, but also what your own natural personality
will bring to the site. It’s far more than simple class distinctions or famous
people. What is your own natural being? Are you naturally a type that likes to
get your hands dirty? Should you be a labourer rather than a nobleman? If so,
what sort of accessories should you have with you apart from your standard
issued costume? Where would these items come from, self made or purchased,
where? What sort of pocket trash would you have? Think about the items you use
daily in your regular life; what would those items look like in the period you
are interpreting?
You can teach the facts while
engaging with the other sensory interpretations at the site. If you are
cooking, what smells can you use to draw people in, what sounds do people hear
while you work? What does the site look like around you? What can the visitor
touch to understand their new environment better? If you are gardening, you can
ask the visitors to help out, teaching them about 17th century
foodstuffs brought here by the explorers. If you are tending to animals, you
can weave the story of how Port Mouton got its name, or how woolen cloth is
produced and traded. Working in the Trade storeroom, you can talk about hunting
practices, trade with indigenous peoples, you can even bring in thoughts on how
we saw each other differently and why. These are all things that the visitor
can relate to, as they themselves cook food, tend their summer gardens, may
have pets, and also notice how we treat each other in the modern era and may be
wondering why this is so. They can relate to shared common history because they
can put themselves in their ancestors shoes.
Here is where I am going to get
into the nitty gritty of getting the visual narrative correct. When you
approach the visitor in historical clothing, THAT ALONE is your first
impression. You must go into every visitor experience with the understanding
that they may know more about the clothes you are wearing, or the history you
are talking about than you do. Please take the time to fully understand what
you are wearing, why, and how to wear it correctly for the 17thC. If you begin
learning how to wear your new clothes as they were meant to be worn, they will
feel less like a costume, and you will have a better understanding of how your
historical counterparts moved through their lives. The architecture of the site
will start to make more sense to you as you learn to feel like a 17th
century person.
Often, people would like to take
the easy route and think that modern people don’t really know what historical
people looked like. I challenge this idea and think that with enough exposure
to art and media that modern people do know what historical people
looked like, at the very least, they know when something looks wrong. They will
notice the smallest details, like wearing skinny jeans underneath your
petticoats, or white modern tube socks underneath the cuff of your trousers.
And yes, they notice when your shirt is untucked, or you look like you haven’t
taken the time to dress in a historical fashion.
So what will you be wearing?
