Living History

Show Stoppers

Alena — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:22:45 +0000

We’ve all seen things that take us right out of the moment when witnessing Living History, this week we talk about some of our pet peeves, those items that, for us, are real show stoppers, including:
• Modern clothes, shoes and jewelry
• Modern piercings, tattoos and hair colors/styles
• Actions and words, politicizing, talking about your personal life, smoking a cigarette
• Furniture and items like coolers, sleeping bags, toiletries, vehicles, porta-a-potties, ATMs, cameras, cellphones
• Food containers like beverage containers, plastic bags and wrappers, and vendor purchased items

Musical Interlude: Tribe of the Lost Road by Ensemble Davuli off their album The Wandering Drum

Download: Show Stoppers

Recreating Family Life of the Iron Age Celts

Alena — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:45:16 +0000

Alena and Stephen interview Dan Crowther and his daughter Syd about recreating Iron Age Celtic life in Upstate New York. We talked about:
· How Dan started down the living history path and starting a new group: Ancient Celtic Clans
· Syd’s experience growing up doing living history
· Why they recreate Iron Age life and about all the items they have created and use in the LH demonstrations
· How to research ways of life that were not written down, including the Celtic Living History Forum.
· Working with kids in Living History presentations
· Events they have participated in including timeline events.

Musical Interlude: Cluck Old Hen performed by Savanah Cotton Exchange off Skirmish Presents: All in Tune With History.

Download: Recreating Iron Age Celts

Walking With Pirates

Alena — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 05:00:07 +0000

Jeromy, a member of RIPP

Join us on a pirate adventure in episode 34 as Alena and Stephen get a tour of Newport, Rhode Island and learn all about Newport’s piratical history from the folks at Rhode Island Pirate Players. We also interview two members of RIPP and find out:
·   How RIPP got its start
·   Recruitment techniques
·   Casey’s business model for running RIPP
·   Jeromy’s long term love of pirates
·   Telling the real stories about piracy in the 18th century in many different environments.

Musical Interlude: General Taylor performed by Great Big Sea

Download: Walking with Pirates

Listen Here

Casey, founder of RIPP

The Big Stuff

Alena — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:45:03 +0000

This week, episode 33, Alena and Stephen follow up the episode on Minutiae with by talking about reenacting and interacting the larger objects. They tackle big topics like:
•   Shelter: from Houses and environments to tents and other portable homes
•   Furniture: camp furniture, common furniture and a reading from Home by Witold Rybczynski
•   Storage: humans collect stuff, and have found myriad ways through the years of storing it all
•   Vehicles: both historical and modern transport concerns
•   Animals: adding animals to a portrayal, working with heritage breeds, dealing with the public.

Musical Interlude: Greensleeves performed by Renaissonics

Download: The Big Stuff

Portraying a Colonial Housewife

Alena — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:46:59 +0000

Elizabeth as Polly Wanton

This week Alena interviewed Elizabeth Sulock, Marketer and Historical Interpreter at the Newport Historical Society. They talked about:
• Elizabeth’s start in living history
• Working for the Newport Historical Society
• portraying historical personage, Polly Wanton
• sewing and costuming
• Interpreting pregnancy
• Polly on Facebook
Also included this week is a review of the book: I Believe in Yesterday.

Musical Interlude: Over the Hills and Far Away performed by 3 Pints Gone

Download: Interview with Elizabeth Sulock

Listener Feedback

Alena — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:28:02 +0000

Thanks to all of you out there listening to the Living History Podcast and giving us feedback! In this week’s episode, number 31, we address some of the questions and comments we’ve received since we started the podcast including:

• What has been most surprising about doing the podcast?
• Providing more details as a part of our podcasts
• There is no such thing as a stupid tourist question
• Great tips for event survival
• Some unique living history terminology
• Is the human race loosing valuable skills to the detriment of us all?
• School Event restrictions
• Reenacting military life as a family, specifically gender disparities in more modern military reenactments
• How does the Renaissance Faire relate to Living History?
• What is our list of small items we still want (including an update on our chamber pot situation)
• Reenacting in order to show respect for those who lived in the time we are representing.

Musical Interlude: Jamie Raeburn’s Farewell by Tourdion

Download: Listener Feedback

Publishing Living History

Alena — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 02:34:07 +0000

Rachel in the offices of Skirmish Magazine

Stephen had a chance this week to speak via Skype with Rachel Evans of Skirmish Magazine from her office in the UK. Despite some occasional sound issues, they worked through it all to discuss, amongst other things:
- How Rachel got involved in Living History
- Skirmish Magazine – producing a publication for all areas of the LH community
- Public versus Private events
- Battlefield preservation
- Other magazines with a historical focus that Rachel edits
This episode is a little longer, but we felt worth presenting straight through.

Musical Interlude – Solveig performed by Saor Patrol, off the CD: Skirmish Presents All in Tune with History

Download: Interview with Rachel Evans

Rachel looking all Historical

Cookfires

Alena — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:11:03 +0000

This week is a nice long episode on cookfires. We were asked for more detail on the making and keeping of fires for cooking so we’ll tell you about:
• fire starting, and building a bed of coals
• Equipment including wood types, bases, tools and more
• keeping a fire going, and putting that fire out
Musical Interlude: Buttercup’s Air by Night Heron Consort

Download:Cookfires

Tips and Tricks for Positive Public Interactions

Alena — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:48:37 +0000

So many Living History enterprises happen in front of the public. In this episode we’ll let you in on our methods to make your encounters more fun and engaging. We’ll cover tips and tricks like:

• confronting strangers
• Rehearsing what it is you are going to say
• Using improvisation
• using endowments to draw them into the story
• Keeping it positive – Not negating
• playing off other members of your group/team.

Musical Interlude: Southern Girl’s Reply performed by Jeff Warner

Download: Public Interactions

Making it Real With Minutiae

Alena — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:39:54 +0000

This week Alena and Stephen tackle the stuff of Living History, and talk about how much the little things can really add both for your own enjoyment and for the publics’ edification. We talked about:
• Steps toward historical accuracy
• pocket stuff and personal items
• Comfort items and furniture
• Tools, weapons, leisure and religious items.

Musical Interlude: Hey Ho to the Greenwood sung by Ravenrook Consort

Download: Minutiae