A Rant...

[PartywithArty]

i just want to vent here for a second.. You guys know what i hate? i hate when people wear modern boots and tennisshoes while reenacting, or wears levis and a regular belt. or cowboy hats etc... I spend a great amount to ensure that my uniform and my appearance portrays what a solder during the ACW looked like.. Why is it fair to the guys who spend thousands on their uniform to have some half dressed fool marching beside him in jeans and tennishoes? kinda erks me a little.. Thanks for reading..

 

[Nathanb1]

Well, I don't reenact, but as a member of the audience I surely do feel cheated. And I truly appreciate the guys who go the extra mile!

 

[Crazy Delawares]

We would not let him/her go out with us looking like that. I don't understand that at all.

 

[shanniereb]

Wow, I would feel cheated even as a member of the audience. I go to see soldiers not cowboys fight! If you are Union please dress the part, if you are Confederate please do the same! I hated that Aiken did not have any REAL Union unit flags. (oh geesh I am Southern all the way) but if we are going to fight I want it to be authentic, authentic flags, real soldiers, etc......Tennis shoes, what next? I wouldn't pay a nickel to see that. There now I am through ranting!

 

[Bonny Blue Flag]

Not everyone has the same level of respect for reenacting or the war.

Not everyone can afford the "right" hat, boots, ect.

Everyone does have the desire to be out in the woods in all kinds of weather.

Some are there to relive the times and the war in an almost religious fanaticism, some are there to enjoy being away from the office for the weekend.

In my opinion, having folks out there participating is the basis of what reenactors do.
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There was a previous thread on this subject that got out of hand and nearly shut down. Please be careful with your comments.

--BBF

 

[wilber6150]

They very might be new to reenacting and have invested all their funds on uniform and weapon, and just can't afford to buy brogans or boots yet....

 

[Nathanb1]

Bonny has a good point. Folks do what they can afford to do. Your best bet is to educate the guy next to you, share your knowledge. I do agree you should be able to do a bit better than tennis shoes by simply going to Goodwill (I've done that for plays and I can put together a pretty good pseudo uniform!)....but encouraging people to do better is sometimes more productive.

Like they used to say on Romper Room....Do be a do-bee....don't be....a jerk (or whatever....you get the point)

I do understand your frustration.....I remember one "mountain man" at a living history event riding his horse with his sunglasses and tennies!

 

[shanniereb]

Not everyone has the same level of respect for reenacting or the war.

Not everyone can afford the "right" hat, boots, ect.

Everyone does have the desire to be out in the woods in all kinds of weather.

Some are there to relive the times and the war in an almost religious fanaticism, some are there to enjoy being away from the office for the weekend.

In my opinion, having folks out there participating is the basis of what reenactors do.
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There was a previous thread on this subject that got out of hand and nearly shut down. Please be careful with your comments.

--BBF

I understand the expense, that is WHY I had to quit and my health too. I feel for the fresh fish, I just wished that sometimes people would study accuracy just a little. That was all I was saying. No harm intended, I applaud anyone who wants to reenact and be a "living historian". Keep up the good work.

 

[Bob Owen]

My first uniform was a set of Sears grey work clothes with the stripes and buttons added from Dixie Gun Works in 1961. It has come a long way in 50 years!

 

[carson_reb]

I can see both sides of this argument. On the one hand, I fall into the category of not being 100 percent historically authentic and accurate down to the last brass button. I got chided for walking my two foster babies in a modern double stroller, because I couldn't afford a period correct one.

But on the other hand, I make the effort to be as historically accurate as my money can buy. I look like an ACW regimental chaplain, I act like an ACW regimental chaplain, I portray the mannerisms of a member of the Virginia gentry, and I try to speak the way folks of that time period spoke.

So what if I can't afford two period correct baby carriages to push my little guys in. If I'm historically accurate in most or all other ways but this one, is that really a problem?

The bottom line for me is that reenactors make a good faith effort to "re-enact" history as best they can. Do your best, and make your best effort. You've got my respect if you do; whether your sack coat has I buttons or not.

 

[Bonny Blue Flag]

On a reenactment in Pine Grove, Ark, I used a cane because the 17 degree weather was playing havoc with my arthritis.

It was a silver metal cane, so I got some contact paper that looked like wood. I covered the cane with it from top to bottom. Hard to tell it was not an authentic cane or a replica.

Necessity is the mother of invention. And creativity.

--BBF

 

[Robtweb1]

I think the responsibility lies with the people hosting an event, and let's not forget, some of these are for profit. Guidelines should be set ahead of time and well advertised. Then enforced. Usually it's the enforcement part that falls flat.

Bob, remember the uniforms and weapons in the original video they used to show at Shiloh?

 

[carson_reb]

On a reenactment in Pine Grove, Ark, I used a cane because the 17 degree weather was playing havoc with my arthritis.

It was a silver metal cane, so I got some contact paper that looked like wood. I covered the cane with it from top to bottom. Hard to tell it was not an authentic cane or a replica.

Necessity is the mother of invention. And creativity.

--BBF

I can relate. I was having an exacerbation of back pain during an event, so I brought along my hiking stick: A long piece of wood that used to be a tree branch. It worked.

 

[M E Wolf]

Just my opinion --

With so many individuals with a helpful nature, I find it hard to excuse tennis shoes and/or wearing a cowboy hats and or baseball caps. Same with long hair, e.g. pony tail or braids like Willie Nelson wears. Especially, when the regulations on both sides were very specific that hair was to be neatly trimmed. With the Confederate officers, other than the sleeve braid, their rank was on the collar verses the shoulder-boards on Union uniforms.

I can excuse someone wearing man's street shoes, as the man's shoe hasn't changed too much other than the square toe, but many a man is featured with laced street shoes and of course the Brogans. Those going out of the hobby sometimes sell their shoes, boots, etc.

There will be no way that everybody can be authentic as so many authentic items are gone forever or too fragile to handle in the field/reenactment events. However, it is my personal opinion, that it would be much better to wait and complete the outfit before stepping out with guys/gals who have put in their hard earned dollars to fit themselves as close to perfection of the normal / average soldier.

Seeing many a photograph, thanks to Wilber and others -- we (in a general sense) are seeing the myth of Confederates in rags and patches, are not the norm. So many photos of the deceased Confederates appear that they took real pride in their appearance and their uniforms weren't like "Lil Abner" torn and ragged.

Understanding the difficulties in finding shoes to fit a difficult size or feet that require orthotics --it would still be very much appreciated to get as close to the shoe standards as possible.

M. E. Wolf

 

[ole]

Not having been a reenactor, I can see that some wannabes really can't afford accuracy. I tend to applaud the desire.

I've observed some really lame reenactors. I'd venture that the desire overrules the precision.

It is an expensive hobby, and it is not helpful to insist on precision. If one is to encourage participation, one must lighten up some. To do it right and period correct is not exactly encouraging.

Lighten up.

 

[PartywithArty]

I could understand if it was cowboy boots, a old straw hat,somthing like that, but white tennishoes,levis,cheep cowboy hat and a shiney new 51 navy? Commone, anyone can do better than that, you can find old cowboy boots or work boots at any given yard sale or goodwill, hats? Kepis arnt that expensive. $20 bucks will get you a decent kepi, oants, ive seen guys wear grey suit pants that have been ripped and stained,and they looked great! all it takes is effort folks.. And i agree with ME Wolf, why even go out if your uniform is not complete? Wearing a great coat with tinnisshoes and levis is like stiing around a campfire infront of your tent playing a fender stratocaster..come on now?

 

[ole]

Ever hear about reaching out?

 

[PartywithArty]

Ever hear about reaching out?

I have. Ive given a kepi to a young reenactor,i gave a pair of brogans to a guy i didnt even know,ive even sold a nice butternut sackcoat to a fellow for $20. I give when i have the chance sir,

 

[ole]

This isn't a contest about who gives what to whom. It is a comparison of tolerance. Brotherhood, and in more than a few cases, Sisterhood. We are, here, a family and we share.

While we argue about details, we do realize that we are arguing minisule matters with friends.

 

[PartywithArty]

But we also,as reenactors, take the responsability to put relive history..To portray life in the 1860s. If a child sees a guy running around with tennisshoes and jeans he will get the impression that people actually dressed like that. we need to keep in mind that we are not only doing this as a hobby,we are doing this so that history does not fade away. If we cant show our children what it was like during the ACW than they will go forever without knowing,because the schools deffinantly wont teach them. I understand we should help everyone and share but no one gave to me? I worked and paid for my things just as everyone else,but in my opinion if you dont have the money to get a decent uniform together,then why are you in the hobby? How can you afford to pay dues but not have a uniform?