Project 365 Day 213

Another Time...Another Place

I am not one of those people who yearn for simpler times. I think things have always been hard and or complicated if you are actually living them. When I heard about a Civil War Re-enactment going on not far from me I jumped at the opportunity to photograph it. The camp itself was amazing and reminded me a lot of Mountain Men gatherings. It was in the mid-90’s that day, and there was nothing simpler about the clothes they were wearing. They were in wool uniforms and the women were in hooped and heavily skirted dresses. And let me just say two words...indoor plumbing. But I do love the costuming if I don’t have to wear it. Even my Barbie didn’t have the usual outfits. Well, maybe she did, but I never used them. She had a Guinevere dress of dark purple velvet complete with a gold tasseled belt. She had a black taffeta ball gown (strapless with a big, full skirt). Costumes. That’s what I love. To an extent. I hate Hallowe’en. Loved it when I was a kid, of course. When I was a kid I always wanted the purchased costumes, but I never had those. It was make-up and usually adult clothes. In England I was Cinderella once. Burned cork to put ashes on my face. It was cool. We weren’t allowed to go to any of the English homes because they didn’t “celebrate” Hallowe’en. We always knew where the “American” homes were. But the English kids would cut holes in paper bags, wear them as masks and come around to the American houses. I was never very good at coming up with costumes for my kids. My all-time favorite was a baseball hat set sideways on my daughter’s head. Freckles put on with an eyebrow pencil. A burgundy sweatshirt of my husband’s, with a large “A” in the middle made out of masking tape. Voila. Instant Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks. I love the more ornate costumes. Like wedding dresses. And fairy wings. Veils and hats with netting. Vintage clothing and attitudes to match. It was surprising to me how many children were involved with the Civil War group. Wow. They are the me in my head. The one that longs for costumes that are real. The chance to “dress-up” and have it be normal. There’s just that one thing, though. Indoor. Plumbing.