In article <[log in to unmask]>, Kerridwen Harvey <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > I am interested in hearing points of view/experiences with various forms > of living history interpretation, specifically, costumed interpretation, > first-person, and third-person. What type(s) does your site or museum > use? Why have you chosen one over the other? What advantages do you > see in using costumed interpreters, first-person, or third-person? Do > you feel the use of costumed interpreters is declining or increasing? > How about first-person interpretation? > > I have been doing a fair bit of reading in this area but would like some > human input in this research. > > Thanks. I am a living history volunteer at De Soto National Memorial, in Bradenton, Florida. As such I ve been portraying a member of the expedition of Hernando de Soto in La Florida c.1539, for a number of years now as well as some more general 16th re-enactment. What follows are some rather disjointed thoughts on your queries. You might want to post your questions on the soc.history.living newsgroup and/or check some past postings on this subject. Over the past month so there has been a running thread on the nature living history." The Park Service hires seasonal rangers to serve as costumed interpreters (NPS s preferred term) during the busy winter tourist season (December-April). The rangers are dressed in 16th century clothing and give formal talks 3-4 times a day. These talks include a quick history of the expedition, along with armor & weapons demonstrations. These presentations last about 20 minutes and the audience's number about 20-70 people. No attempt is made at first person interpretation it's strictly park rangers in doublets and breeches talking to a twentieth century audience. The rangers are so understaffed that they rarely have time to work on sixteenth century crafts performing general camp chores during the remainder of the day. During the other months of the year our small company living history volunteers tries to take up the slack. During the off season we rarely have enough of an influx of visitors to make a formal program worth dealing with. (In fact last month we were reduced to placing bets on whether or not people would visit the Spanish Camp is simply wave to us from the comfort of their air-conditioned cars as they circled the parking lot.) Instead we simply work on various projects, i.e., map-making, repairing armor, sewing shoes, etc. We convince people to try on our armor, demonstrate weapons, practice military drills, cook lunch, eat lunch, chase flies away. All in a very informal camp setting. Although we do tire of the same questions/comments (about 90% of them) I think that the park visitors who take the time to interact with us do get much more of an appreciation of expeditions and life in sixteenth century Florida then they do from the Park s twenty minute video tape. At some events, for example the annual re-enactment of Drake s Raid 1586, in St. Augustine every attempt is made during the battles and while drilling to stay in character. (Commands in Spanish for example) when it comes to interacting with visitors one-on-one its back to the costumed interpreter mode explaining what were doing and what various items of equipment are for. After having done the re-enactment thing for over a decade now I m convinced that first-person interpretation should be left to the professionals (Actors). Without a serious theatrical background ( Spanish colonial first person ends up sounding like the frito-banditio) it's incredibly difficult to pull off, my hats off to those who can. Even when done correctly, it always strikes me as a bit absurd to refuse to break character while talking to people in T-shirts and Nikes. As to your question, Do you feel the use of costumed interpreters is declining or increasing? I get ever-more invitations requesting our company s attendance at various timelines museum events throughout the state. Also, I fairly regularly get requests for information on the organizing of a 16th century re-enactment group. So there appears to be interest in the idea. Best compliment I ve every received. While our group of conquistadors were profusely sweating in our armor during one summer a woman asked if we were volunteers. We answered in the affirmative, and she explained that she was a museum director, (somewhere in the Northeast if I m remembering correctly), and she realized you could never pay people to enjoyably suffer as we were. Hope this helps. Sincerely, Timothy T. Burke Calderon s Company, a sixteenth-century New World Garrison -------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====----------------------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet