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In the Swan's Shadow
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Focusing mainly on topics of interest to American Civil War living historians, reenactors, or history buffs in general, this also has a habit of wandering onto seemingly random topics such as my jewelry business and anything else that crosses my mind
Recent Posts Tagged With 'research'
Period Receipts: Tomato Catchup, 1851
This didn't show the way I'd planned on it. Just click on the photo to go to the recipes in their entirety on Google books. *grumble* ...
2009 PCN Gettysburg Batlle Walk Schedule
PCN will air special programming blocks of Gettysburg Battlewalks throughout the Labor Day weekend. Civil War enthusiasts can catch the premiere of the 2009 programs beginning Saturday, September 5 at 2:00 p.m. The Gettysburg Battlewalks serie...
Quickie: Godey's Lady's Book Autumn (?) 1863
Stab in the dark here, but I think this is another autumn fashion plate. I adore the trim on the two dresses on the far right...makes me want to actually try doing that again with ribbon.Course then sanity kicks right back in......
Look what I found!
The Lincoln Assassination papers collection in its entirety is free on Footnote.com. All you have to do is make an account and go to town...that's it!I'll leave you to your squealing inner geek now....
Seventh Annual Reunion of the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry
Tipton photo, ca. 1890s. This is the article from which I got the previous post's excerpt. To get a little background, you may look up their entry in Bates.The survivors of this gallant regiment met on the farm of Ephraim Deardorf, two and a half mi...
More on Daughters of the Regiment
I found this while looking for something completely different, but it's a very interesting piece. What I found was an article pertaining to the seventh (annual) reunion of the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry. I'll put the whole article up as a separ...
New project!
Well, all right. Old project. But I'm taking it in a slightly different direction.I've been asked a couple of times a very interesting question, and I haven't had the real time necessary to pursue it any further. How much *actual* nutrition - i.e....
More photos from my stash...
I really like the pose in this one. I know it's just the fact that the woman's dress is obviously of a light fabric which then shows up in white here, but something about it just makes me think that the dress is more suited to a much younger girl. Da...
Quickie: Harper's Magazine 1860
Now, maybe it's just me, but I think I'd leave the bird at home. This ballgown has some very interesting lines in the bodice however, and the classical style sleeves I'll confess I've never seen on a gown like this before. Also, get a look at her h...
Civil War Letters: William H. Risk, Co. G, 11th PVI
(This is the transcript of one of the letters in the collection of myself and my research partner. William H. Risk was in Company G of the 11th. At the beginning of the war, the 11th was in a three month term of enlistment. Camp Wayne was a traini...
Quickie: Godey's Lady's Book Fashion Plate, 1862
Well, ok. Technically this is half a plate. But NYPL does date it to 1862, and from the looks of things it's for the summer months. I must say that I adore the hats the second and third ladies are wearing, but the only dress I can see myself weari...
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From The Housekeeper's Encyclopedia. Mrs. E. F. Haskell, new edition edited by R. L. Shep. Originally printed New York; D. Appleton and Company, 1861.The Care of Flowers in a DroughtUnless a plant is efficiently and regularly watered, it had better...
Words of Wisdom
Reading through cookery books can give you all sorts of tips that to a degree, can still be used today. At the moment I'm reading The American Frugal Housewife again, and keeping in mind the ongoing project of interpreting a 19th century kitchen, I'...
Quickie: Godey's Lady's Book Fashion Plate, May 1860
Source: NYPL Digital Gallery...
For the Weavers - Martin Overholt's Receipt for Colouring
This is an excerpt from an Overholt's weaving journal, which is in the archive holdings of West Overton. This is presumed to be Martin Overholt's journal until further information tells us otherwise. Approximate date is 1849. Spelling is how I fou...
Smithsonian continued: Lincoln's assasination redux
Somewhat continuing my previous posts about Mary Suratt and Lincoln's assasination, I found these to be particularly fascinating - the hoods worn by the conspirators in prison during their incarceration and trials. The earlier posts telling the stor...
On Bread; Commentary and Treatises from Period Books , part 3
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell. The Good Housekeeper: Or, The Way To Live Well And To Be Well While We Live: Containing Directions For Choosing And Preparing Food, In Regard To Health, Economy And Taste. Boston: Weeks, Jordan, 1839. pp. 19-23.Y...
On Bread; Commentary and Treatises from Period Books , part 2
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell. The Good Housekeeper: Or, The Way To Live Well And To Be Well While We Live: Containing Directions For Choosing And Preparing Food, In Regard To Health, Economy And Taste. Boston: Weeks, Jord...
On Bread; Commentary and Treatises from Period Books
Well, you had to see this coming. In the course of my own research I figured that I would share some of my findings with you. This source is from around 1839, which is when the summer kitchen was initially built at West Overton. It is known that a...
Well, we're getting there...
Well, Saturday saw another day in the kitchen at West Overton, and we got more baking done. We're still having trouble with properly firing the oven, therefore our time available to bake is also varying. As much as I've read about being able to fir...
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Lincoln's Legacy
Villanova University had a conference in February highlighting Lincoln to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth. Happily, many of the presentations given are available on YouTube. These are pretty lengthy, so have a cup (or pot) of coffee wi...
Quickie: Godey's Lady's Book Fashion Plate, March 1862
Godey's Lady's Book, March 1862. From NYPL Digital Gallery. While attending, of all things, a class on medieval calligraphy and illumination, I found out something very interesting that puts these fashion plates in a somewhat different light. Accor...
We are GO! (Seriously, we mean it this time.)
I happened to stop by West Overton on Sunday and talked to both the director and assistant director. The museum board had their meeting, and they have officially approved the baking program. Now we have to make ANOTHER list (there's lots of lists i...
So what's in the markets? March edition
All together now!Excerpted from: The Practical Housekeeper; A Cyclopædia Of Domestic Economy... Comprising Five Thousand Practical Receipts And Maxims. Illustrated With Five Hundred Wood Engravings. Edited by Mrs. Ellet.This ...
Period Receipts: Yeast and the lack thereof
CONFEDERATE RECEIPT BOOK. A COMPILATION OF OVER ONE HUNDRED RECEIPTS, ADAPTED TO THE TIMES.WEST & JOHNSTON, RICHMOND. 1863. G. W. GARY, Printer, 21 Pearl Street. Text scanned (OCR) by Allen VaughnImages scanned by Allen VaughnText encoded by ...
Bread Reciepts: From the cookbook of Mrs. Emily Wharton Sinkler
In searching for more bread receipts I found these in a book called An Antebellum Plantation Household, Including the South Carolina Low Country Receipts and Remedies of Emily Wharton Sinkler. This was published by her descendant Anne Sinkler Whaley...
Quickie: Ladies' Gazette of Fashion, 1860
Ladies Gazette of Fashion, 1860. Image from NYPL Digital Gallery. This is a plate from a British publication, known simply as the Ladies' Gazette of Fashion. Like other fashion magazines of the time it also puts lots of smaller images together to ...
Bread: My new obsession.
Well, we're tentatively go with the baking. Now it's time to put those lists together like we mean it this time, figure out what we need "right now" as opposed to "later on" and "someday", which is not to be confused with "when I or the museum hits ...
Introduction to Civil War Reenacting for Ladies: Interpreting interpretation
Hey look, my hair was falling down and nobody told me! AND they took my picture like that!When it comes to dealing with the general public, what separates a historical interpreter from a scholar or historian aside from dressing in different clothing...
Keep me from the gallow's pole...Mary Surratt and the assassination of Lincoln, part 2
(My sister has written the second part of this article, since this is one of her pet projects. I've lightly edited it for clarity.)Mary Surratt at the time of her arrest, April 1865.Mary Surratt was arrested on the night of April 17, 1865, along wi...
