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Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
In e r
ree r
JULY 1980
VOL. 1 NO. 1
What Did It Cost?
Many's the interpreter who's been put on the
The problems are many, but there is a
spot when a visitor asked the modern equiva-
solution through comparison of prices in the
lent of a colonial price. The conversion of
same era. For example, in the 1740s and ' 50s,
money values from 1750 to 1980 is almost
two dozen sheets of writing paper cost about
impossible; even the most highly qualified
economic historians shy away from direct
conversions. The best way for any of us to
the same as a pound of double refined sugar
handle this question is to hint at the com-
a few pence more than a quart of rum ( one
plexities involved and then compare prices of
shilling threepence). Keep in mind that in
a few eighteenth- century goods.
Giving an up -td -date dollar amount equal
Virginia during this period craftsmen like
to a colonial pound just isn' t feasible. The
shillings sixpence a day, for an annual income
dollar value of a pound sterling today varies
of about £ 100.
greatly from what it was even twenty years
ago. Consider the difference in buying power
craft reports, house histories, and interpre-
between a dollar now and a dollar only five
tive manuals. Harold Gill' s essay, " Prices
years ago. We have a sense ofthe change, but
and Wages in 1750" ( September 29, 1977),
which of us can assign a value?
may also be useful. You' ll find it among your
or dinner and a night' s lodging at a Williamsburg tavern ( one shilling sixpence), and only
blacksmiths
and
carpenters
earned
seven
For prices relevant to your area, consult
Some of us vividly remember 1940. Here' s
an example from a family budget in those
days: about a fourth of the family' s income
in- service training materials from last winter.
The essay puts prices in the context of
earnings and cost of living and also includes
retail prices of some widely available items.
paid for its shelter ( rent or mortgage plus
utilities). Today as much as 35 or 40 percent
of our considerably higher incomes is required
to cover housing costs. This degree of change
came about in only forty years, so imagine
The Interpreter
240 years' difference!
The Interpreter, a bimonthly publication of the
Stop to contemplate how dramatically life
has changed since the eighteenth century.
Department of Interpretive Education, will
include information of importance and inter-
One historian calls the colonial milieu " a
wooden world ": wood for building, wood
fires for heating and cooking, wooden ships.
est to the entire community of interpreters at
Colonial Williamsburg.
Our community is diverse. It consists of
The list goes on. All this seems light - ears
y
Craftspeople, Escorts, Hosts and Hostesses,
away from our steel, concrete, and aluminum
the Company of Colonial Performers, Visitors'
structures, our electricity and atomic energy.
Aides, Desk Attendants, and others in Historic Area Services. Our staff is also large. We
number 350 in the slower seasons and swell
Our value system, too, is very different from
our colonial ancestors'.
What we now con-
sider necessities of life — electric stoves and
to over 500 during the summer months. This
makes us the largest interpretive staff of any
museum in the country.
refrigerators, central heating, gasoline -powered vehicles, and factory-made clothing —
were unthinkable even a hundred years ago
Although we are diverse and large,
The
and certainly were so in the eighteenth
Interpreter will attempt to identify and under-
century.
score all we have in common. What are some
of these similarities? The answers are obvious.
Through our appearances, actions, and words,
Converting colonial prices to modern monev is, as your grade school teacher would
I'
we work diligently to interpret the historical
continued, p. 3)
bably put it, like comparing apples and
Oranges.
1
�on
Townstead" Research
The current " townstead"
residential
sites.
When
the
project is
completed, we will have a much better idea
research project is
of how city folk organized their work and
their space to produce those things they did
not or could not buy in the larger economy of
designed to answer many questions we are
asked daily about family life in eighteenth century Williamsburg. Historian Arthur G.
Barnes is sifting through information from
the town.
diverse sources to piece together a comprehensive
picture
of
the
urban
household
Occurrences
economy.
Asked
to explain the term,
he replied,
Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg this summer
will have a choice of diverting and informa-
The concept of the ' townstead' is perhaps
most easily understood by comparing it with
tive events to attend which rivals those that
the ` homestead,'
greeted
a
term
familiat to
most
people. The homestead in nineteenth- cen-
travelers
to
Virginia' s eighteenth -
century capital.
tury America was `forty acres and a mule,' the
frontier farm that the hardworking pioneer
The two national holidays that bracket the
weeks of summer, the Fourth of July and
wrested from the land. It brings to mind the
image of an independent life style with most,
if not all, necessities of life produced right on
Labor Day, are rousingly celebrated in Williamsburg. Independence Day was marked
by the traditional morning program of military
the farm.
music and drill on
Market Square and a
The townstead is similar in that we are
ceremony at Bruton Parish Church. New this
focusing on a family, its land and buildings,
year was entertainment of the period in the
and
that
gardens of the Governor' s Palace from 6: 00 to
went on within the household. The major
8: 00 P. M., followed by a parade and assembly
difference between the ` townstead' and the
of elements of the Fife and Drum Corps at
homestead' is that the former, being in a
Market Square, a torchlight tattoo, and, the
town or city, was much smaller in area; there-
grand finale, a display of fireworks in the
fore,
nighttime skies above the town. The Labor
the
production
and
consumption
the range of subsistence activities in
which
the
townsteader
could
engage
was
Day weekend will be the occasion for the
much narrower. However, a city resident had
joint encampment of our own Virginia State
neither the need nor the desire to produce his
Garrison Regiment and the visiting First
household' s subsistance requirements on the
Virginia Regiment in the vicinity of the
Capitol. A variety of parades, camp scenes,
drills, and special evening events will mark
townstead itself. Skilled craftsmen, professionals, and other specialists spent their cash
incomes to purchase from others in the town
this occasion.
couldn' t
As in summers past, a Salute to Indepen-
provide for themselves. What we are most
dence celebration will take place on July 25,
interested in achieving with this research is a
the day the people of Williamsburg first
detailed explanation of the types of production and consumption carried out on a typical
heard the
proclaimed.
Williamsburg townstead."
Bames went on to say that much informa-
will have their day on August 22, Monarch' s
Day, when we latter day colonials pay
tion has already been gathered and is in the
homage to America' s last British sovereigns
process of being analyzed. Part of the pro-
with appropriate pomp and ceremony.
those
goods
and
services
they
Declaration of Independence
Those of Loyalist sympathies
ject — examination of the types of buildings
Every day of the summer will also have its
found on urban lots and the uses of those
is being computerized to reveal
special occurrences for visitors to attend and,
if the spirit moves them, participate in.
different townstead types and the uses to
Actors on the street, programs of military
which they were put. Differences in the
music and arts, musical diversions, historical
patterns can be tied to other factors like
dramatizations, presentations of eighteenth -
economic and social status of the family, the
century Afro American culture, and special
evening programs designed both to entertain
buildings —
neighborhood,
and
occupation
of the wage
and instruct are offered daily. Each day' s
earner.
Information is also being collected on
activities are listed in The Visitor' s Companion,
pattems of food production, consumption,
a broadside guide to special events in the
preparation,
Historic Area published daily during the'
and
preservation,
as well
as
on
summer.
the types of crafts most commonly practiced
2
�The Interpreter, continued
the site, we found our visit to the exhibit not
only enjoyable but educational as well. It was
significance of our setting to the millions of
visitors who enter into our lives. Through
experience we have grown to understand our
really exciting to actually see the pottery, the
two close helmets, and the other pieces of
visitors and therefore we are able to interpret
armor that we had been talking about and
explaining for months.
their particular interests and needs. Finally,
we are all members of a much larger museum
The exhibit uses a variety of audiovisual
community. Historians, curators, archaeoloothers are all engaged in projects that are
techniques to complete the story of Wolstenholme Towne and what was found there. Not
only are the artifacts displayed, but an
essential to our efforts.
explanation of archaeological techniques is
gists, librarians, and archivists among many
Twice a year the Research Department
presented, as well as a brief outline of this
the
area' s seventeenth -century history. There is
newsletter reporting at length on studies in
progress. The purpose is to bring you the first
also a vivid presentation of the 1622 Indian
fruits of research— information and interpre-
town and an appropriate end to the exhibit!
tation — which you can use long before the
final reports are finished. We think this is an
This journey into the past can be experienced daily at Explorer's Hall, 17th and M
exciting innovation at CWF —
Streets, N. W., Washington, D. C.
will
prepare
a
special
supplement
to
massacre, which brought an end to the little
the opportun-
ity for our historians to pass on late- breaking
news from the eighteenth century.
The Interpreter will serve as a forum for all
The King' s English
that concerns interpreters and interpretation
at Colonial Williamburg. Not only do we
Eighteenth- century money terms that appear
in interpretation and reading materials may
invite your interpretive ideas, we exist
chiefly to encourage and reflect them. We
hope you will send us your questions,
require some explanation.
Specie— any type of coined metallic money.
suggestions, book reviews, and other infor-
i—
S" mation
relating to
our purpose.
The most common types in colonial Virginia
were Spanish silver Reales ( called dollars),
Spanish gold Pistoles, Portuguese gold
Simply
contact one of the members of the Depart-
ment of Interpretive Education. Lynne
Lochen did. Her contribution follows.
Moeadas ( pronounced mai dares), and Por-
Trip to Explorers' Hall
Who would have thought that it would only
Joes).
tuguese gold Dobras ( called Joes and Half -
Few English coins actually circulated in
Virginia. Even though they did not have
take about an hour to go back in time 350
English coins, Virginians used English de-
years— back to a time when merely existing
was a day -to -day challenge; when famine,
nominations in their record keeping.
disease, and possible Indian attack were the
Pound— English monetary unit, equal to 20
shillings. Symbol: £.
realities of daily life. This journey can be
accomplished by visiting Explorer' s Hall in
Shilling — 1/ 20 of a pound. Symbol: s.
Washington, D. C. There, at the National
Pence — the plural of penny. One penny
Geographic Society headquarters, one can
equals 1/ 12 of a shilling. Symbol: d.
Farthing — 1/ 4 of a penny.
visit the exhibit entitled " Searching for
Another Century."
Recently a group of interpreters from the
Some words in our modern vocabularies
Department of Exhibition Buildings did just
were used quite differently in the eighteenth
century. Consider what the colonists meant
by:
that. The exhibit displays many of the artifacts that were unearthed at Wolstenholme
Towne and its surroundings, just a quarter of
a mile from the Carter' s Grove house.
Electricity — the power of certain bodies to
acquire the property of repelling or attrac-
Since May 1979, visitors to the house have
ting and frequently emitting sparks or
had the added pleasure of a tour down to the
streams of light.
Fabric — the structure or construction of
Wolstenholme Towne site. With the opening
of the National Geographic.Society exhibit in
anything, especially of buildings.
April 1980, visitors can also see the artifacts
j
The word " cloth" was used to describe a
n were found there.
manufacture made of wool, hemp, flax,
As part of the group of people who interpret
cotton. or other fibers woven on a loom.
3
�have brisker trade during court sessions.
Public Times
Harnessmakers and blacksmiths, for example,
Publick Times" has become a catch phrase
probably did more repair jobs than usual.
in both the interpretation and promotion of
Purchases of books and newspaper advertise-
Colonial Williamsburg. To colonists it meant
leads us to believe that we' ve overstated its
ments likely increased. Perhaps some carried
home from Williamsburg luxury items such
as jewelry as presents. Visitors chose Williamsburg craftsmen rather than English ones
importance to eighteenth century store- and
for these because of the time factor— the
only that the General Court or Court of Oyer
and Terminer was in session. Recent research
shopkeepers in Williamsburg. Let' s look at
urgency of repairs, the desire to be up -to -date
the facts.
on literature and public notices, and the wish
Public Times were in April and October
when the General Court met) and again in
to make a timely gift.
It' s important to keep Public Times in
June and December ( sessions of Oyer and
perspective. Four times a year two courts and
Terminer). The Meeting of Merchants usually coincided with court dates. Unfortunately, we have only one reference to the
number of visitors in town during court
the merchants convened, obviously bringing
in
a"
bed- and -board
business"
and some
special trade. However, these weren' t the
only occasions for visits to Williamsburg. The
sessions. The 1765 account of an anonymous
Assembly met for long periods — sometimes
French traveler tells us that the population
for months at a stretch. College professors
increased three- or fourfold. But we can' t
base our interpretation of Public Times
and students,
solely on his estimate for two reasons. First,
1765 may not have been a typical year, given
attending the courts of Admiralty, James City
County, and Hustings, as well as farmers
hauling in goods for market days kept up a
constant coming and going through Williamsburg all year.
the political and economic
militiamen and the governors'
petitioners, " socialites"
furor over the
Stamp Act at that time. Also, we know that
this same traveler is given to exaggeration in
and Indians, those
other descriptions, so we can' t totally trust
what he says about Williamsburg either.
Regardless
of the
exact
size
of crowds,
Questions &
obviously judges, plaintiffs, defendants, wit-
Answers _.
nesses, and merchants, some with families
and servants, were required in Williamsburg
for the courts or at the Meeting of Merchants.
A large and very important part of effective
As Governor Fauquier wrote in 1765, all
interpretation involves answering visitors'
questions. Jane Strauss has been trying to
persons engaged in Business of any kind
find answers to difficult or frequently asked
constantly attend"
the Meetings of Mer-
questions
chants: They came to determine exchange
rates and commodity prices. Merchants' bids
and
offers
for
tobacco
and
some
private
lodging
we
can
give
visitors
information, call her on extension 2449.
What was the population of Williams-
burg on the eve of the Revolution?
therefore establishing price ranges.
and
that
other
commodities reflected supply and demand,
Taverns
so
consistently correct answers. When you want
The total population was 1, 880.
houses
brimmed with out - towners, but shops and
of-
52% black
469 black male
517 black female
stores carried on sales at their usual steady
pace. Harold Gill' s research on storekeeping
in colonial Virginia has shown that Public
Times were not retail booms— which makes
48% white
505 white male
389 white female
Were hogs penned or allowed to roam
free in the streets of Williamsburg?
The law stated that they had to be penned,
sense if you stop to consider that
wealthy planters sending tobacco to an
but researchers have not found hogs listed in
English agent used their credit by
ordering goods from him to avoid
inventories of persons definitely identified as
Williamsburg residents.
American merchants' markups, and
less affluent farmers and
couldn' t afford
Editor: Barbara Beaman
frontiersmen
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
Editorial Board.. Bill Tramposch, George Collins, Jim
to transport staples and
tools to the Valley and beyond; they
Rubley, Jane Strauss, Dennis O' Toole, and Shomei )
Zwelling.
bought from their local stores.
But some Williamsburg businesses did
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 1, number 1, July, 1980
Description
An account of the resource
What Did It Cost? -- The Interpreter -- “Townstead” Research -- Occurrences -- The King’s English -- Public Times -- Questions & Answers
-
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a68ebbfafcc099cb742bd50c4979ae71
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
re e r
1 n er
VOL. 1 NO. 2
SEPTEMBER 1980
18th- century Clothing:
Searching the Records
We asked Linda Baumgarten, curator of textiles,
we never put on, but in the winter season."
to provide some answers to questions interpreters
Although contemporary accounts make it
ask about clothing in colonial Virginia.
The clothing worn by eighteenth- century
clear that some Williamsburg residents and
wealthy planters kept abreast of London
Virginians is of great interest to visitors and
fashion, it is much more difficult to answer
staff members alike. Because it was such an
the frequently asked question, How many
garments were owned by the " average"
colonist? A study of York County inventories
offers only limited insight into the number
owned. Clothing was frequently given away
or willed. Some inventories do not list any
clothing; others contain the frustrating entry,
intimate part of daily life and something that
everyone owned, clothing can tell us much
about attitudes toward fashion and personal
appearance.
More than one eighteenth- century visitor
to the southern colonies reported that many
residents here wore clothing comparable to
English fashions of the day. William Eddis,
who lived in Annapolis in the early 1770s,
continued, p. 2)
wrote back to England, " I am almost inclined
The Exchange
to believe that a new fashion is adopted
earlier by the polished and affluent American, than by many opulent persons in the
Gary Brumfield, master gunsmith, contributed
great metropolis."
these remarks about our article " What Did It
This opinion was shared
by the Reverend Jonathan Boucher, who
Cost! ":
wrote to a friend, " I assure you Mrs. James,
the common Planter' s Daughters here go
As the basis for our winter training, we
used the sentence " The wages of journey-
every Day in finer Cloaths than I have seen
content you for a Summer' s Sunday ... Nay,
men craftsmen in Virginia ranged from £27 to
so much does their Taste run after dress that
from Mr. Gill' s essay. The article in the
they tell me I may see in Virginia more bril-
recent Interpreter used a different phrase,
carAnother observer commented that...
35 per year with an average of about £ 30"
liant Assemblies than I ever c' d in the North
of Engl' d, and except Royal Ones, p' rhaps in
any Part of it."
Clothing was obtained from a variety of
penters and blacksmiths earned 7 shillings 6
sources.
were imported readymade; still other pieces
documentation, but they are for two completely different circumstances. The former
is the actual salary earned by craftsmen,
while the latter is the cost of a day' s work. A
were made in Virginia by tailors, seam-
simple
stresses, staymakers, and milliners
materials imported or woven here.
difference between an auto mechanic' s wage
and what the garage charges for the work.
Some
measure in
garments
London;
were
made
pence a day ( about £ 100 a year)."
Both these figures are based on original
to
other items such as
shoes, gloves, stays, petticoats, and stockings
using
modern
comparison would be
the
Home production of clothing was more
I feel that for most cost - earnings comto-
often the norm in the isolated rural areas than
parisons we should stick to the £ 30 a year
it
The Reverend
wage for a journeyman craftsman. Ideally,
Devereux Jarratt wrote about his youthful
was in
Williamsburg.
interpreters should be familiar with all the
years in New Kent County, " Our raiment
Iwas altogether my mother' s manufacture,
information in the essay " Prices and Wages
in
1750" and be able to call
knowledge whenever needed.
axcept for hats and shoes, the latter of which
1
upon
the
�the inventory was taken. The widow of
It is probably safe to say that wardrobes were
not as large as those owned by most
twentieth -century Americans. In an era when
fashion' s silhouette changed more slowly
Thomas Bennet did just that in 1750; the
inventors- takers noted that she held back
than today, clothing was worn and skillfully
mended for years, remodeled when neces-
some money,
sary, and handed down to the next genera-
Clothing, continued
a parcel of wearing cloathes." Sometimes
the widow or widower held items back when
several
pairs of sheets,
the
tion or to servants. Aside from personal varia-
table linens, and all her husband' s clothes.
Even more critical to our attempt to arrive
tions, one' s clothing generally reflected social
at an " average" is the factor of choice. The
status. This was indicated by the elegance of
materials and trimmings more than by the cut
proportion of income spent on clothing was as
much a personal decision in the past as it is
of the costume. A woman of the upper class
might own
today. This can be illustrated by two
inventories. John Parkin died in 1745,
more
gowns of imported silk
damask, Indian cotton chintz, or the finest
English printed calico; a less affluent woman
leaving an estate of £52. 6. 6. For one with a
rather
might wear Virginia cotton or the cheaper
elegant clothing, including a damask waistcoat and a silk damask banyan ( a long infor-
grades of imported fabric — woolen, coarse
mal garment worn by men). He also owned
might wear suits of silk or " superfine" broad-
modest personal estate,
he owned
calico, or linen. A man of the upper class
cloth ( woolen) with a shirt of fine
3 coats, 10 jackets, a waistcoat, 9 pairs of
breeches, 11 shirts, 4 pairs of shoes, a pair of
boots, 9 caps, a hat, 9 pairs of hose, a nightgown, and 3 wigs. William Brookes left an
estate of comparable value, £ 50. 0. 7, yet he
owned fewer and less elegant clothes.
craftsmen
might wear suits
cloth or buckskin
linen;
of coarse woolen
breeches with a shirt of
checks or coarse linen called " Oznaburg."
The film " Colonial Clothing, 1760 - 1770,"
screened periodically at the Information Cen-
Brookes' s inventory lists 3 coats, 3 waist-
ter,
coats, 2 pairs of breeches,
2 shirts ( one
clothing customs in the eighteenth century.
unmade), a pair of boots, a pair of stockings,
Mildred Lanier, former curator of textiles, is
2 hats, 2 wigs, and a great coat. Some men
owned only one or two suits of clothes;
others, like Governor Botetourt, can only be
described as " clothes horses." The Governor
owned numerous suits of clothes, including
preparing a book on this subject.
62 shirts and 152 pairs of stockings!
answers
some
of
our
questions
about
Textiles — Homemade and
A woman' s clothing was considered the
property of her husband during his lifetime
Imported
and became hers only upon his death. Thus
her clothing was worn out or disposed of
One of the realities of life in colonial Virginia
was dependence upon England and the
before her death, the record of her wardrobe
Continent for the majority of manufactured
would be lost to us. Among the York County
records only six women' s inventories between
goods, especially textiles. While we may
1745 and 1760 specifically enumerate cloth-
sufficient, most couldn' t manufacture profit-
ing. Of them the number of gowns ( that is,
ably— despite their many slaves and ser-
dresses) ranges from three to over a dozen,
vants— any significant part of the cloth
needed for attire and household use. Virginia
if she died before her husband, or if most of
think of successful tobacco
but one can hardly generalize from a sample
of six! Our only record of Mrs. Peyton
Randolph' s clothing exists in her will in
which she
cloths"
to
self -
planters sent hogsheads of tobacco by the
her " wearing
thousands to England and in return received
shipload after shipload of English and Euro-
Elizabeth Harrison.
pean goods, among which were many bolts of
bequeathed all
her niece,
planters as
Mary Willing Byrd of Westover likewise
textiles — fine and coarse, dear and cheap.
bequeathed to her maid " such of my wearing
French, German, and Dutch cloth all came to
apparel as my children may think proper for
the colonies by way of English port cities.
her to have." Unfortunately, neither woman
itemized the clothing mentioned in the wills.
What can we say about wearing apparel
For townspeople the situation was one of
still stronger reliance on imports. We see
evidence of this for Williamsburg in the small
number of eighteenth -century American tex-
and its importance in the eighteenth century?
2
�Occurrences
tiles on exhibit, as well as in surviving
descriptions of clothing and interior uses of
textiles by residents.
In
the
second
half
of
the
Many of you have been reading Cynthia
Long' s sprightly and informative Garden
eighteenth
century, cloth production workers in England
Journal, which she was written and distributed
and Europe were divided into groups per-
for posting on sundry Historic Area bulletin
forming special tasks. The division of labor
boards each month since April.
brought about a degree of efficiency that
hostess in Exhibition Buildings, surveys the
meant the finished products could be sold at
gardens in the Historic Area, does her own
good prices. In this period American labor
research,
was both scarce and expensive, so excellent
even
quality fabrics could be imported more
cheaply than made at home.
cheery, descriptive writing style is fun to
read, and it' s reassuring to know that you can
Recent research has proved that textiles
quote the Garden Journal with confidence:
made
up
the
most
numerous
category
writes and- types
includes
graphic
the
Cynthia, a
articles,
illustrations.
and
Her
Cynthia has a degree in biology from San
of
the largest portion of the mer-
Diego State University, has taught high
chant' s investment) in eighteenth -century
school biology, and is an enthusiastic amateur
stores that sold imported goons exclusively.
gardener.
stock ( and
Whether you have the opportunity to share
This is true for Virginia, as well as for Boston
your newly acquired horticultural information
and Philadelphia.
Yardgoods were valued highly enough to
with guests, or simply enjoy your walks more
be given as legacies in wills. Estate inventor-
because you like to know something. about
the plant life you see, Cynthia has made it
ies enumerate yard after yard of sheeting,
easier and more fun with the Garden Journal.
bedticking, and other materials, including
even " motheaten" and " damnify' d" pieces
and small
If the Garden Journal does not appear on
bulletin boards near you, give Barb Beaman a
call ( extension 2387) and she' ll see that you
remnants.
Not until the 1760s and ' 70s did Virginians
become proud of their local product. The
importation boycotts of 1764, 1765, and
get copies.
Have you been by the Print Shop and
Book Bindery lately? Interesting things are
happening there. Paste paper, a common
1769 made it every patriot' s duty to wear
a.
cloth
of
American
manufacture.
In
1769
means ( unlike marbleing) of putting decorative designs into paper is being experimented
with at the bindery. Mark Howell did the
nearly a hundred ladies appeared at a ball at
the Capitol in homespun gowns. The wearing
of Virginia cloth ( any textile made in the
colony regardless of fiber), was applauded as
preferable ...
to foreign frippery and nonsense"
initial research on this project. New editions
of the Virginia Gazette are being printed in the
and as a " Badge and Distinction of
Respect, &
press room now, and some books, such as
true Patriotism."
Every Man His Own Doctor, or, The Poor
During the French and Indian War, the
English textile industry went into recession, a
Planter's Physician, will go to press in early
situation that worsened with the American
want interpreters to give them
boycotts.
workers to immigrate to the colonies, some-
arrange to see a demonstration of the paste
paper process as fresh copies of the Virginia
times as indentured servants. The arrival of
Gazette or some popular eighteenth- century
significant
title come off the press.
Unemployment
numbers
forced
of skilled
December. Mike Kipps and his colleagues
skilled
workers
made
American factories possible. One of them was
November 8 - 11
should
be
a call and
memorable
established in Williamsburg on Capitol
Landing Road on the north side of Queen' s
Creek. Supported by quarterly payments
days in Williamsburg. Our first Colonial Fair
from such prominent citizens as Robert Carter
the Company of Colonial Performers are
Nicholas and John Blair, the Manufactory
preparing four busy days of craft goods
advertised for a manager, several weavers and
retailing,
spinners,
comber, and flax hatcheler. The factory
bought raw cotton, hemp, wool, and flax and
ment, and other happenings. They aim to re- create the busy and festive atmosphere fairs
had in colonial Williamsburg. It will be a full
sold finished cloth from 1776 until at Least
schedule
1784.
people — and you — won' t want to miss.
Days will be held then on and about Market
Square. The Craft Shops Department and
at least ten apprentices, a wool
3
games,
of
competitions,
events
that
entertain-
visitors,
towns-
�The Other Half:
Questions &
Answers
4 book review by Kevin Kelly
The study of women in history is a fairly
What did the term " tithable" mean in the
recent event, yet a standard interpretation
eighteenth century?
has already evolved. It holds that the indus-
It was a noun applied to those people who
trialization of the nineteenth century robbed
were subject to the payment of taxes to
women of their economic importance within
county, parish, or colony. All income pro-
households, causing a decline in their status.
ducers — males
Such an interpretation tends to cast the eigh-
females of the same age except white
teenth century as a " golden age" for women.
It is just this notion that Mary Beth Norton
challenges in Liberty' s Daughters: The Revolu-
Did all women wear hoops in the eigh-
1980).
Instead
of
and
older
and
women — were tithables.
teenth century?
The fashion for hoops ebbed and flowed
tionary Experience of American Women, 17501800 ( Boston,
sixteen
sexual
during the eighteenth century as subtle
equality within the household, she argues
changes occurred in the fashionable sil-
that eighteenth- century women were thought
inferior to men, and that women shared this
houette. It is possible to see in the same
painting a lady wearing side hoops next to
low opinion oftheir own worth. Only the Revo-
one without them. Exceptionally wide,
lution changed this situation.
exaggerated
To prove her point, Norton first examines
hoops were worn at various
times for very dressy occasions and for
the major roles — household mistress, wife,
court wear, which
and mother — that defined women' s positions
and traditional. Women who did physical
in the mid -eighteenth century. She finds that
housekeeping was universally disliked. Mar-
although they might own a gown that called
was
more conservative
labor would not wear hoops while working,
riage marked a great change for most eigh-
for some kind of hoops for dressy occa-
teenth- century women, but Norton believes it
sions. Not all women wore hoops all the
was simply a move from one dependency to
time; whether they were worn depended
another.
on fashion, economics, the occasion, and
If housework was unsatisfying and marriage
personal choice.
only a little less so, most eighteenth- century
women gained greater pleasure from mother-
hood. Nevertheless, it is Norton' s conclusion
The King' s English
that only when an eighteenth- century woman
became a widow did she realize any real
Broadcloth — a woolen fabric fulled after
autonomy.
Revolution
weaving to shrink it. Then it was napped
worked three important changes for women.
First, it politicized domestic activities. Sec-
According
to
Norton,
the
and shorn to produce a velvety surface and
used for fine men' s suits and so forth.
ond, the long absences of husbands, away in
Calash — a large folding lady' s hat. It was
the army or at congress, forced both sexes to
accept women' s financial decisionmaking.
Finally, the growing cult of republicanism
built with arches of cane covered with silk.
This is the kind of hat John Fry bought in
Williamsburg for his wife in The Story of a
Patriot.)
stressed the mother' s role as educator. This led
directly to the improvement of education of
Castor— a hat made of beaver felt.
women.
Cudgel— a crude, heavy walking stick.
Three cornered hat — a turned up or " cock"
Mary Beth Norton dispels the romantic
hat. The term "
before 1800.
notion that women experienced a golden age
in the eighteenth century. But this book does
not completely disprove the negative impact
tricorne"
wasn' t used
industrialization had on women. On balance,
this is a valuable and important work. It
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
clearly recognizes regional as
Editor: Barbara Beaman
ment of Interpretive Education.
well as racial
differences upon the experiences of women.
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
But more importantly, the author allows
EditorialBoard: Bill Tramposch, George Collins, Dennis
eighteenth- century
women
to
speak
O' Toole, Jim Rubley, Jane Strauss, and Shomer
Zwelling.
for
themselves.
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 1, number 2, September, 1980
Description
An account of the resource
18th-century Clothing: Searching the Records -- The Exchange -- Textiles: Homemade and Imported -- Occurrences -- The Other Half: A book review -- Questions & Answers --The King’s English
-
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8336c7e3047ba238d5aa6f99df65ee87
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
In e r
re e r
VOL. 1 NO. 3
NOVEMBER 1980
Why Historians Disagree
When historians get together, they agree on
came to Virginia during the seventeenth cen-
one thing: historians are a cantankerous lot. It
wasn' t always this way. There was a day — as
recently as the early twentieth century —
tury acquired for himself, if he paid his own
way, or for the person who did his passage, a
right called a headright– fifty acres of land per
when history was a field for gentlemen only.
immigrant– Craven began the tedious chore
Institutions like the Virginia Historical Soci-
of tabulating headrights claimed in land pa-
ety, the Boston Athenaeum, and the American Antiquarian Society were places where a
tents for each year from 1635 to 1700. After a
select group of gentlemen gathered in comfort
evidence, Craven announced that of a total of
to discuss the genteel lives of their august
forebears.
few cautious words about the accuracy of the
Now historians from around the country
82, 000 headrights claimed during the 65- year
period, approximately 47, 000 fell in the quarter-century after 1650. In other words, some
meet at annual conventions in large, imper-
82, 000 persons emigrated to Virginia during
sonal hotels in Chicago, New York, Washing-
this period, and better than half of them came
ton, and Atlanta to present papers and quarrel
to the colony during the years 1650 - 1675.
about evidence, methodologies, and interpre-
tations. It' s usually done with a lot of good
humor, but it' s deadly serious business in
The only problem with Craven' s solution
was that Edmund Morgan, professor of history
at Yale University, didn' t buy it. In a lengthy
which reputations and egos fluctuate like the
review article entitled " Headrights and Head
stockmarket. Historians accept these dis-
Counts" in the July 1972 issue of the Virginia
Magazine of History and Biography, Morgan
agreements as part of the trade. Some actually
relish a healthy jostle. That' s why they refer to
took apart his colleague' s argument. Most tel-
themselves as a cantankerous bunch.
lingly,
It would be easy to dismiss these disputes
by claiming that some historians are fastidious
shrewd Virginians, anticipating that land val-
in their research and others are careless (which
habit of accumulating, but not necessarily
cashing in, headrights. In other words, head -
Morgan
demonstrated
that
some
ues would someday increase, developed the
is sometimes true), but that' s not always the
rights — some of which were fabricated — tell
case. Some of the most fascinating disagreements take place between top- notch, well -
us more about land speculation than about
immigration. Indeed, Morgan indicated that
disciplined historians. A look at a few of these
imbroglios might explain why you sometimes
get contradictory messages in the books you
the years 1650 - 1675 were a time of feverish
read and the classes you attend.
number of headrights claimed in land patents
landgrabbing by Virginians. Thus the large
Let' s begin with a couple of examples deal-
has more to do with speculators cashing in
ing with the evidence and its use.
their accumulated headrights than immigrants
About ten years ago Wesley Frank Craven,
professor at Princeton University, came out
coming to Virginia. Morgan forwarded a copy
with a book entitled White, Redand Black: The
colleague' s hypothesis was " persuasively ar-
Seventeenth- Century Virginian. In his first chap-
gued, but I am not persuaded."
of his article to Craven, who replied that his
ter Craven attempted to unravel one of the
Sometimes the problem is not so much the
thorniest problems in early Virginia history:
how many people emigrated to the colony
historian' s reading of the evidence as the fact
that the evidence is contradictory. In an article
during the first century of settlement? Be-
entitled " A Divided Prism: Two Sources of
cause no one took an official tally at the time,
Black Testimony on Slavery" appearing in the
r -Craven had to come up with an ingenious
eolution. Recalling that every person who
August 1980 issue of the Journal of Southern
continued, page 2)
1
�Historians, continued
claims that concem with endangered liberties
History, Professor David Thomas Bailey has
underlined such a problem. Noting long-
propelled the colonists into revolution. Amer-
standing disputes on slave treatment and con-
icans went to war because they believed Eng-
ditions, Bailey has observed that the evidence
lish policy was jeopardizing their rights as En-
itself yields conflicting information. In his article Bailey deals with two so- called " black"
glishmen. Whether those beliefs were valid or
irrational is another matter.
sources: ( 1) book length autobiographies and
During the past ten years, the neo -Whig
2) oral interviews collected between 1936
school has been under increasing attack by a
group of historians who claim that economic
and 1938 by the Federal Writers Project. In
comparing these sources Bailey rums up some
interesting differences. For example, 75 per-
interest underlay the decision to go to war. In
the July 1980 issue of the William and Mary
cent of the interviewees were bom between
Quarterly, Marc Egnal of York University of-
1840 and 1859, while 50 percent of the auto-
fers a refined version of the economic interpretation. Egnal claims that during the period
1740 - 1775 two rather distinct but informal
biographers were bom between
1800 and
1819. Again, 50 percent of the autobiographers were between 20 and 50 years old when
parties emerged in Virginia. One group, living
they wrote their memoirs, while at least 92
on the frontier and along the Potomac, con-
percent of the interviewees were at least 75
sisted of aggressive expansionists who enter-
tained dreams of a prosperous and sovereign
years old when they gave their recollections.
Finally, 59 percent of the autobiographers
America. The other group — the non- expan-
lived for a time in the Upper South, while only
14. 5 percent of the interviewees recalled liv-
sionists — lived away from the frontier and the
Potomac. They were generally cautious, re-
ing in these states. In other words, autobiog-
luctant to take up arms against the French and
raphers remembered at an earlier point in
their lives an earlier phase in the development
Indians, and disinclined to undertake radical
measures to revive Virginia's economy during
the Seven Years' War. Both factions were
of slavery in a different section of the South
headed by upper - lass gentlemen, but in the
c
than the interviewees.
Not surprisingly their impressions differed.
end the economically ambitious expansionists
Generally, autobiographers considered the
system far harsherthan the interviewees who,
carried the day.
as a rule, were interviewed by whites. Histo-
arguments the answer doesn' t come simply.
rians who use these sources without being
aware of the contradictions in the evidence
Whoever is able to marshal the evidence most
and
another historian from another school again
the
Who is right? When it comes to interpretive
effectively will be most persuasive ...
reasons for those contradictions,
re -orders
Bailey implies, proceed at their own risk.
the
evidence,
discovers
until
new
sources, or develops another methodology.
Not all sources of dispute lie in the evi-
dence. Just as frequently historians enter into
For interpreters, these disagreements pre-
caustic debates over interpretation. According
to one contemporary historian, there are at
least eight models of interpretation currently
in use. Some of them are familiar — Whig,
sent a problem and an opportunity. The problem consists of the fact that visitors asking
Conservative, Marxist. Others sound posi-
that in responding to the simplest of inquiries
tively theological in orientation — Tumerian,
interpreters are able to demonstrate the pro-
Millerian, and Tocquevillian. Depending on
which model a historian employs, his or her
cesses and techniques of still another craft that
interpretation of a specific event will differ.
historian' s craft. Of course, a willingness to
simple, straightforward questions expect an-
swers in kind. The opportunity lies in the fact
is practiced in Colonial Williamsburg — the
and heated interpretive controversies deals
with the causes of the American Revolution.
inform visitors about the " art and mystery" of
the historian' s craft while answering an unambiguous, factual question will challenge the
From the 1950s to the late ' 60s the most popu-
most experienced
lar interpretation was the neo -Whig viewpoint. Bernard Bailyn' s book, The Ideological
Origins oftheAlmmican Revolution, published in
1967, is a model of this school. In brief, Bailyn
again, has anyone recently asked you to ex-
For example, one of the most prolonged
of teachers.
But,
then
plain why the sky is blue? Good teaching, in
short, challenges and stretches both the student and the teacher.
2
�Questions
8Zi
Occurrences
Answers
Was there a church for blacks in eigh-
The holiday season will soon be upon us.
Colonial Williamsburg, as is its custom, is pre-
teenth- century Williamsburg?
Before the late eighteenth century, numer-
paring to make it a festive one. Here are some
ous references indicate that some slaves at-
dates and events to remember:
tended services in Anglican churches. By
1780s and ' 90s blacks who became
Thursday, November 27— Thanksgiving. Feasting in the taverns and other restau-
church members joined white congrega-
rants is scheduled this holiday. All exhibition
the
tions ( mostly Baptist and Methodist) under
buildings and most craft shops will be open
white leadership. They sat together and
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this weekend. Evening programs include " A Capitol
had no voice in congregational affairs.
About 1776 two itinerant black preachers,
Evening"
and Palace concerts Thursday
Gowan Pamphlet and Moses, were holding
informal meetings where they preached in
defiance of Baptist leadership which had
forbidden blacks to preach. Beginning at
Green Spring, according to tradition, and
moving on to Williamsburg, Pamphlet continued to preach. He eventually — probably after 1780 — formed an organized
mas Previews, a new holiday series, begins
church with about 330 baptized followers.
Pamphlet' s Negro Baptist Church was one
of the first all -black congregations in the
teriors of exhibition homes, shops, and public
country. Since so few free blacks lived in
and around Williamsburg, we must assume
the season, a- orkshop on Christmas tree decw
orations ( another will be held Friday), and a
that the bulk of the members were slaves
a
night, an eighteenth -century dinner and play
and Capitol concerts Friday night, and " A
nighttime rehearsal performance of Handel' s
and that they were allowed to attend ser-
Messiah" at Bruton Parish Church. Tuesday
will feature " Preparing Feasts," a chance to
tour the commissary and sample some of its
goodies ( Thursday and Saturday, too). Wed-
Night at the Palace" Saturday night. The traditional Thanksgiving militia review takes
place Saturday at 10: 00 A. m.
Monday, December 8 – A week ofChrist-
q9
this day with the start of decorating the inbuildings, the opening of AARFAC' s Christ-
mas exhibit, the opening of Carter' s Grove for
vices. The Negro Baptist Church went out
of existence in the nineteenth century to be
revived later as the First Baptist Church.
Where were blacks buried in eighteenth -
nesday has a Christmas decorations lecture and
century Williamsburg?
demonstration ( repeated Saturday). Thursday
We do not have enough information as yet
decorating the exteriors of the town' s build-
to be able to say where slaves ( in town or on
ings begins, and visitors get a chance to help
plantations) or free blacks were buried.
trim the tree and deck the halls at Carter's
Grove. Saturday Tricorn Hat tours begin.
Sunday, December 14 –Grand Illumi-
Was there a school for black children in
eighteenth century Williamsburg?
Sons of free blacks could be bound as apprentices in the same way as white children.
nation. The Christmas season at Colonial
Williamsburg swings into high gear with a fire-
Those who worked for the religious con-
works display, singing and merry- making
version
of blacks
enough
education
isted in his parish. Nothing whatever is
around bonfires, and hot cider swilling this
night. Then follows two and a half weeks of
special programs in the hotels, restaurants,
and historic area. All exhibition buildings and
most shops will be open Christmas week, De-
known about them — they may have been
cember 26– December 31.
sought
to
to
give
comprehend
them
simple
religious training. Commissary Dawson
wrote in 1750 that three Negro schools ex-
Get ready to make the most of it. Who
no more than occasional catechism classes.
knows, it might even snow!
The English philanthropic group known as
Dr. Bray' s Associates operated a school for
blacks in Williamsburg from 1760 to 1774.
Questions, continued
was
There were about 30 pupils at any given
the
teacher;
the
0,
school
was
adminis-
tered by local trustees of Dr. Bray' s Asso-
time, mostly slaves of Williamsburg residents ( planters expressed hostility toward
educating their slaves). A few of the stu-
ciates. Upon Mrs. Wager' s death the school
closed. ( See Tate, The Negro in Eighteenth -
dents were free blacks. Mrs. Anne Wager
Century Williamsburg, for details.)
3
3
�Literacy In Colonial Virginia
man' s Companion, The Whole Duty ofMan, and " Th
the Virginia Almanacks were printed in town; J
One of our most difficult interpretive ques-
tions to answer concerns literacy in eighteenth- century Virginia. None of the surviving colonial documents directly addresses the
and many other titles were sold at the printing
office. Bibles weren' t printed here, but Mike
question, but a look at several different kinds
Kipps, master printer, says it appears that they
of evidence will give us a hint, at least.
Harold Gill, historian in the Research De-
were repaired and rebound more than any
partment,
examined
witnesses'
other title according to Print Shop records.
How should we respond to guests who ask if
signatures
pictures on our shop signs indicate that the
colonists were largely illiterate? Sign boards
and marks in York County deed and inventory
books from the middle of the eighteenth cen-
tury. Mr. Gill believes witnesses are a some-
and symbols on shops and stores in the eigh-
what more representative sample of the popu-
teenth century were probably for advertising
as well as identification, just as they are today
lation than, say, persons conveying property.
Land ownership implies affluence and the
in our age of " logos."
Considering the educational opportunities
possibility of educational advantages. Working with what he admits is a " simple minded"
definition of literacy — the ability to write
available and the history of the business of
printing, Mr. Gill' s figures on literacy
one' s own name — Mr. Gill found that the
shouldn' t surprise us. People with at least ba-
overwhelming majority, 89. 3 percent ( 93. 8
sic educations were probably not from all
percent of males and 53. 9 percent of females),
of his almost 400 witnesses wrote their names,
walks of life — not all women, not all servants,
only a few (10. 7 percent) using a mark.
chances are most tradesmen, farmers, and of
and probably few slaves could read — but
course the gentry were literate.
Letters, newspapers, account books, and
the like tell us of private tutors employed on
Virginia plantations and of the several schoolmasters who operated schools and advertised
The King' s English
their services. Matty' s Free School opened in
Williamsburg in 1705 with an endowment
from the Whaley family to educate poor chil-
Fortnight —
fourteen nights or two weeks.
Fowling piece — a smooth -bore long gun
that shoots shot; usually used to hunt fowl
dren. The Indian School at the College, an
effort to teach Indian boys reading and religion, was supported by the estate of English
physicist Robert Boyle. Mrs. Anne Wager
or birds.
Gesso —a preparation of glue and inert white
taught in the Negro school established by Dr.
powder such as gypsum or chalk used as a
Bray's Associates from 1760 until 1774, but
priming or grounding material onto which
either paint or metal leaf was applied.
each student' s opportunity to attend her clas-
Japanning —the art of decorating wood or
metal with a variety of coatings intended to
ses was limited to just a few years.
County and parish officials were responsible for the literary and vocational education of
imitate Oriental designs. Metal pieces may
have a dark brown black color produced by
orphans from 1705, and later legislation attempted to provide the same benefits to poor,
neglected, and illegitimate children. The
baking and hardening in ovens. On wood, a
plasterlike material called gesso could be
used to produce a raised design which was
laws were aimed at taking care of children and
insuring that they would be productive and
then gilded. Both techniques produced ob-
literate adults.
jects with a highly polished appearance, often in bright colors.
Primers often appear in colonial store ac-
Public vendue —auction.
Sempstress— seamstress.
counts, orders to London agents, and store
and shop advertisements. First readers were
inexpensive and readily available in eigh-
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
teenth- century Virginia. Williamsburg sup-
ment of Interpretive Education.
ported newspapers, and books were printed
Editor: Barbara Beaman
here. The Virginia Gazette had a wide circula-
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, George
tion, and we assume the papers were passed
Collins,
Dennis O' Toole, Jim Rubley, Jane Strauss, and .
among friends and neighbors. Books such as
ShomerZwelling.
The An of Cookery or the Accomplished Gentlewo4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 1, number 3, November, 1980
Description
An account of the resource
Why Historians Disagree -- Questions & Answers -- Occurrences -- Literacy in Colonial Virginia -- The King’s English
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/5b816be70a84073474eac5fc43998eec.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=CNAhIMlGjs-DhM%7EA4vLpIEkQtdg5fjiQEAz4g3sJuUG2wc3vddhKl8eFyAXRoRfSpD4%7Eo0XmKtF8NDEe5O6gwk49qI7WPCo76zSGx380WohpBvRXm0Fr-nvYejOtFsvjn-ab0wr3RlMWBlDgsSqfV70AkPgBlBBJbyaxngua32jyNDNzywTA1U%7EY72xvShn4uYe8fZ7-zDqCSTTw062RwohmnSAGc1LByNq7XJCz5unLwxwiRSHu5DC8qS8CbhHvnrUZxI1-E5ClgEiJGrevHunsYZTvkOmIFua0nQsQbNATNgCU9Y7qN6tfRBRTP1IGNc92hp11O4tsNnHi%7E5sEeA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
e1c555995545a2561d3c7f3bfe20beb8
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
interpreter
VOL. 2 NO. 1
JANUARY 1981
Curators, Dukes, and Lords
Graham Hood, curator of collections, talked with
Lou Powers about his research on Lord Botetourt
and the Palace.
LP: Many of us have heard that you went to
England .this summer on a research trip concerning Lord Botetourt and the refurnishing
of the Palace. What exactly were you looking
for? How did you know where to look?
GH: I knew where to begin my research because there are copies of eighteenth century
letters here in the research department that
the duchess.
When Botetoutt wrote his will, not having
any legitimate offspring, he left most of his
estate to his sister's family. His principal heir
was his nephew who, by the time of the gover-
nor' s death, was the fifth duke. Eventually
these papers got put in the muniment room at
Badminton, and that' s where this English historian found them, so that' s where I went
looking.
LP: You said " legitimate" offspring? Were
were provided to us in the 1960s by Bryan
there illegitimate ones?
Little, an English historian who was interested in the English career of Lord Botetourt.
His article on that subject appeared in the
GH: Apparently Botetourt had a natural son
and left him an annuity. This son and he
continued, page 2)
Virginia Magazine of History and Biography,
LXIII ( 1955).
He came across these letters
from Williamsburg written in 1770 and 1771,
as well as a copy of the Palace inventory, in the
The Exchange
muniment room at Badminton while he was
working on that article. (A muniment room is a
The editors of The Interpreter are delighted
storage area for family records.) He kindly
with the many exchanges that have occurred
copied the letters for us and sent them over.
as a result of this publication. Numerous in-
We were not really interested in the inventory
terpreters have suggested future topics, while
others have asked specific historical questions
at that time, since the Palace exhibit wasn' t
being reworked then and we already had a
that need to be answered in forthcoming is-
copy.
sues of either The Interpreter or Questions and
So, thanks to Mr. Little, I knew that I
Answers. We will continue to respond to these
wanted to begin my work at Badminton in
suggestions and questions, because that is
Gloucestershire, home of the duke of Beau-
why these periodicals exist. Recently, Mark
fort. I corresponded with the duke ( mainly
through his secretary) and received permis-
Pepper of the Windmill offered the following
extension of Shomer Zwelling' s observations
sion to study them and was told that the business papers had been loaned to the Glouces-
preter, Vol. 1, No. 3, November). Mark' s com-
tershire County Record Office. The personal
about " Why Historians Disagree" ( The Inter-
and private materials are still at Badminton.
ments address the problem of accuracy in
historical documents: " It is often hard to rec-
LP: What' s the connection between Bote-
ognize useful and accurate information. For
tourt and Badminton? Why were the Palace
materials in an English country house?
instance, the Royal Society in England sent
GH: Botetourt' s only sibling, a sister, mar-
Thomas Glover in the late seventeenth century to send back scientific observations in
ried the younger brother of the third duke of
Virginia. Mr. Glover completed his study and
Beaufort (whose family seat was Badminton).
The third duke died childless. His younger
Jbrother, Botetourt' s brother -in -law, became
the fourth duke, so Botetourt' s sister became
published it with high recommendations from
the Royal Sociery. In it is a brilliant piece on
tobacco cultivation and
preparation....
Al-
continued, page 4)
�Why didn' t you say so in the first place ?"
Badminton, continued
they asked. A little cabinet stands right in the
middle of the floor in the muniment room.
Down at the bottom of the cabinet there' s a
corresponded and seemed to have had an af-
fectionate relationship. I' m not quite sure
what the protocol of the day was, but I suspect
everything.
little drawer only a few inches deep labelled
Interesting Things."
LP: Besides the inventory, what other sorts
of information were you looking for?
LP: Since we already had a copy of the 1770
GH: I was really going through and looking
inventory, why were you so keen on seeing
for everything relating to Botetoun from, say,
the one in England?
GH: We have a Virginia version that sur-
edge that he was coming to Virginia, and
vived in a public collection in Richmond. It' s
Bryan Little had gone through much of the
the working copy, made before the final and
earlier material anyway.
fair document was sent to the duke. I was very
eager to compare the final version with the
From Virginia sources I knew that Botetourt' s executors in Virginia had sent copies of
working copy here to see if there were any
the General Court records about the gover-
differences, and if those differences might tell
nor' s estate to the duke, his heir. Originals of
us anything about the Palace that we didn' t
the General Court records were, of course,
already know.
LP: And did you find the fair copy?
destroyed. I really wanted anything pertain-
GH: I finally found it three hours before I
LP: What were you able to find?
was due to leave. I had written to them weeks,
GH: First of all, I found rwo inventories of
if not months, ahead of time to say that I
wanted to see the inventory. As soon as I got
Botetourt' s house, Stoke Park, just outside
Bristol. The first one I looked at is dated
there, I said that was one of the things I most
mid -1780s during the stay of Botetourt' s sister
wanted to look at. I had been there two and a
who had gone to live there as the dowager
half days, and it took them that long to find it.
LP: Why was it so misfiled?
duchess.
GH: Well, it was not so much misfiled as put
of Botetourt' s English house compiled on the
in another place by the late Queen Mary (the
eve of his leaving for Virginia. William Marsh -
mother of George VI and wife of George V),
man wrote it. We knew Marshman was Bote-
who had been sequestered in Badminton dur-
tourt' s butler here in Williamsburg. Next to
ing the Second World War to get her away
some of the items is the annotation " sent to
from the bombing of London,
One of her little projects was to work with
Virginia." The list was corrected and checked
in December 1770, just a few weeks after
the family papers and discover connections as
far back as the sixteenth century between the
compare how Botetourt' s Virginia house and
that if one had some affection for one' s natural
child, one left him or her something but not
1765 to 1770. Before 1768 he had no knowl-
ing to his households in England and Virginia.
The next one turned out to be an inventory
Botetourt's death. It will be very interesting to
Somerset family (the sumame of the dukes of
Beaufort) and the royal family. She had be-
his English house were furnished.
come interested in Botetoun because he was a
Groom of the Bedchamber of George III.
County Record Office turned out to be a
group of books. The first I looked at was a
When she came across his papers, the queen
small, thin, paperback that lists servants' sala-
shuffled them around, and this inventory she
put in a package entitled " Interesting
ries back to about 1765. I recognized quite a
Things."
the Palace staff. Besides salaries, it also tells
LP: That' s the understatement of the year!
us which of the servants from Stoke Botetoun
GH: Finally it was " Interesting Things" that
located the document. Here I was tearing my
brought with him to Williamsburg.
LP: How many and what kinds of servants
hair out, searching through two floors of rec-
came to the Palace?
ords at Badminton, on all fours or knee -deep
GH: Twelve in all, including a gardener, an
in dust, looking for that blithering inventory.
undercook, a draper, a smith, and a carpenter.
One of the items I had called for at the
few of the names as having been members of
At last I said to the people helping me, " I
Without this notebook we would know only
believe that when Mr. Little saw this inven-
that the governor brought with him " a great
tory some years ago, it had been put in an
many" servants of his own.
The next book I looked at was entitled
envelope by Queen Mary and labelled " Interesting Things."
something like " An Account of William Spar2
J
�row with His Excellency the Right Honorable
Then this volume lists fumiture sent over
Lord Botetourt in the Palace at Williams-
here from Fenton, including mahogany
chairs, many yards of Wilton carpet, and —
very interesting to me — " 2 reams of fine large
burg." I didn' t know who Sparrow was, but
this turns out to be the kitchen account book
for about eighteen months kept by the cook.
It shows supplies bought on a daily basis, how
elephant paper" and " 500 feet of gadroon gilt
much of what was ordered, and the prices —
The paper came in large ( " elephant ") folio
molding." The last two were for the ballroom.
not just for food — but for other things like
rather than rolls. It's exciting to know the
hardware too.
exact pattern of the border. Twelve bamboo
Next I opened a pigskin book. On the in-
chairs are listed here, along with clothes-
side is the heading " Work Done with the cart,
Thomas Gale and Samuel King." It lists all
presses and so forth. All these entries are vital
the cartmen' s activities, like bringing stuff in
LP: What changes will your research bring to
for our plans to refumish the Palace.
from the farm, taking goods to Yorktown,
the Governor's Palace by April?
Capitol Landing or College Landing, what it
GH: Well, as far as the fumishings are con -
was, where it was going to or coming from.
By this time I was in a daze! The next book
was incredible! " An Account of Money Re-
cemed, it gives us the information we need to
ceived and Dispersed for the use of the Right
have an excellent description of the library
proceed with papering the ballroom, and we
now know the color of the bamboo chairs. We
table ( but I don' t think we' re going to have
Honourable Lord Botetourt Beginning May
14, 1769 by William Marshman," and it goes
up to the time of Botetourt' s death. It' s official
money received for marriages licenses, ordinary fees, Mediterrean passes, and much
more. That it was kept by Marshman implies
one quite that ornate — we' ll have to look
around for one a bit more elaborate than the
present one).
The main effects on interpretation are still
to be determined, because there's a wealth of
that he acted in the capacity of private secretary as well as butler. It is the only account I' m
aware of that tells the daily details of a goverOnor's work. This volume will be invaluable to
social history in those books that will take us a
long time — months and months — to digest
properly. We can' t possibly retrieve all the
nuggets of information out of those accounts
in time to get them into the interpretation by
John Hemphill in his study of royal goverThe last of these three similar pigskin vol-
April. These materials will affect our interpretation for some time to come and will enor-
umes- was -a petty cash book starting in June
mously enrich our understanding of the whole
1768. It seemed obvious to me that Botetourt
Williamsburg community and the Palace in
at that point knew he was going to Virginia.
He must have told Marshman to keep an account. By August he and his servants were on
particular. The accounts cover in detail a long
their way to Williamsburg. This account book
customs or habits.
lists their travel expenses and hundreds of
LP: Did you meet the present duke and
nance.
enough time that we can begin to plot certain
events with regularity and see that they were
duchess of Beaufort?
items in Williamsburg like Mr. Bucktrout' s
bill, Mr. Anderson' s bill, Mr. Geddy' s bill,
tips to " Mr. Wythe' s man for bringing humming birds," and " Colonel Lee' s man for
bringing raspberries," and so forth. It' s a fantastic notation of the things coming into the
GH: Oh yes, I did. They' re both elderly but
still quite active. They were very, very kind
and very helpful. The duke gave permission
for these documents to be microfilmed for
thorough analysis by the Foundation' s histo-
Palace.
rians and curators. He has also said that we can
borrow one of the account books for an exhibit
here, but we' re not quite sure yet which book
That' s the main body of material I saw in
Gloucestershire. There was one more important account book. It starts with the cabinet-
or where it might be displayed.
maker William Fenton of London and gives a
long and very detailed description ofthe refur-
LP: All in all, what was the high point of the
research trip for you?
bishing of the state coach. The coach must
GH: The high point was opening that
have been very, very elegant, a real eye -
account book and seeing " An Account with
opener and mind boggler to some people in
His Excellency the Right Honourable Lord
Botetourt at the Palace in Williamsburg." At
Williamsburg. They could never have seen
0 anything like it! Even the edges ofthe wheels
the Palace in Williamsburg! At the Palace in
Williamsburg!
were gilded!
3
�Life in the English Country
Girouard progresses from the formal to the
social to the informal house, and later to the
moral house in the Victorian age. This, with
House
A book review by MildredArthur
its tracery and stained glass gothic design,
represented ethical principles and a touch of
Sometimes the physical aspect alone ofa book
Makes it a joy to pick up, handle, and thumb
piety. Girouard supplies us with a wealth of
illuminating details that resurrect the people
through. Mark Girouard' s Life in the English
who moved through the rooms of these houses
Country House is one such book. Glossy paper,
and left within their walls the architectural
easily readable type, handsome illustrations,
evidence of the varied stories of their lives.
many in color: all a sensuous treat.
But there is much more. Girouard has writ-
The Exchange, continued
ten a remarkably informative book that in
lucid prose traces from the Middle Ages to the
twentieth century the evolution of the Eng-
though the article was sanctioned as the truth,
lish country house to meet the changing life-
an obvious fallacy."
his sighting ofa mermaid in the James River is
styles of England' s upper classes.
The " power houses,"
You will notice that this issue of Thelnterpre-
as he calls them,
ter is twice as large as last' s. Today we are
were the houses of a ruling class — power
based on the ownership of land used originally
Advices: A Research Supplement. Coordinated
introducing a periodic insert. We call it Fresh
not for farming but for tenants and the rent
that came with them. The country houses that
by the Research Department, Fresh Advices
stood on that land became the symbol of the
will contain important interpretive information from other divisions within the Founda-
owners' importance. Size, elegance, preten-
tion. This issue informs us of important early
sion:
findings of that massive research effort known
these told the story.
We learn how the elite ran their estates and,
as the York County Project.
when possible, ran the country; how they
were served, sometimes on bent knee, by
The King' s English
footmen, butlers, pages; how they entertained on the grand scale; and how that enter-
tainment could affect their lives and fortunes.
Definitions of some objects listed in the
We learn how and why great halls, libraries,
Botetourt inventory:
morning rooms, smoking rooms, still rooms
Bowfat — "In
the Bowfat" in Botetourt' s
dining room were assorted pieces of orna-
for distilling medicine or scent), conservatories, and chapels came into their houses. We
mental and
learn that galleries, intended originally to be
protected corridors leading from one place to
sweetmeats for dessert. Bowfat, an English
corruption of the French buffet, denotes a
another, soon became enclosed areas for exer-
storage cupboard, often built in, like the
cise in bad weather. Early seventeenth century virtuosos ( defined by the earl of
one being built into the wall left of the
dining room fireplace in the Palace; the
Shaftesbury as " real fine gentlemen— lovers
word was sometimes used to mean a mov-
of art and ingenuity") contributed to the gal-
useful china,
cut glass,
and
able piece of furniture.
lery' s changing decor. These gentlemen, in
A Glass Lustre wU' 12 Branches — in the
pursuit of art, became collectors of it. They
supper room. Glass chandeliers were com-
had to put those collections somewhere. The
monly referred to as lustres in the period.
gallery became the receptacle for the larger
Shagreen or Chagrin — an untanned shark' s
objects such as statuary and paintings, the
skin, often dyed green or black, used to
cabinet or closet for the smaller ones.
cover cases for small accessories such as
knives, razors, and shoe buckles.
Envision the social, possibly political implications just in the service of a meal in the
medieval household ...
the
reward
end
above
whether a man sat at
the
salt or
at
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
the
ment of Interpretive Education.
Editor: Barbara Beaman
board" end of the table below the salt. What
do the back stairs, the green baize door, the
bellrope, the billiards table tell us about the
people who introduced these features into
their houses and used them?
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, George Collins, Dennis
O' Toole, Jim Rubley, Jane Strauss, and Shomer
Zwelling.
4
0
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 2, number 1, January, 1981
Description
An account of the resource
Curators Dukes and Lords -- The Exchange -- Life in the English Country House: A book review -- The King’s English
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/42c650148b15e30b9cd9751c66b9b3a6.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=O55QoVbuOGTT800qW2pj8Amc5loObKS3X5tviwznnzPhLQYiAE6O9wB62tq9dga5F7J4QbMUk-bSYUnMSvWtCR-jCh7JKAwB3D9tdXVREAjPClyKuEy8BzTo4R8KeQrI91CFQBHtOggZEGtoea1UkFENZl2MPi5tXQef3opse5amw%7EBqYxKWhs7RZep9LhZpcKSXUSziHOBGebs-cFVDEAvDT%7EYTApKdbADI3Vx24Kb3a-NDrpCaifuOgiR%7E690Dlb1ogs9dhYUfmwhxSJFdtitD9NYBtK1OqY6JDXX3-MdlOr6TOd5OHen5wxOm4oqPHEipxf29M-q6yJQgF4SR0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
1959cb2b6245d5418ad5b166cce3eec6
PDF Text
Text
0 THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
1 n er
re e r
MARCH 1981
VOL. 2 NO. 2
On Interpretation
realized that the printing office interpreter
was either a bom teacher or a prize student of
Tilden' s.
This issue ofThe Interpreter discusses interpre-
tation. Bill Tramposch, the director ofinterpretive
As we know, Tilden' s principles of inter-
education, shares some ofhis thoughts on this subject in light of the current in- service training pro-
pretation advise that effective interpretations
generally incorporate the following elements:
grams.
One of the most successful interpretations
I' ve observed took place in a printing office
1. they relate to the visitor's experience,
2. they reveal the life behind the artifact,
and concerned a newspaper printed in 1826.
3. they are presented imaginatively,
As the interpreter held the paper in front of
4. they provoke rather than simply instruct
the visitor, and finally
5. they attempt to draw the larger picture.
the group, the issue looked like any other
nineteenth century
newspaper: a monotonous series of columns with no rest in sight for
This interpreter made a vigorous effort to re-
the reader. He spoke of the printing process,
late to the visitor' s experiences by drawing a
and that was interesting. Then he opened the
parallel between both the deaths of presidents
and communications over the years. Through
paper. Twice as much print appeared. Yet
several columns were enveloped by thick
0
its comparison with Kennedy' s death it re-
black borders. Therein were announced the
deaths of two presidents, Jefferson and
vealed a sense of the emotion that must have
Adams. " They died on the same day, July
think there' s no question that this interpreta-
4th, fifty years after the signing of the Decla-
tion was imaginative; it took a potentially dull
ration -of Independence,"
the printer said.
artifact and gave it life. It provoked me to
The interpretation was now becoming more
wonder about the worlds of differences as well
interesting. He continued, " However, this
paper is dated July 12, 1826. Why is this ?" No
as similarities between twentieth- and nine-
one answered, but all were stimulated. " The
more as a result of this experience. And,
telegraph was invented in 1848," the interpreter added. " This means that, until this time,
finally, from a single document, the interpre-
news generally travelled only as fast as man."
and communications.
As if this weren' t enough to relate to his audience, the interpreter paused and then nailed
the lid on his interpretation: " When Presi-
successful interpretations, it wasn' t long be-
accompanied such tragic news. To continue, I
teenth-century America. I wanted to leam
ter drew a larger picture of nationwide events
Being impressed by this and by many other
fore I began interpreting at an outdoor history
dent Kennedy was assassinated on November
museum. I think such museums are one of
22, 1963, more than 68 percent of the Ameri-
America' s best forums for public education,
Ur-
because they presuppose that people team at
their own rate and that they come to a learning
can public knew within thirty minutes." (
ban Growth and the Circulation ofInformation by
Alan Pred).
experience expecting to enjoy it. In other
words, such museums assume that learning is
I enjoyed this interpretation because it was
recreation, for recreation means to " create
anew, to restore, refresh." Open air muse-
so artfully composed on the theme of con-
tinuity and change over time. It provided the
visitor with a link to the past, and it recognized
ums, when properly interpreted, do just this.
that leaming is based upon comparisons.
As the architects and curators of Colonial Wil-
It would be a couple of years before I read
resource that Colonial Williamsburg interpre-
liamsburg restore our artifactual environment,
interpreters help to restore and re- create the
life that radiates from this setting. Further-
ters have been using in this year' s in- service
more, our visitor requires these enclaves we
Freeman Tilden' s Interpreting Our Heritage, a
education programs. When I read this book, I
continued, page2
1
�some degree to the visitor's background. The
Interpretation, continued
more comparisons the interpreter can make,
call outdoor history museums. They provide
him with perspective on today' s world. In Fu-
the better. We all learn by comparisons. This
is evidenced by some of our most frequent
history museum questions: " We people shor-
ture Shock, Alvin Toffler explains:
Were
ter then ? ", "
No society racing through the turbulence
of the next several decades will be able to
do without specialized centers in which the
things simpler then ? ",and
so forth.
Another special challenge for the Colonial
rate of change is artificially depressed. To
Williamsburg interpreter is in trying to repre-
phrase it differently, we shall need enclaves
of the past, communities in which turnover,
sent the larger picture to our visitor. We are
novelty, and choice are deliberately lim-
ing together to represent a larger community,
five separate interpretive departments work-
These may be communities in
which history is partially frozen, like the
Amish villages of Pennsylvania, or places in
the largest museum community in the country. This charge makes the programs of the
which the past is carefully simulated like
In our programs we must continue to address
Williamsburg, Virginia, or Mystic, Con-
the topics that will assist all interpreters in
ited...
department of interpretive education crucial.
moving from the specific artifacts to the larger
necticut.
Therefore, an interpreter assumes a com-
concepts behind them. As you know, we rely
manding position in the field of public education, one envied by many educators. Proof of
heavily on the evaluations of training sessions
this is the fact that every year more teachers
to meet these ends.
in order to develop the programs that help you
One of the chief advantages of in- service
interpretive education programs is that members of all five interpretive departments are
brought together to discuss ideas. Although
each department has different responsibili-
cum to outdoor history museums for programs
that will assist their students in understanding
America's past. They feel that their formal
curriculum thrives when complemented by a
visit to such enclaves. The good interpreter
also is envied because he can almost always
ties, here in training we feel a sense of unity.
For this reason, on -going educational activi-
refer directly to his setting for substantiation
of a point. Such luxuries are next to nonexis-
ties will continue to be an integral part of our
tent in a classroom. In many ways the outdoor
programs. When such training is not in prog-
history museum is the antithesis of the class-
ress, however, it will be the publications of
room. While a student might have geometry
from 10: 00 to 11: 00 and American civilization
this department ( The Interpreter and Questions
from 11: 00 to noon, in an outdoor museum the
similarities we all share.
Answers) that will try to underscore these
Current in- service programs have examined
visitor is always enveloped in a tiny, yet clear
what goes into an effective interpretation.
Soon members of this department will lead
representation of the past. Of course we can' t
re- create the past, but at Colonial Williams-
small group workshops during which each in-
burg one' s imagination is well provided with
terpreter will be videotaped while giving an
the images, actions, and interpretations of an
interpretation. The purpose of this program is
to let each of us see how we appear in front of
our public. After every presentation, the videotape will be reviewed and everyone will
critique his own interpretation. More informa-
earlier time. One interpreter recently com-
pared our setting to a buffet — "The
guest
chooses his fare and eats until satisfied."
With over a million visitors to Colonial Williamsburg each year, one of the greatest challenges an interpreter has is to provide them all
tion will be distributed about this program
soon; but as you can see, it is based on the
with what seems to be an individualized en-
counter. To do this successfully, each inter-
belief that every person is his own best critic.
preter constantly needs to ask himself, " How
can I relate this setting to what might be the
our other programs, any member of this de-
If you have questions about this or any of
partment will be delighted to talk with you. As
experience of my visitor ?" Consequently, we
need to make some large — but safe — assumptions about our public. For instance, a
I' ve said many times, the department of in-
gaming table could open the door widely upon
you' ve noticed from in- service programs, so
much of what we do is a result of the sugges-
terpretive education is a support group. As
such topics as the use of leisure time, class
tions interpreters have made.
structure, and manners, all of which relate in
2
�Questions
80Z,
which we know from the Badminton ma-
Answers
terials.
While the number of tavems operating at
any one time was small about a hundred
How much did it cost to rent a bed in a
people are known to have kept taverns in
tavern in Williamsburg? Could one rent a
Williamsburg between 1700 and 1775.
private room?
By law, eighteenth century tavemkeepers
in the Williamsburg area could charge trav-
elers up to 71/pence to spend the night at a
2
Inside the Great House
tavem. Travelers who wanted privacy arranged in advance for a private room at a
A book review by Nancy Carter Crump
similar to today' s tourist
In his introduction to Inside the Great House
home, or at a tavern. Charges for private
Daniel Blake Smith states that he will attempt
lodginghouse,
to explore the character of the family experi-
accommodations were not set by the local
ence in the preindustrial South." He begins
courts.
his discussion with a description of early family life prior to the mid eighteenth century,
which tended to be one of no privacy, little
Did county courts regulate tavern prices to
protect the owner or the visitor?
The regulation of tavern prices was to pre-
vent overcharging by the tavemkeepers.
Overcharging was an ever present problem
affection,
with
an
emphasis
on
in colonial Virginia.
patriarchal
such as church, kin, and friends.
power, and affected by outside influences
Was it ever acceptable for a woman to go
Smith then examines the evolution that
out unescorted to a private dinner at a tav-
took place in family patterns during the eighteenth century and bases his study on various
family records of Maryland and Virginia upper
class society and on demographic trends. He
sees, especially after 1750, a major thrust toward a more modern family structure, where
privacy and autonomy were encouraged, af-
ern?
No. In fact, even with escorts women seldom attended private dinners at taverns.
0
What was the average age for marriage in
the eighteenth century?
Because the research necessary to answer
this question is still going on, we can only
fection for marriage partners and children em-
give- a tentative answer. Results of the re-
phasized, and outside influences waned to be
search may show that on the average men
replaced by a closely knit nuclear family style
of living. He attributes these changes to sev-
married in their mid twenties and women
eral factors and believes, for instance, that
in their early twenties.
Which president did not live in the President' s House at the College of William and
longer life spans led to more emotional invest-
Mary?
trend toward secularization, the use of slave
ment in the immediate family. The southern
Robert Saunders, who lived in the Robert
Carter House on Palace Green, was elected
labor to permit more leisure time, and rising
president in 1847 and continued to live in
The author treats each chapter as an indi-
literacy rates were also contributing factors.
vidual essay on various aspects of the family
his own house.
Did Virginia import beeswax for candle -
such as sex roles, affection between parents
Did they have a lamplighter in eighteenth -
and children, relationships outside the family,
and illness and death. Unfortunately, Smith' s
exploration yields little that is really new or
century Williamsburg?
exciting in the field of family and social his-
making?
No, beeswax was exported from Virginia.
We have no evidence of a lamplighter in
tory. While the breadth of Smith' s research
Williamsburg.
How many taverns were there in Williamsburg during the colonial period?
seems adequate, his use of that research presents real problems for this reviewer. For ex-
ample, he states that because of the paucity of
records about the lower classes, his study will
From early travelers' accounts we know
there was one tavern here in 1699 and eight
deal with the well - to do planter. However, he
in 1702. Thereafter until 1780, the number
fluctuated from about eight to fourteen.
then proceeds to use his information to generalize about all ranks of southern society.
continued, page4
The most accurate count is nine in 1769,
3
�The King' s English
Book Review, continued
He uses the diaries of William Byrd, Lan-
Petticoat — the garment that in the twentieth
don Carter, James Gordon, and Francis Taylor to make sweeping generalizations regarding familial changes. Unfortunately, these are
century we call a skirt.
Gown —the piece of clothing known to us as
a dress.
narrow sources upon which to depend, and
Breeches — knee -length pants.
the chronological, economic, attitudinal, and
Overalls — long pants, usually military, wom
social disparities among them are so great that
over breeches.
Smith fails to convince this reviewer that his
Trousers — breeches with long legs.
findings are entirely accurate.
Stockings — socks.
Smith also attempts to make a case for extreme deference of sons toward their fathers.
Stock — a short, unattached, stand -up neckband.
worn
He states that " young men depended so
greatly on patemal approbation for their moti-
wrapped around the neck and folded in
vation and inner sense of worth" that the with-
front.
drawal of such approval would result in " a
Cravat —a
long,
thin
neckpiece
Bandanna —a square scarf wom folded and
tied about the neck. Bandannas were about
flood of anxiety followed by effusive efforts to
regain their parents' respect." He quotes ex-
the size of large handkerchiefs for men.
tensively from letters to prove his point but
Undress — common or everyday dress.
again fails to convince the reader. Two ques-
Dress— full dress or fancy clothing.
tions arise: could not this effusiveness have
Spatterdashes — gaiters of leather of canvas
resulted from the mode of letter writing at that
shaped to the leg from the knee to the
time when deference between most corre-
ankle with extensions over the foot and
spondents appears to have been the norm?
And what about the financial factor as a reason
laced or buttoned. They were worn instead
of boots.
for showing filial respect? The very real threat
Sea coal — mineral coal rather than charcoal.
of being " cut off' certainly could have con-
In early times the chief supply may have
tributed to the outpourings of love and sub-
been beds of coal exposed along the coast of
mission Smith cites.
Northumberland and South Wales. Coal
Another problem is Smith' s use of chronol-
was shipped from England as well as mined
ogy: he jumps from the seventeenth century
to the early or late eighteenth century, frequently making it necessary for us to reread
in the colonies.
Palace fireplaces were
equipped with grates for buming coal.
Cistern —a vessel, often richly ornamented,
sections and go to the footnotes to be certain
used at the dinner table to hold large quan-
just what time period he is referring to. Small
tities of liquor or wine. Botetourt' s possessions at the Palace included " 2 japann' d
factual errors and an ineffectual use of psy-
wine Cistems."
book.
chology add to feelings of unease about the
The author contributes to our study of eighteenth- century life by updating Edmund
Morgan' s Virginians at Home. Smith' s use of
new techniques in the study of social history
Occurrences
makes for interesting reading, although at
times his style is awkward. As Smith himself
admits, further study of the subject is needed.
Perhaps, therefore, his book can be viewed as
The 1981 cricket season opens Wednesday,
May 6th. We need cricketeers! All you need
to qualify is a costume and a willingness to
play the game. Our cricket veterans, led by
an inchoate step toward that study.
George Pettengell and Victor Shone, will take
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
care of the rest.
Editor: Barbara Beaman
ment of Interpretive Education.
If you' re interested in participating in this
pleasurable
please
eighteenth century
contact
George
Pettengell,
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
pastime,
EditotialBoard: Bill Tramposch, George Collins, Dennis
master
O'Toole, Jim Rubley, Jane Strauss, and Shomer
Zwelling.
cooper.
4
J
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
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Title
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The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 2, number 2, March, 1981
Description
An account of the resource
On Interpretation -- Questions & Answers -- Inside the Great House: A book review -- The King’s English -- Occurrences
-
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PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
01 n. e r_ r e e r
VOL. 2 NO. 3
MAY 1981
How To Do Family History
We here at Colonial Williamsburg are often
mid nineteenth century, you should check
asked the histories of prominent families —
the Census of 1850, a gold mine of information. It's chock full of goodies that earlier
the ones houses are named for and famous
ones like the Henrys and Harrisons. The Research Department has some information
censuses omit. From 1790 to 1840 the census
from the colonial period ( but nothing at all
census includes parents' names and place of
after 1862) and has already put together genealogies of several eighteenth- century Williamsburg residents. But if visitors ask you
how to go about tracing their " Uncle Wythe"
birth.
back to George the Signer or if you want to
were legal because banns were published in
find your own roots, follow this brief guide for
doing it successfully.
church on three consecutive Sundays. -
Start
with
yourself, your parents,
records are merely lists of names; the 1850
Don' t be too concemed if you can' t locate
marriage licenses for your ancestors. Very often licenses don' t exist, but the marriages
continued, p. 2)
and
grandparents and work backwards. It sounds
obvious, but many would -be genealogists as-
The Exchange
Osume that everyone with the same last name is
related. To get anywhere you have to be sure
you' re following your relatives, not just the
name. Records such as family Bibles, diaries,
and letters can sometimes help too, but you
might hold suspect family trees drawn up long
ago by old Aunt Nelly: they may be more
Bev Lewis and May Stebbins tell us about the
interpreter exchangeprogram in
they partici-
pated last December.
Have you wondered if interpreters in other
museums face some of the same tough ques-
fiction than fact. On the other hand, Aunt
tions we have working in Williamsburg? We
found that interpreters at Sturbridge, Sleepy
Nelly could have learned about her ancestors
at her grandmother's knee and worked- it all
Hollow, and Plimoth Plantation ( all museums
out accurately in her genealogical study.
There' s nearly always a kernel of truth in family stories about origins and ancestors, but it
may take a lot of work to prove any one part of
in the Northeast) have different ways of approaching the same problems. We were the
first to participate in an interpreter exchange
program between outdoor history museums.
We spent five days going to these museums to
see how they handle different aspects of do-
all the several stories.
When you' ve exhausted the leads provided
by your family, the next place to check is the
mestic crafts. In return three interpreters from
bureau of vital statistics for the state your fam-
Sturbridge came to Williamsburg in mid -
ily lived in. The Virginia bureau' s records go
March.
back to 1856 but with sizable gaps. With some
Our favorite site in Old Sturbridge Village
luck you' ll find birth and death dates, parents'
was the Freeman farm. It' s a long walk to the
secluded setting that really gives the impression we are seeing a nineteenth century farm.
names, and — most important — county of re-
sidence. Once you know what county you' re
dealing with, you have narrowed down the
The work is divided strictly into men' s and
search to a task of manageable dimensions.
women' s chores. At seven in the morning the
County records can be very helpful, but unfortunately not all
farmer" brings the cows in, cleans stalls, and
have survived." Wills,
feeds the stock. He spent the rest of the day
we saw him spreading dung in the fields with
his cart and oxen. Before the morning passed,
deeds, and records of taxes for both land and
personal property are useful to genealogists.
Once you' ve traced back your family to the
continued, page f)
1
�Family History, continued
general appearance and secure imprisonment
If all these suggestions lead you nowhere,
of the inmates.
you can still try one other source, the pension
Guarding the prisoners often required more
applications of Revolutionary soldiers or their
than one man, so as conditions required, the
widows. Among other information they indi-
If you' re working on Virginia people, you' ll
gaoler could select guards using his own discretion as to the necessary number. Looking
after those in the cells must have been quite a
job; there were accused felons from all over
want to look at Clayton Torrence' s wonderful
the colony, runaway slaves and servants await-
printed guide to county records. Virginia Wills
ing their masters from anywhere in Virginia,
and until 1773 the Gaol was the destiny of
cate the place of birth and usually something
about marriage and offspring.
and Administrations, 1632 - 1800 is arranged
alphabetically by surname and under that by
county. It gives references to documents that
persons of unsound Mind."
Different prisoners received different treat-
genealogists find invaluable.
The ways of going about family history are
different from state to state, depending on the
ment. If they could pay for their food, the
gaoler ordered it from a tavern and they could
have anything they could afford. In the case of
records that survive and the finding aids avail-
paupers, the gaoler provided food and cloth-
able. Maryland, for example, has wonderful
ing ( and medicine, if necessary) on the per
diem amount allowed from public monies by
indexes and genealogical work already corn piled at the Hall of Records in Annapolis. The
the General Court. Until 1711 the public
Virginia State Archives in Richmond hasn' t
that degree of access, but has on hand genealogical charts for some families. When you
gaoler used his own money for this and peti-
write for information to these or any other
tioned the court for reimbursement; again we
see that the position of gaoler had to be filled
More often than not if you ask for any and all
by a man of some means.
But there were benefits to the position. A
salary of £30 a year was set in 1701 ( about the
available information, you' ll get back a form
same as a journeyman craftsman' s average
letter referring you to a professional geneal-
yearly income) and raised to £40 annually in
state library, be very specific in your request.
ogist; but if you ask for the 1788 will of Corne-
1718. Quarters were provided for the gaoler
lius Whipoorwill of Kesiak, they' ll do their
best to search it out for you.
and his family within the Gaol, which were
later enlarged by additions. The gaoler was
exempt from both militia and jury duty.
Job Descriptions
Keeper of the Public Hospital
Government jobs in Williamsburg? In the
When the Public Hospital first opened in
1773, its keeper was not a medical man but
eighteenth century there were quite a few.
more of a steward, and eventually the position
We thought you might be interested in de-
came to be called just that. Until modem psy-
scriptions of four of these:
chiatric methods were instated in the nine-
teenth century, the head man at the facility
Public Gaoler
held a post that closely resembled that of a
The position of gaoler required a person of
good judgment, discretion, spotless reputa-
gaoler; indeed the first keeper, James Galt,,
was a former public gaoler.
tion, sobriety, and some means. He answered
directly to the General Court of Virginia, following their directions and commands, but
tal' s court of directors. Along with maintaining
was appointed by the governor. The gaoler
cure, sanitary environment for the patients.
had to have a clear financial background in
He kept records of admissions, discharges,
order to enter into a £ 500 bond to the king
with sufficient security; this bond involved
and deaths. There was an appointed physician
the condition that he fulfill to the letter all the
the doctor' s attendance on patients when they
arrived and later as necessary. He often re-
The keeper worked directly for the hospithe physical plant, the keeper provided a se-
for the institution, and the keeper requested
responsibilities of the post.
layed medical instructions from the doctor to
the nurses. A matron who cared for female
The first duty of the gaoler was to maintain
the Public Gaol; after 1722 he cared for the
Debtors' Prison as well. This entailed keeping the buildings in good order in terms of
patients was the only other permanent employee at the hospital. Nurses, guards, and
2
�manual laborers were hired by the keeper as
the number of patients and other conditions
demanded.
Besides seeing that his charges got medical
attention, the keeper supplied food and cloth-
ing for patients — either at their personal ex-
pense or, in the case of those too poor to pay,
from public funds. Charges against the colony' s accounts had to be detailed in a form
suitable for audit by Virginia officials.
A modest salary was provided for the keeper, as well as an apartment in the main hospital
building. In the early years the position of
matron was filled by the keeper' s wife. Since
they lived on the premises, the two permanent employees were available to patients and
other staff at all times.
ing, tailoring, tutoring, cajoling, and persuading people to their opinions. This summer's
program will be composed of twelve to fifteen
actors, some working on a part time basis,
some on a full -time basis. The performances
will run from 10 A. M. to 1 P. M. and 2 P. M. to 5
P. M.
This summer there will be several innovations. Plans are afoot for a moming and afternoon group event or happening — such as recruitment, an auction, or an election — in
which the characters each day will be intro -.
duced to the public. All of our characters will
be from the era of Botetourt' s governorship,
1768 - 1770, and familiar with the basic con cems of the day. More characters will be about
town, moving within a one -block area rather
than tied to only one spot. This will yield
Keeper of the Magazine and
more interaction between characters and with
Public Armorer
the visitors.
These positions were usually filled by two
men, but occasionally one man held both simultaneously. The keeper was responsible
for looking after and repairing the Magazine
and the arms and ammunition stored there.
When the Guardhouse was built in 1755, that
too became his charge. The Guardhouse was
needed during the French and Indian War to
provide shelter, heat, and candlelight away
from the explosives in the Magazine for the
guards on their twelve -hour shifts. The keeper also served as the " Gunner" of Williams-
burg, who fired the guns during municipal
celebrations.
Characters returning from previous summers, though possibly having a new look,
are: an indentured servant in the pillory for
public drunkenness, a merchant recruiting for
a militia company, a naturalist comparing nature and society, a tailor working on a customer's new coat, a crotchety, narrow- minded old
man with opinions about everything, a grave-
digger reminiscing about the people and the
earlier days of Williamsburg, an auctioneer
and jack - f all- trades " urban" man, and a
o newly arrived tutor teaching a variety ofskills.
Other characters include a woman tavem
keeper discussing women' s rights and the " art
of tavern keeping," a young lady in a garden, a
When the armorer post was filled by a separate individual, he received his work from the
keeper who set out the arms in need of repair.
The armorer had to have detailed knowledge
of firearms and experience as a gunsmith. His
growing children, and a shopkeeper with Tory
leanings. Once again we will try to depict the
human drama of a black colonial' s experience _
specific duties were to take care of, keep
with a gardener at the Palace who has worked
clean, and mend the public arms stored in the
for three governors, an overseer come -to -town
on business, a preacher trying to start the first
gossipy midwife, a mother talking about her
Magazine and the Governor' s Palace. Three
of the public armorers were John Brush and
black Baptist church, two different apprentices comparing crafts and lifestyles between
two of Williamsburg' s blacksmiths, Hugh Orr
and James Anderson.
Africa and the colonies, a scullery maid trying
to keep her family together, a house servant
whose master is on his deathbed, a woman
speaking about her private time, and a free
black seamstress.
We hope that you as interpreters will greet
Occurrences
and talk with these characters from eigh-
teenth- century Williamsburg, and will incorporate their existence and characters into your
The actors are coming back to town. Char-
interpretations, as you do other physical aids,
acters from eighteenth -century Williamsburg
in our attempt to bring to life the colonial
will be walking the streets from June 1 until
period in Williamsburg.
September 1, gossiping, recruiting, auction3
�The Exchange, continued
The King' s - English
a class of school children were up on the
wagon helping him. The morning " milkmaid"
cheese,
milked all
and
seven cows,
readied her
The followingwords` were suggested by in-
made breakfast for the field
terpreters on .the winter in- service evaluation
hands. We joined the farmers for a special
forms as words we should all be able to define:
hog -butchering meeting. There was excite-
Headright —a grant of fifty acres of land
ment in their voices as they talked about the
made for each person transported to the
approaching weekend of pork curing and sau-
colony; the land was assigned to the one
sage- and souse -making. A noticeable differ-
who paid the transportation expenses. The
ence was that everyone in costume worked in
headright •
system began in 1617 as an in-,
one department. All the women knew how to
ducement to settle Virginia and lasted
cook on the open hearth and 'took turns knit-
throughout most of the seventeenth cen-
ting and sewing costumes:
tury and, in a modified form, for many years
-
At Van Cortland Manor, a part' of Sleepy
later. -
Hollow Restorations, interpreters were busy
Quit rent —Quit means to satisfy a debt, repay. Quit rents were sums, usually small,
with sausages and baking bread. They are
lucky to have the DePeyser family manu-
paid by individual landowners to the crown
for use of the land. Theoretically, all land
scripts for all their recipes. The school groups
were invited to participate and knead the
bread or clean off the cheese rounds that re-
belonged to the crown.
Militiaman —each free white male from ages
quire careful watching. There was evidence of
16 to 60 was required to serve in the county
candlemaking, spinning and weaving, and
militia to be called to arms in time of emer-
other crafts, some of which are added in the
gency.
summertime.
Plimoth
Plantation,
where
strict
Muster —a periodic calling together of mili-
first
tia troops from their homes for inspection
person interpretation is used, was closed ex-
and training.
cept to school groups. Here the forty or so
tury site. They talk, walk, and eat seven-
Retreat —from Smith' s Universal Military
Dictionary, " A beat of the drum, at the firing
of the evening gun." This is to warn the
soldiers to, forbear . firing; sentinels are
teenth century. The director calls the emp-
posted, and the password goes into effect.
loyees " cultural informants" or " human arti-
facts" ( Pilgrims, for short). They exist to show
This marks the end of the soldier' s working
day. . _
the visitor (called the " interpreter ") the cul-
Review —Smith' s definition is " the drawing
interpreters literally take up the lives of
people who existed at the seventeenth- cen -
ture, attitudes, and social interaction of the
out all, or part,of the army, to ... know the
condition of the troops. The manual exer-
early settlers. We' tried hard to' break the Pil-
grims out of their roles. We felt sorry for the
cise must be performed in good time, and
All maneuvers must be per -
schoolboy who asked for the john and was
directed to the next hut where a John lived.
The surroundings were stark, cold, and lifeless. The lunch of dried fish and commeal
with life...:
formed with the utmost regularity."
Tattoo or Tap-Too — the order for all to retire to their quarters. The word is derived
mush they offered us made us homesick for
from the Dutch " doe- tap -toe" meaning
Williamsburg.
We enjoyed most of all talking to the in-
turn off the taps as a signal to tavem keepers
to stop serving soldiers.
terpreters during the exchange. We heard the
Warp — lengthwise thread on the loom.
same remarks: how hot the costumes were,
Weft or Woof— crosswise thread carried in
how long the days, how wonderful to see a
face light up when it understands some new
the shuttle.
fact about the past, and how most of them
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
wouldn' t trade their jobs teaching history for
anything in the world.
ment of Interpretive Education
Editor: .BarbaraBeaman
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
Editorial Board - '
Bill Tramposch, George Collins,
Dennis O' Toole, Jim Rubley, Jane Strauss, and
ShomerZwelling.
1981 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 2, number 3, May, 1981
Description
An account of the resource
How To Do Family History -- The Exchange -- Job Descriptions -- Occurrences -- The King’s English
-
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3ed339c2e187689382d18a91ac7fa2b0
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
Interpreter
JULY 1981
Colonial Apprenticeship
Gary Brumfield and Harold Gill answer some
frequently asked questions about apprenticeship.
How long were apprenticeships?
This often
said Master faithfully shall serve, his secrets keep
his Lawful( Commands Obey He Shall not contract Matrimony within the said Term he shall
not haunt Ordinary' s nor Absent himself from his
Masters Service Day or Night unlawfully but in all
asked question is difficult to
answer because many apprenticeship con-
things as a Faithfull Apprentice he shall behave
tracts (indentures) were private arrangements
between the master and the apprentice' s
himself towards his said Master and Family during
the said Term AND the said George Charleton
Best means he can shall Teach and Instinct or
parents and were not recorded in the public.
cause to be taught and Instructed AND doth
records. Apprenticeships ordered by the
hereby Promise and oblige himself to find for his
courts for orphans and poor children were
recorded, but the length of them varied
said Apprentice Good and Sufficient Meat Drink
Washing Lodging & Cloathing during the Said
widely or were often stated only as to age
Term and to Teach him to Read & Write and at
the expiration of his term of servitude the said
twenty-one. Of the 110 apprenticeships re-
George Charleton obligeth himself to pay unto his
corded in York County from 1745 until 1789,
34 were " until twenty -one" and 64 were from
apprentice what the law allows in such cases &
agrements ...
At a Court of Hustings for the City
of Williamsburg held the 5th Day of September
four to seven years.
1748.
At what age were children apprenticed?
The ideal age might be considered fourteen
What laws governed apprenticeship in
so that a full seven -year apprenticeship could
Virginia?
be served by age twenty- one, but this was
The basis of colonial laws of apprenticeship
seldom
3
were the English 1562 Statue of Artificers and
the
actual
practice.
The
shorter
apprenticeships common in the colonies were
the
achieved
customs long recognized and enforced by the
by
starting
somewhat
later.
Orphans were sometimes apprenticed quite
1601
Poor Law, which standardized
guilds and local authorities.
The Virginia Poor Law of 1672 gave
young.
Were the lengths of apprenticeships diffe-
county courts the power to place all children,
rent in different trades?
whose parents were unable to bring them up,
The York County records show as much dif-
as apprentices. Churchwardens were ordered
ference within the same trade as from trade to
to report children in this category.
trade. Differences that Europe' s guild. sys-
The Orphan Act of 1705 empowered the
tems may have imposed were not found here
Orphan' s Courts to bind out all orphans whose
because of the chronic labor shortage.
estates were too small to support them. It also
What was an indenture of apprenticeship?
gave the court the power to hear complaints of
It was a legal contract that expressed the
apprentices for ill use by their master or failure
obligations of the master and the apprentice.
to teach his trade.
Was there a guild system in Virginia?
By the eighteenth century the content was
fairly well standardized ( occasionally printed
forms were used). The body of the sample
No. By the eighteenth century the guild
system was weak in England, and it was not
established in Virginia.
indenture is typical:
WITNESSETH that the said John Stevens
Did apprentices have to pay for their
with the advice and consent of his Mother Anne
apprenticeships?
Stevens doth put himself an Apprentice to the said
It was not uncommon for a master to charge an
George Charleton to learn the Trade, art, and
apprenticeship fee, and sometimes even orphans had to pay.
Mistery ofa Taylor and with him after the manner
of an Apprentice to serve till he arrives to the Age
0
of Twenry one Years to be fully compleat &
ended During which time the said Apprentice his
continued, page 2)
1
�Apprenticeship, continued
book valuable for an understanding of English
Were apprentices paid?
traditions in apprenticeships.
They were provided with room and board,
and sometimes given a sum of money or set of
tools at the end of their apprenticeship. Occa-
Richard Taliaferro
sionally they were paid during the last few
years of the term.
Were women apprenticed?
There are four females named in the 110 York
Well known in Williamsburg today as the buil-
County apprenticeships recorded from 1747
der of the George Wythe House, Richard
to 1789. Earlier York County records contain
several others. Generally, these are for house-
Taliaferro was a highly respected citizen of
eighteenth century tidewater Virginia. We
know only a few things about Taliaferro' s life
because he lived in James City County for
hold work or textile trades ( spinning, weav-
ing, and knitting).
Were blacks apprenticed?
Yes, both free blacks and slaves were appren-
which the records no longer exist. ( We don' t
ticed. In the case of a slave, the legal contract
Taliaferro, the local chairmaker). We surmise
was between the slave owner and the crafts-
that the surname is pronounced " Tolliver"
from variant —presumably phonetic— spell-
even know if Richard was related to Charles
man. The building trades and plantation support crafts relied heavily on skilled black
ings in colonial documents.
Our Richard was bom about 1705, the son
labor. Crafts such as gunsmithing, cabinetmaking, baking, and bookbinding also emp-
of Francis and Elizabeth Catlett Taliaferro of
loyed black craftsmen.
Essex County and grandson of the Taliaferro
What kind of work did an apprentice do?
immigrant, Robert, who owned a great deal of
In order to learn a trade, the apprentice even-
land along the Rappahannock River.
By 1736 at least Richard was living in James
City County, for he was appointed justice of
the peace that year. His nearly thousand -acre
plantation was called Powhatan, probably after Powhatan Swamp, which it adjoined. The
substantial brick dwelling he built there still
stands, although it was gutted by fire in the
1860s. Now partly restored, it is visible from
tually had to do all the various skilled work of
the craft, but he might have spent a lot of time
working as a semi -skilled laborer in the first
years of his apprenticeship. Very little is
known about this subject.
Whathours did he work?
We don' t have enough information to answer
this question.
Some contracts allowed the apprentice to live
Ironbound Road.
Construction was Taliaferro' s trade. A con-
at his own home, while others required the
temporary attested to his ability by calling him
master to provide room and board, in which
case the apprentice lived in the master' s
our most Skillful Architect" for remodeling
and enlarging the Govemor' s Palace in 1749.
Where did he sleep?
The word architect was used to mean builder
house, although exact sleeping arrangements
in this instance, rather than to describe some-
are not known.
How did he dress?
one formally trained in architecture.) Not long
after that compliment he put up another long lasting house now known by his son -in -law' s
The evidence shows that apprentices dressed
no differently front anyone else.
What is a journeyman?
name. We' re not sure just when the Wythe
A journeyman is one who has completed an
House was completed, but it probably re-
apprenticeship and works for wages. The
term comes from the French for " day man,"
not from traveling.
ceived
Where can I find our more about appren-
titled to life right in the house on Palace
ticeship?
Ray Townsend' s report, " Apprenticeship in
Green, and Elizabeth' s brother —
also named
Richard —inherited Powhatan.
Colonial Virginia," and follow - work by
up
LP
George
and
Elizabeth
Taliaferro
Wythe as newlyweds in 1755. By Richard' s
will (probated in 1779) the Wythes were en-
Charles Bodie are available at the Craft Shops
office, as is The London Tradesman ( 1747), a
2
�The Carter Brothers
Three Gabriel Maupins
Among
Gabriel Maupain, sa femme et 3 enfans" were
among the Huguenot refugees who arrived in
Williamsburg' s
prominent
eigh-
teenth- century residents were three sons of
Thomasine and John Carter. ( A fourth son
Virginia aboard the Nassau in 1700. The
children' s names were Gabriel, Mary, and
Daniel, and their mother's Mary; thus began a
Thomas is mentioned only once in available
records; he may have died young or moved to
another area.) It should be pointed out that
confusing repetition of names.
this local family was not related to Robert
King" Carter of the Northern Neck.
Gabriel ( I) leased a plantation near Wil-
liamsburg. By 1708 he operated a tavem
there, for in that year he was brought before
John Carter, brother of James and William
the county court for " retailing liquors without
who were both apothecary- surgeons, was one
a lycense." The charge did no damage to his
reputation, it seems, because three years later
of several men in eighteenth -century Williamsburg by that name. His father, also John,
he was appointed constable for the lower pre-
had been the Keeper of the Public Gaol;
cincts of Bruton Parish.
another kept tavern near the Capitol at mid -
Maupin moved his tavem keeping operation to Williamsburg in the 1710s and ran it
successfully until his death late that decade.
century; and a third did saddlery work in the
His widow continued the business.
by 1755. Ten years later he and his brother
Gabriel, son of Gabriel and Mary, remains a
shadowy figure. We know nothing of his occu-
James built a brick store -and -shop combi-
pation and very little about his personal life.
general merchandise for many years. He and
He married a Judith ( whose maiden name is
not given in the records). Their children were,
his wife and children lived across the street
of course, Gabriel and Judith. The daughter
Arms Tavern, and later they bought a house at
3 died quite young, but the son became an affluent Williamsburg craftsman.
the comer of Francis and England streets.
1780s.
The merchant John Carter was in business
nation near
the Raleigh, where John sold
from the store in what we know as the King' s
The third Gabriel inherited most of the
John must have been ready to retire from
storekeeping by 1772, since he advertised his
estate of Mark Cosby, Williamsburg wheel-
place of business for rent that year. Eventually
wright -and chaisemaker. ( We suspect but
he sold his half of the Duke of Gloucester
can' t prove a family connection between the
Street building to James Davis, a tailor.
Active
Cosbys and Maupins.) Gabriel worked as a
in
civic
affairs,
John served as
keeper as well. In 1771 he bought Market
chamberlain (like a treasurer) of the Common
Council and was appointed to the committee
Square Tavem, made additions and improve-
supervising the building of the Williamsburg -
ments to it, and announced he would carry on
his businesses simultaneously at that location.
James City County Courthouse.
saddle- and
harness maker and as a tavern
A successful tradesman and respected life-
Gabriel married twice, first Easter, then
long citizen of Williamsburg, John Carter died
Dorcas, and fathered two children. Mary was
here in 1793.
James Carter practiced medicine and sold
born in 1765, and ten years later a son was
of
drugs in town for about thirty years. He called
Patriotism
overrode the family tradition for repeating
his shop the Unicorn' s Horn and operated it at
two or three locations before settling in the
names.)
western half of the brick building he and his
christened
GEORGE
by
the
patriotic
WASHINGTON." (
name
Gabriel ( III) was appointed Keeper of the
Public Magazine with the rank of captain in
merchant brother built. James took partners
1775 and held the post sixteen years. For his
Anderson ( his former apprentice) for three
years and later his brother William Carter,
into his apothecary business, first Andrew
faithful service during the Revolution he re-
who eventually bought him out. Together the
two attended ailing prisoners at the Gaol and
ceived 4, 000 acres of land.
LP
students and Indian boys at the College. For
their diligent attention during a smallpox
continued, page 4)
3
�Carter Brothers, continued
was ten years old when she made it in 1791,
epidemic, the College made them a generous
and the other done by Sellah Fulgham of Isle of Wight County in 1761.
reward.
Needlework
James, his wife, and children lived in sev-
will
also
be
part
of
the
characterization of " Ann Blair" by Tori
Eberlein, actress, in this summer' s living
history program.
eral houses around town over the years; at one
point he owned the entire block bounded by
Scotland Street, Boundary Street, Henry
Street, and a lane to the Palace lands. Dr.
We hope you' ll design to see these needle-
James Carter also held land in York and James
work interpretations this summer, and get the
City counties, including a " plantation... about
three miles from the city."
point.
Like his brother John, James Carter was a
leader in town; they served together in direct-
The King' s English
ing the construction of the Courthouse of
1770.
William Carter seems to have been less at-
Once again, many of these words were suggested by interpreters during in- service training:
Arrack—liquor distilled from fermented sap
tached to his hometown than were his brothers. He moved to Gloucester County in
1771 but stayed only a few years; by 1774
William was back in Williamsburg and in part-
of the coco -palm ( coconut tree) or from rice
nership with James at the Unicom' s Hom. In
1779 William took over the whole business,
and
having paid James £1, 000 for the westem half
of the building with all the drugs and equip-
juice. This liquor was very expensive. It
ment for the shop.
Seven years later he was living in Richmond
especially punches. Arrack punch was serv-
was
and operated the shop here too; his newspaper
in
mixed
coconut
beverages,
the cacao tree was called chocolate.
Commissary—an officer exercising jurisdiction as the representative of the bishop.
Having --been- repeatedly offered for sale
without result, the Carter property near the
off
in
the
By 1604 a beverage made from the seeds of
advertisement in 1786 announced his interest
in a manager for the Williamsburg business
and mentions his problem with deafness.
auctioned
used
with
Cocoa — corruption of the Spanish word
a
cacao, the Mexican name of the cacao -seed.
Eagle Tavem. Evidently William still owned
was
always
fermented
ed at the most festive occasions in colonial
Virginia.
where he had an apothecary shop near the
Raleigh
sugar
The Reverend James Blair was Virginia' s
first commissary of the bishop of London.
1795.
Cresset — iron basket to hold pitched rope,
an
William died in 1799 at Richmond.
wood, or coal to be bumed for light.
Hustings —
the name given to the municipal
LP
courts of Williamsburg and Norfolk. The
mayor,
Occurrences
recorder, and
six aldermen sat as
judges with jurisdiction over misdemeanors
and civil suits up to a limit of £ Provision
20.
was made for appeal to the General Court
The Geddy House parlor will be the site of a
from the hustings court.
new interpretive program in needlework this
summer. From June
Glebe— a portion of land assigned to a clergy-
to August 13, Tuesdays
man for his use to produce additional in-
and Thursdays from 2: 00 to 5: 00 P. M., Liz
Ackert of the research department and some
come.
young ladies of the town she has instructed in
eighteenth- century stitchery will demonstrate
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart -
their skills. The girls, who were part of the
ment of Interpretive Education
children' s apprenticeship program this spring,
Editor: Barbara Beaman
will choose their own designs and stitches
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
Editorial Board:
from examples of the period. Ms. Ackert will
Dennis
O' Toole,
Bill Tramposch,
Jane
Strauss,
George Collins,
and
Shomer
work a teaching sampler based upon two
Zwelling.
antique Virginia samplers, one the work of
1981 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Ann Pasteur Maupin of Williamsburg, who
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
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Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 2, number 4, July, 1981
Description
An account of the resource
Colonial Apprenticeship -- Richard Taliaferro -- Three Gabriel Maupins -- The Carter Brothers -- Occurrences -- The King’s English
-
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d28cba541eb94b444858b519eb918aa0
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
1 n erre er
SEPTEMBER 1981
VOL. 2 NO. 5
The Siege of Yorktown
As the 200th anniversary of the victory at
Yorktown nears, it is appropriate to review the
events of that historic autumn. The siege began on September 28, 1781. Early in the
morning, the allied army, some 16, 000 French
and American soldiers and militiamen, left
Williamsburg on the fifteen -mile march to
time to begin the actual digging. On the night
of October 6, under the protective cover of
rain, 1, 300 soldiers opened a trench 2, 000
yards long some 600 yards in front of the
British position. By October 9 the French and
American artillery batteries were completed
and that afternoon began shelling Yorktown.
Yorktown where Lord Cornwallis' s 9, 000 sol-
The preparations over, the siege of Yorktown
diers and sailors waited. By 1781 siege warfare
moved into its second phase.
had long been a science and each side knew
well what was about to happen. Allied engineers had already planned the course of the
Siege warfare is an orderly business, guided
by a simple principle. The siege lines, with
their destructive cannon fire, were to be
siege even as the troops pitched camp that
moved ever closer to the enemy until their
evening. The first order of business the next
day, and for several days thereafter, was the
works could be breached and their camp taken
by storm. Following this rule, the allies
construction of gabions ( large wicker baskets)
opened a second line within 300 yards of the
and fascines ( bundles of saplings) needed to
establish the first siege line.
British on October 11. When two British redoubts protecting their left flank were overrun
As the allied soldiers moved into their initial
on the night of October 14, the line was com-
positions, it was obvious to the British that
pleted. It took only a day for the allies to ad-
they were in an untenable situation. Although
vance their cannon.
Each day more allied cannon were added to
the ravines of Yorktown creek offered some
protection to the British right flank, and while
three redoubts they placed well to the south
the bombardment until at the end over 80
siege cannon and 50 field pieces were firing an
and east were strongly held, Yorktown could
average 1, 300 shells a day on the British.
not withstand a long land siege. Until the
Throughout the siege, Cornwallis was reluc-
tant to play his part. A besieged force was
defeat of the British navy in the Battle of the
Capes on September 5, Cornwallis never expected that he would have to defend York-
expected to defend itself with frequent sorties
against the attacker' s guns. However, the
British hid behind their works. The completion of the second siege line finally moved
Cornwallis to act. On the morning of October
town. Perhaps the realization that this was not
possible explains why, under the cover of
darkness on the night of September 29, Cornwallis abandoned his strong outer defenses
and pulled all his troops back into Yorktown.
16 a sortie was launched at the middle of the
allied line, but despite spiking eleven guns it
had little lasting effect. That night Cornwal-
This move mystified the allies. On the morn-
lis' s desperate attempt to break out across the
ing of the 30th, Washington moved into these
York River was ended by a sudden storm. He
positions without what all agreed should have
been a protracted and costly fight.
was left with no alternative but surrender.
The allies busied themselves getting ready
Negotiations on the terms of capitulation,
throughout the early days of October. They
begun on the morning of October 17, dragged
on until the morning of the 19th. In the end
expected the British to conduct several sorties
the
aimed ac disrupting their preparations, but,
terms
accepted
were
essentially
those
Washington had first proposed. At 11: 00 A. M.
on October 19, Cornwallis duly signed the
Articles of Capitulation. At 2: 00 P. M. the
although the British occasionally fired at
them, Cornwallis declined to take such ac-
tion. By October 6, after all the heavy cannon
continued, page2)
had been dragged into the allied camp, it was
1
�Siege, continued
for an eighteenth -century army. Coordinating
British army, led by General O' Hara in place
that movement with the actions of a navy only
of an indisposed Cornwallis, marched out of
Yorktown with colors and flags cased and their
Washington, racing ahead of the army, arrived
bands playing melancholy airs, one of which
in Williamsburg on September 14 and heard
may have been the tune of " The World
that the French fleet still held the Bay, he
increased
the
chances
of
failure.
When
Turned Upside Down." Because O' Hara was
knew failure had been avoided. The siege of
Cornwallis' s second in command, Washington
had his second in command, General Benjamin Lincoln, deal with him. The rest of the
British troops grounded their arms in a field
Yorktown and its victorious outcome was the
result of international and interservice cooperation rare for the eighteenth century.
Kevin Kelly
two miles from town. The siege was over.
Many little things helped contribute to the
allied victory. The rivalry between Comwallis
Occurrences
and his commander, Sir Henry Clinton, explains why Comwallis marched into Virginia
in the first place, and it also accounts for
Clinton' s indecisiveness about what to do
with Comwallis once he was there. That the
Colonial Williamsburg will play a major role in
English admiral Rodney was unable to inter-
Battle of Yorktown this October. As John
cept Admiral de Grasse as he left the Caribbean allowed the French to blockade the
Moon
Chesapeake Bay. The first British relief fleet
for the French and American armies on the
eve of the climactic siege. Some of the ac-
the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the
indicates
elsewhere,
Williamsburg
served as headquarters and base of operations
failed to dislodge de Grasse in the Battle of the
Capes because of misunderstood signal flags.
tivities associated with those occurrences will
ond desperate relief effort, it arrived five days
be demonstrated prior to the major celebration, which will take place at Yorktown Oc-
after Cornwallis had surrendered. That Corn-
tober 19.
wallis patiently waited for the entire allied
On Columbus Day, October 12, there will
j
be a program depicting the establishment of \ J'
When Clinton finally decided to launch a sec-
army to assemble around him rather than at-
tempting an escape up the York River baffled
the headquarters of Generals Rochambeau
his own officers as well as later historians. Yet
and
when - -s said and done, it is not surprising
all i
Wednesday, October 14, will see the arrival
that the allies won. Once begun, the siege
and encampment of several colonial military
could end only one way. What is remarkable is
units and the various drills and ceremonies
that the siege occurred at all.
that would accompany an eighteenth- century
encampment at a number of locations in the
In early July 1781 Comte de Rochambeau,
Washington
in
the
Historic
Area.
town. The following day, October 15, the
military units will break camp and, led by the
the French commander, notified de Grasse
that the summer campaign would either be a
siege of New York City or a move against
Cornwallis in Virginia. De Grasse correctly
Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps
and including members of the State Garrison
Regiment,
read Rochambeau' s reluctance to attack New
York, the operation Washington favored, and
will
march
down the Colonial
Parkway to Yorktown. After that the spotlight
decided to sail his fleet to the Chesapeake.
Although de Grasse' s orders called for support
of an allied land effort, he boldly went beyond
mere compliance when he left the French
focuses on the happenings at Yorktown, but
West Indies completely unprotected and
sailed his entire fleet north. Word reached
Washington on August 14 of de Grasse' s ob-
town.
November on your calendars, too.
jective. Washington quickly abandoned his
when " Publick Times and Fair" will take
attack on New York and five days later put the
combined allied army in motion southward.
Moving slowly at first to deceive Clinton, he
place. It's November 6- 8 for the busy buying
and selling, boisterous competitions, and
lively entertainments of a colonial fair. Several
quickened the pace after August 25. To
evening programs will enliven the nighttime
abandon one theater of operation to take up a
hours of this weekend.
the events at Williamsburg will doubtless
prove a rousing curtain raiser for the celebration of the bicentennial of victory at YorkYou will want to mark the first weekend in
new one 400 miles distant was not an easy feat
2
That' s
�The role of the military drummer in the
Military Encampments
eighteenth century was three fold: to beat the
John Moon, Director of the Company of Colonial
Performers, tells us something ofmilitary camp life
various duty calls and signals that regulated
the functions of the army, to ensure that
in the eighteenth century.
troops
To quote from An Universal Military Dictionary
by Captain George Smith, which was pub-
length of step whilst on the march, and to
provide informal dance and folk music to en-
lished in 1779:
chance esprit -de- corps. These three vital re-
Camp, in military affairs, is the whole extent of ground, in general, occupied by an
army pitching its tents when in the field, and
sponsibilities can be readily translated into
maintained
the
proper cadence
and
modern terminology as communications, time
and motion, and entertainment.
upon which all its baggage and apparatus are
At least four times daily, all the company
lodged. The extent of the front of a regiment
field musicians would be massed together to
form a corps in order to " beat" various cere-
of infantry is 200 yards, including the two
battalion guns, and depth 320 [ yards] when
monies. They beat Reveille at sunup to wake
all troops and to begin the working day. Assembly was sounded at midmorning so that all
the regiment contains 9 companies.
The nature of the ground must also be
consulted, both for defence against the en-
troops would assemble to be read the orders of
emy, and supplies for the army. It should have
the day. Retreat, usually at sundown, denoted
the end of the working day, and Tattoo was
beaten at night to call all troops to camp or
a
communication
with
their
own
garrisons,
and have plenty of water, forage and fuel.
An army always encamps fronting the enemy, and generally in two parallel lines, be-
garrison.
The responsibilities for laying out encamp-
sides a corps de reserve, about 500 yards dis-
ments rested with the regimental quartermas-
tant from each other, the horse and dragoons
ters, along with a work party of " pioneers,"
who staked out boundaries, measured areas of
on the wings, and the foot in the centre."
The linear tactics of the eighteenth century
responsibility, and dug out fire and trash pits
dictated the strict requirements for castramen-
and latrines. The Quartermaster also found
ration, the laying out of a military encamp-
food and forage, water, firewood, and other
ment. Its importance can be better appre-
day -to -day supplies. When these commodities were to be issued to troops, the duty fife
ciated when considering the hazards of arriving in a newly established camp under cover of
darknessrand of being required to find one' s
way without benefit of lanterns. Each military
encampment was laid out in exactly the same
and drummer would be detailed to sound the
appropriate call.
As we approach the prelude to Yorktown
and the bicentennial of the siege, it is prudent
way in order to facilitate uniformity and
familiarity.
to remember that Williamsburg became a
marshaling area of camps and garrisons, and
these activities had great impact upon a town
Soldiers' tents were arranged in company
lines,
and officers'
of this size. Commissary agents were contracted by regimental quartermasters for the
quarters were removed
from the troops' tents. Fire pits and latrines
were placed at acceptable distances from
acquisition
of rations,
ammunition,
and
clo-
sleeping areas and executive officers' quarters
thing, and the agents in town scoured the
and bells ofarms ( cone- shaped tents in which
company weapons were lodged) were strategically sited to serve better any emergency situ-
countryside to gather all the supplies neces-
sary to maintain an army on the move.
Period documents indicate chat during the
build -up to the march to Yorktown there were
intensive military activities on Market
ation that might arise.
Life in camp was neither romantic nor
necessarily healthful. One quickly learned not
Square, at the Magazine, at the Palace, on
to touch the tent canvas during a rainfall,
Capitol Exchange, behind Christiana Camp-
otherwise the porous material would establish
bell' s Tavern, and on the grounds of the col-
a leak that might produce disaster. Six infantrymen to one tent gave little privacy or
will become involved in emulating these ac-
camaraderie. Rude awakenings were common
tivities this coming October, which will culmi-
the definitive term being rude). Whether in
nate in a march from Market Square to the
Yorktown battlefield. The Senior Corps has
lege. Many of the Foundation' s employees
camp or garrison, the•regulatory sounds of the
field
musick were all- pervasive and ever -
present.
3
continued, page 4)
�Encampments, continued
Museums in Motion
accepted the challenge to lead the marchers
by Edward P. Alexander
A book review by Edmund R. Smith 11
the entire 15. 2 miles playing every step of the
way, and training is now underway to improve
feet and lungs.
Dr. Edward Alexander' s Museums in Motion is
commendable reading for a very important
reason:
it puts emphasis on professionalism
in our jobs as interpreters. Interpreters have a
great responsibility that they confront daily.
The visitor' s personal interpretation of his-
The King' s English
tory, technology, the arts, and other aspects of
a complex museum hinge on the interpretation
of the community, the time period, and the
people and artifacts that once filled it.
The following words related to John Moon' s
and Kevin Kelly' s articles have specific mili-
Museums in Motion, with a thorough exami-
nation of museum types, functions ( collec-
tary definitions:
tion, preservation, interpretation, etc.), and
Carbine — type of fire a
arm, shorter than the
an assay of the various definitions of museums
musket, used by mounted soldiers.
serves as a professional handbook and text-
Commissary—an officer or official who has
charge of the supply of food, stores, and
book. The book suffers periodically from the
great amount of factual information presented
transport.
creating a rather dry texture, but like many
Foot —
foot- soldiers; infantry.
Horse — horse and its rider, a cavalry
a
good textbooks, it can be used as a reference
for information on selected topics.
soldier.
In format, content, and writing style, the
book may further serve as an example of effective communication. This is an additional skill
There were three weights of cavalry:
to be learned and used by an effective inter-
Dragoon —
a
mounted
infantryman
armed
with a carbine. The horses were large and
preter.
carried more equipment; the
Another important aspect of Dr. Alexan-
larger men.
der' s work is his treatment of various types of
riders were
Dragoons had a long range
tactical capability.
museums such as art, science and technology,
Hussar — lighter weight rider on a medium
a
natural history, and botanical museums. A
careful reading of his chapters on these rep-
horse. The horses carried less equipment
resentative museums can give interpreters in a
large, complex museum, such as Colonial Wil-
and were faster. Hussars were often used as
liamsburg, a clearer picture of the opportuni-
Lancer — lightweight cavalry man armed
a
with a lance, on a lighter, faster horse.
messengers.
ties its facilities create.
The book also deals with the functions of
Lancer' s mobility was used to break up
lines of infantry in battle.
museum support facilities such as research,
conservation, and, to a lesser extent, museum
Fascines —long cylindrical bundles of brushwood firmly bound together for use in filling up ditches and in constructing artillery
administration. These pages create a greater
empathy for a museum' s departmental di-
batteries and other earthworks.
visions.
Sprinkled throughout the book is a system
Gabions —
large wicker baskets of cylindrical
of museum ethics, a loose -knit fabric of princi-
form, usually open at both ends, to be filled
ples with which to fulfill professional responsibilities, and the last pages are devoted to
with earth and incorporated in earthen fortifications.
descriptions of professional museum organizations.
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
A thoughtful reading of Dr. Alexander's
Museums in Motion can only serve to improve
ment of Interpretive Educadon.
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer:
the quality of our museum.
Editorial Board:
Editor:
Barbara Beaman
Bill
Lou Powers
Tramposch,
George
Collins,
Harold Gill, Dennis O' Toole, Sumpter Priddy III, Jane
Strauss, and Shomer Zwelling.
1981 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 2, number 5, September, 1981
Description
An account of the resource
The Siege of Yorktown -- Occurrences -- Military Encampments -- Museums in Motion: A book review -- The King’s English
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/15e43df70b8e9903e2525965a2ed827b.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=jPJsOxE7wsKEsFduHugQ%7EAOv-xlJsTM9KqYhgKP8W-zPzL75fNwYFtQdTWozXDrQuoVLHpjt7lYTBoAIu50BYlUGcisTCnqm2uft1Mcgop5oObDh0l8GsKsT5HyuBd6UwLXzxbjksejkrv6SMrRmaLYp8xzqtnEKNMSosoEM4Up-SBnstH6rSi2Lb9xGswSw1qYICP6bh7CmVzJ%7ETI7EG3wr1O1EwpBSK%7EW5zXg7TzoGO0xrInM4VmqMAv1rZL3K4Lms7877N-ESMWNA54BHzPGW9DNDjfnuGTXzj8fPEbT4ovRXLtCnbambcM34J1XvZWBmEs3R-B0DlM%7EdAuzRkA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
ecabdfb256fe108f852ce9f9e46bc5e6
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
Interpreter
NOVEMBER 1981
VOL. 2 NO. 6
Afro American Tour of
Americans. Rex punctuates his presentation
Colonial Williamsburg
with information gleaned from the memoirs of
Olaudah Equiano — an African who carne to
Rex Ellis is like the Pied Piper of Hamelin
the Chesapeake as a slave, and, later, under
without a flute. As he moves across the Palace
unusual circumstances, recorded his feelings
Green, he coaxes and conjures his followers
and ideas about slavery.
By the mid -eighteenth century the possibil-
with calculated gestures, poignant tales, and a
controlled boisterousness woven into a steady
stream of carefully chosen facts and themes
ities for familial and kin organization increased because of demographic changes. Af-
about Afro American history_ the Tidewater
in
rican immigration declined, allowing fewer
and Chesapeake.
and fewer disruptions. The sex ratio balanced
is an actor, a teacher, and a
out and slaves married, birthed children, and
neophyte historian. He draws on all of these
more often lived with their spouses and chil-
skills to accomplish an extremely difficult task
explaining several hundred years of Afro American history and culture and its peculiarities to Williamsburg and neighboring areas in
dren. Black population density increased, and
a limited amount of time and within a tour
notes
Rex
Ellis
with it the likelihood of black interaction with
other blacks. Black interaction with whites,
including supervisors, decreased. Rex footthis
argument with
format. Rex accomplishes his task with the
the controversial
continued, page2)
skillful choice of powerful themes. They are:
The Exchange
1) racial interaction, ( 2) slave culture, and ( 3)
plantation vs. urban life.
Nike Kipps gives us a progress report on two
In the Palace gardens where slaves once
life - n- the - rene projects in the HistoricArea.
o
s
labored, - ex examines racial interaction to get
R
at the origins of Afro American life. He in-
The craft department is excited about two
forms visitors that the beginnings of the slave
experimental programs that were initiated this
summer. These two projects center on the
care and maintenance of bees and the cultiva-
trade were a clear indication that this transfor-
mation from African to Afro American was to
tion and harvesting of tobacco. Our hope is
be a long and painful one. Africans were captured, and forcefully removed from the security of family, kinship, society, and culture.
Rex paints a vivid picture of the uncertainty
that
these
two
experimental
programs
will
provide a base from which we can expand our
interpretations of the agricultural aspects of
the town and Carter' s Grove.
and horror of the ocean voyage in what is
To
commonly referred to as the middle passage.
Slaves were not shipped directly to Virginia
begin
the " bee"
project,
Lew Le-
Compte graciously donated the services of
from Africa until the late seventeenth and
one
eighteenth centuries. They were first shipped
drones, and 25, 000 workers. Wright Horne
to the West Indies, and those not sold were
and his staff of cabinetmakers carefully con -
transported to the Chesapeake. Rex describes
the complicated process of adaptation. He
structed an experimental beehive. This bee-
makes it apparent that early familial and kin
high proportion of men to women. This un-
been altered slightly to permit modern health
inspectors to examine it without damaging the
hive. The hive is currently located in the or-
balanced sex ratio continued throughout the
chard on the north side of the Elkanah Deane
seventeenth century, and not until the mid eighteenth century did it begin to come into
hive will be used in our domestic crafts cook-
queen
bee,
a
handful
of passionate
hive is taken from a French design that has
organizations were impossible because of the
House. The honey and beeswax from this
balance. An additional pioblem was the large
ing and candlemaking programs, and a de-
number of African imports who were consid-
scription of bee care and hive maintenance
ered newcomers and outsiders by native Afro-
will be incorporated into our interpretation.
continued, page3)
1
�Behind the Wythe House, Rex explains
that plantations were the physical center for
Afro-American, continued
subject of slave sale and family disruption.
the organization ofAfro-American life and cul-
Clearly, families were disrupted by sale.
Those sold were usually younger members of
the family, and these sales were usually made
ture. Usually the work routine determined
how slaves occupied a given day. Gang labor
to masters living nearby. So reprehensible an
predominated
act benefited the Afro- American community
worked from sun to sun at a variety of tasks,
because it permitted, by default, inter - lanp
tation networks and extended kinship patthe period of slavery and provided the ver-
generally structured around the cultivation of
tobacco, wheat, and corn:- Thus, most slaves
were agricultural laborers. Rex informs us that
some slaves acted as foremen and overseers.
tebrae for the survival of Afro American life
There were also carpenters, stone masons,
terns. These patterns persisted throughout
in
the
Tidewater.
Slaves
carters, and boatmen. The black overseer' s
and culture.
responsibility was made particularly difficult
Rex is most comfortable with his discus-
sions of the development of Afro American
by his divided loyalties. On the one hand, he
culture, especially expressive culture, which
was a leader possessed of the authority to man-
he takes up behind the cabinetmaker' s shop.
age and control the labor force. Still he re-
mained a slave. Therefore, his leadership and
He tells us that owning and playing percussion
instruments were prohibited by a House of
authority had no social significance within the
Euro- American. They blended the complex
greater white community. Rex illuminates
this ambiguity in his portrayal of a troubled
foreman, Jesse, who visits Williamsburg occasionally for suplies.
Rex' s foreman, who he makes us believe is
polyrhythms of Africa with the more structural
before us on his wagon, also alludes to the
European forms. The result was unique, and
differences between urban slavery and rural
although rhapsodic for the creator, it was dis-
slavery. He suggests- that urban slaves had
turbing to most white listeners.
Religion, like kinship organization, was an
more latitude than rural slaves, that they had
essential element of Afro American culture.
Blacks may have begun to use Christian social
oriented rather than defined by time and season. In addition, Williamsburg slaves found a
and cultural definitions as a means of explain-
wider variety of opportunities. Thad Tate
ing their " origins and destiny, " but the meanings they attached to them, as well as the
identifies twelve crafts that they followed —
overall effect, were different from the Anglo-
carpenters, shoemakers, coopers, and tailors.
Virginian
Anglican
Blacks who lived and worked in Williamsburg
church baptized slaves on occasion but did not
interacted, as well as intermarried, with plan-
make' a concerted effort to do so until after the
tation slaves. Urban blacks, like rural blacks,
Great Awakening. Rex notes that during this
period from 1748 to 1768, 980 blacks were
also dealt with poor and working - lass whites.
c
Rex notes the legislation against " night
baptized at Bruton Parish Church, a relatively
significant number. The Afro American re-
shops" and other places where liquor was sold
and whites and blacks fratemized. He con-
sponse to the Great Awakening, on the other
hand, was overwhelming, as indicated by the
cludes that the latitude and autonomy en-
Burgesses resolution, but they flourished
nonetheless. Slaves played an assortment of
instruments, some European, some African,
and others a unique mixture of African and
experience.
The
local
less supervision, and that their work was task -
slaves were barbers, blacksmiths, butchers,
joyed by urban slaves was relative to the plan-
number of black members in the Methodist
tation experience, and that urban slavery was
and Baptist churches by 1790 — 8, 000 Bap-
also severe.
tists and 4, 000 Methodists in Virginia. In tel-
Rex' s tour is consistent with the innovative
ling this part of the story Rex certainly rises to
He has a bit of the gospel
summer programs exploring the Afro - meriA
can past. The tour complements these pro-
preacher in him. The power of his sermon,
grams and gives the visitor a more thorough
which he delivers, in the character of Gowan
understanding of the development than the
the occasion.
Pamphlet, in the low ground behind the Tay -
three - four orminute
loe House, suggests the strength, creativity,
and the longer but carefully focused evening
situational
portrayals
and stamina of old slave preachers and ex-
programs.
Rex' s choice of a clandestine, yet
Rex' s tour is an interdepartmental effort
natural, setting conveys the essential ele-
drawing on the research department, the corn pany of colonial performers, interpretive edu-
horters.
ments of an independent slave religion.
2
�cation, and group visits. Thad Tate' s The
and the production of flowers and seed pods
Negro in Eighteenth- Century Williamsburg re-
could take nutrients away from the leaves. At
mains the definitive study of the Afro- American experience in Williamsburg. In the last
the same time, the plants were " primed,"
ten years, a number of other historians have
moved. About two weeks later the plants were
researched and written about blacks in the
cut down, allowed to wilt in the field for a few
is,
that
the undesirable bottom leaves were re-
Chesapeake. Most notable are Philip Morgan
hours, and were then put on tobacco poles.
now a fellow at Colonial Williamsburg and
the Institute of Early American History and
Two plants are tied together and draped over
four and -one -half -oot split poles, or a pointf
Culture), and Edmund Morgan, Alan Kuli-
ed pole is used to pierce the stalks of the
koff, Russell Menard, and Rhys Isaac. Gerald
plants. We found that piercing is the faster
Mullins' s study of slave resistance in the colony and state and Robert McColly's analysis
of slavery in Jeffersonian Virginia are significant for the late eighteenth century.
method.
The tobacco is then taken to a loft or bam
for drying. Currently we are drying three hundred plants in the Blair Stables and fifty plants
Visitor response to the tour has been excep-
in the herb drying building behind the Apoth-
tional. The future also suggests promise.
ecary Shop. The plants hang in the loft for six
From the York Counry Project a substantial
to eight weeks. On a very misty, moist day —
body of research data about Afro- Americans
the moisture in the air softens the dried leaves
will be available. The summer program will
so they can be handled —
continue; Rex' s tour will be broadened and
formed into " hands." Hands are made by lay-
enhanced. Phil Morgan and the author are
ing one leaf on top of another and then bind-
the tobacco is
currently involved in research on the Afro -
ing the stalks with another tobacco leaf. The
American experience in the tidewater area.
Colonial Williamsburg, then, is clearly com-
next step is to sweat the leaves. This is done
by putting the hands under weights. This
mitted to scholarly research and an accurate
traps the remaining moisture in the leaves and
interpretation of Afro American life in the
Tidewater and Chesapeake.
are " warm,"
raises the leaf temperature. When the leaves
the weights are removed and the
remaining moisture is allowed to evaporate. If
all this is carefully done, the result is a sweet
Reginald Butler
smelling and sweet smoking tobacco.
Along with Neil, Russell, Victor, and Mark,
George Pettengell and Kerry Shackelford are
experimenting with the drying and curing pro-
Craft Projects, continued
-
Although tobacco has been grown in the
Historic Area for a number of years, this sum-
cesses. It is our hope that our combined efforts
mer provided us with our first real opportunity
will produce enough tobacco to properly
prize" or pack it in a tobacco hogshead. We
to grow tobacco using eighteenth -century
techniques and equipment. Victor Shone
also hope to turn this summer' s experimental
started the process by turning the fields with
program into an ongoing one that will enable
the traditional horse and plow. Next, the
us to interpret not only the growing and har-
seedlings were planted.
vesting of tobacco, but also its important role
in the economic development of Virginia.
In the eighteenth
century, the seedlings were normally started
in January by planting seeds in carefully pre-
The King' s English
pared beds covered with cedar or pine brush.
Because of our late start, we enlisted the help
of the landscape department to grow our
seedlings. Neil Black and Russell Steele set
Drone — the male honeybee. It is a non-
these plants out in " hills" —
raised mounds of
Hogshead — a cask. Casks used for shipping
earth with a plant set in the top of the mound
that were about six feet apart. During the
tobacco in the colonial period measured
worker.
four feet high with thirty-inch diameters at
the ends. The capacity could vary from a
summer, Neil, Russell, and Mark Pepper
weeded the field with several different types
few hundred pounds to twelve hundred
of field hoes.
The plants matured in the first weeks of
September. At this point, the tops of the
pounds, according to how tightly the tobacco was packed. After 1745, Virginia law
required every tobacco hogshead to contain
plants were cut off. This was done to stop
at least 950 pounds.
further growth of the plant. Further growth
Skep — a straw beehive.
3
�minister in the tradition of William Pitt or
King George III
Winston Churchill.
Against this background, the author exp-
by John Brooke
lains why Great Britain lost the American col-
A book review by John Hemphill
This book by an acknowledged authority in
English history is both readable and immense-
onies. According to Brooke, political separation between Great Britain and her colonies
was inevitable. War was not. Lord North, and
ly_
informative.
The focus of much of our interpretive ef-
not George III, should bear more of the re-
forts in Williamsburg is on the period when
the king of England was George III. Negative
sponsibility for the way the American colonies
were lost.
Brooke does not overlook the personal as-
images of King George III were enshrined in
he makes ample
the Declaration of Independence and in the
pects of the king' s life —
caricatures of English and American historians
references to his illnesses, physical and men-
of the nineteenth century. " Bad King George,
the Mad King" may have served psychological
tal, his devotion to his consort, Charlotte of
Mecklenburg, and his lifelong patronage of
needs for Americans trying to justify the break
the arts and sciences.
John Brooke' s book can be recommended
with Great Britain and for Englishmen embar-
rassed by the Toss of the American colonies.
as
John Brooke enables us to move beyond those
readability.
needs to see George III as he really was:
as a
a
happy
marriage of scholarship and
Occurrences
child, as a student, as the heir apparent, and as
a man.
If you were unable to attend the conference
If Brooke had been writing in the eigh
teenth century, his book might well have
on women in colonial society held here in
Williamsburg in early November, you have a
second chance to be brought up to date in this
borne some such expanded subtitle as: " How
George III overcame the effects of his father' s.
important area of historical research and in-
early death, his mother's needless fears, his
terpretation. At 8: 00 P. M. on Thursday,
November 19, Cary Carson, head of our re-
own loveless childhood and youthful dependence on one of his tutors, to become, after
search department, and Lorena Walsh, re-
enduring a decade of political turmoil, in
search fellow of the Colonial Williamsburg
maturity, a king devoted to his people and the
Foundation, will give a talk they' ve titled
constitution, humble, hard working, and true
The House That Jill Built:
to the principles of political liberty and limited
government
that
made
The Material
Culture of Early American Women." See you
eighteenth- century
at the Botetourt Theater in the basement
England the envy of the westem world."
Fortunately for George III, he not only gets
from John Brooke a fair assessment of his
level of Swem Library at the College of William and Mary.
If Thanksgiving is upon us, can Christmas
character and his career, but gets it in a book
be far behind? Of course not. This year Grand
full of worldly views and wise observations
about politics. George' s early idol and tutor,
Illumination occurs on Wednesday, December 16. Special " Christmas Previews" prog-
the Earl of Bute, was a man of idealistic princi-
rams begin Sunday, December 13, with
ples but hopelessly naive opinions. The Bute
who emerges in the early pages of Brooke' s
decorating Carter's Grove. Following will be
tree decorations workshops, lecture demon-
book is the classic case of the intellectual in
strations on making Christmas decorations,
politics who wants power without responsibil-
and two performances of Handel' s Messiah at
ity. To his credit, George III internalized
Bruton Parish Church ( December 15 and 16).
Bute' s valuable teaching about personal mo-
These " Christmas Previews" launch a Colo-
rality, love of leaming and culture, and the
nial Williamsburg Christmas season that will
be at least as merry and bright as any we' ve
nature of the English constitution, while re-
jecting, as he matured, Bute' s fantasies and
known before. Look to the " Christmas Sea-
false opinions about English politicians and
the world of English politics. In Lord North,
who became his chief minister in 1770,
George III found the politician who could
son 1981" brochure for program specifics.
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Department of Interpretive Education.
Editor:
manage the House of Commons. Nonetheless, North was only a politician — not a
statesman, only a superb manager of the
House of Commons —
Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editorand Feature Writer:
Lou Powers
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Cliff Burket, George
Collins, Harold Gill, Dennis O' Toole, Sumpter Priddy
III, Jane Strauss, Shomer Zwelling
not an effective prime
1981 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 2, number 6, November, 1981
Description
An account of the resource
Afro-American Tour of Colonial Williamsburg -- The Exchange -- The King’s English -- King George III: A book review -- Occurrences
-
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PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
J
1 nrr e e r
e
VOL. 3
NU. 1
JANUARY 1982
Horses used for the " road" were the fast
Horses of the
riding horses, which, apart from racehorses,
Colonial Period
had to be the most popular animals in the
colonies. Quotes from contemporary sources
indicate that they were also abused, however.
Victor Shone, manager ofcoach and livestock operations, describes basic types of horses used in
Indeed nothing can be more elegant and
According to a Swiss traveler in 1702, " Horses, which are hardly used for anything else but
riding ...
run always in a fast gallop." The
beautiful than the horses bred here, either for
gallop is a most exhausting gait. The most
the turf, the field, the road, or the coach; and
continued, page 2)
colonial Virginia, their characteristics, and uses.
they have always fine long, full, flowing tails;
but their carriage horses are seldom possessed
of that weight and power, which distinguish
those of the same kind in England." So wrote
Fire Protection -
J. F. D. Smyth, an English visitor to Virginia
in 1770. What did he mean by his description
and the Fire Engine
of horses bred for the turf, the field, and so
forth, and how were those horses different
Williamsburg inhabitants must have been
from one another?
Horses bred for the " turf' were the gentle-
engine —a marvelous piece of technology —by
pleased with the arrival in town of its first fire
of course)
1736, after a fire threatened the recently com-
and were considered by many visitors to the
pleted second Capitol. Until that time, fire
colonies to be some of the finest horseflesh
fighting in Williamsburg was a haphazard ef-
men' s
thoroughbreds ( racehorses,
they had viewed on either side of the Atlantic.
fort using buckets either owned by individuals
They were imported in great numbers from
or purchased for public buildings. A descrip-
England to Virginia and the Carolinas. Most
tion of the 1734 fire that destroyed the Palmer
were quite small, many measuring only thir-
House close to the Capitol was written by
teen or fourteen hands —a hand being four
Daniel Fisher, who was furious over what was,
inches. All horses are measured from the
in his view, mismanaged fire fighting. He list-
ground to the withers. By today' s inter-
ed the tools necessary for the job:
national standards, if a horse is not over four-
buckets, tubs, axes, spades, ladders, and, of
teen
course, a nearby well. Wet bags and blankets
hands, two inches, it is considered a
pails,
could be used to cover buildings close to the
pony. Most thoroughbreds now are over fifteen hands, but we have few references to
fire. Willing hands and orderly management,
fifteen -hand
grumbled
horses in eighteenth- century
Fisher, were additional require-
documentation.
ments for containing and extinguishing fires.
Horses intended for the " field" were the
farm, cart, or draught horses of the period.
The new fire engine was not only a first for
Williamsburg, it was also an improvement
How the original stock developed, I believe,
over earlier English models, because it could
produce a continuous stream of water instead
is still questionable. They, could have been
shipped over, although we have found no in-
of intermittent spurts. A double acting pump
dication of their importation. Although we
system patented by Richard Newsham in the
have no eighteenth -century Virginia graphic
proof, nineteenth- century descriptions por-
1720s made this possible. It is probable that
this innovative engine was the type purchased
trayed this
specimen. This appearance might have been
for Williamsburg. We know such an engine
was used by the City of London from the first
caused in part by breeding, but I believe poor
quarter of the eighteenth century until about
type of animal as a rather poor
continued, page 4)
care and overwork contributed.
1
�Horses, continued
tails "? Don' t all horses have long, full, flowing
critical comment I have found was written by
tails? In those days not all horses did. Cer-
Isaac Weld, who was in Virginia in 1795 - 1796:
tainly this was true in England. The fad of
docking horses' tails ( cutting off a large por-
The horses in common use in Virginia are
all of a light description, chiefly adapted for
tion of the " dock" or vertebrae of the tail) had
the saddle; some of them are handsome,
been practiced for many years in England and
finally caught on in America. Originally docking was done to reduce grooming duties and
but they are for the most part spoiled by the
false gaits which they are taught. The Vir-
also to protect an inexperienced driver from
ginians are wretched horsemen, as indeed
are all the Americans I ever met with, ex-
cepting some few in the neighbourhood of
New York. They sit with their toes just
the problems of a kicking horse if the reins got
caught under its tail. Docking developed into
a fashionable practice. It was outlawed in
under the horse' s nose, their stirrups being
England in 1946 but is still legal in some states
left extremely long, and the saddle put
in the United States. This act is no less cruel
about three or four inches forward on the
today than it was in the eighteenth century,
mane. As for the management of the reins,
although
it is what they have no conception of. A trot
have made the surgery less barbaric.
modem
methods
and
anesthesia
is odious to them, and they express the
I must add, in defense of the early horse-
utmost astonishment at a person who can
men, that their horses were looked upon quite
like that uneasy gait, as they call it. [ The
differently from today' s animals. They were
trot is easiest on the horse but hardest on
either gentlemen' s toys and received the best
the rider. ]The favourite gaits which all their
care known, or they were somewhat neglected
horses are taught, are a pace and a wrack. In
beasts of burden. People have not changed
the first, the animal moves his two feet on
much, really —we all know how we treat a fine
In the wrack,
set of golf clubs or a boat compared to an old
the horse gallops with his fore feet, and trots
work truck or a battered car.
Most of these comments and observations
one side at the same time...
with those behind.
are based on " Wheeled Carriages in Eigh-
Long distance travel done mostly at a gal-
teenth- Century Virginia" by Mary R. M.
lop had to be hard on these small horses.
Ironically, travel at a gallop resulted in less
Goodwin. We hope, in the future, we will
have more information for interpreters about
livestock.
mileage per day because long rest periods
were needed.
Coach horses were a combination of thor-
oughbreds and farm mares. They were still
small but with a little more substance. They
were, of course, considered draught horses
because they had to pull weight, but they had
to do it at a speed of about eight to nine miles
Roads in Colonial Virginia
an hour —
and with style. To give some idea of
the size of colonial horses in relation to the
other wheeled vehicles used,
A French officer touring Virginia after the Bat-
consider that it took four horses to draw a
tle of Yorktown observed that in some places
sociable, while today we use two; and for a
two-wheeled vehicle such as a market cart or
there were too many roads and in others not
enough. This curious inconsistency resulted
hay cart, colonists usually used two horses —
from the fact that each county was responsible
carriages and
for the construction and maintenance of roads
we use one.
within its bounds. The road laws, first enacted
According to reports, Virginians were not
overly concerned about matching horses,
in 1632, required counties to establish roads
sometimes using blacks, bays, and chestnuts
between every place of importance within the
in the same team. Maybe that' s one of the
county— to the courthouse, churches, ferries,
reasons Lord Botetourt' s team of six gray
and
horses made such an impression.
colony.
One final point should be made with regard
to an observation in the first quotation. Why
Virginia' s many rivers, both in the east and
the west, remained busy highways throughout
would the author think it noteworthy that
the colonial period, but land travel was also
they have always fine long, full, flowing
necessary, and Virginians enjoyed traveling
2
mills,
as well as to the capital of the
�on horseback and by horse -drawn vehicles.
Lord Adam Gordon, an English traveler in
250 from Richmond to Waynesboro. That
1765, commented that the Virginians' " breed
Chopt"
of horses [ is] extremely good, and in particular
three marks chopped on trees to indicate the
those they run in their carriages, which are
mostly from thoroughbred horses and country
mares —they all drive six horses and travel
generally from eight to nine miles an hour,
0
route.
highway is still known to many as " ThreeRoad, the name derived from the
The Great Wagon Road that conveyed so
many settlers from Pennsylvania into western
North Carolina and Tennessee followed fairly
closely the route of US 11 through the Shenandoah Valley. The Wilderness Road ran
through Cumberland Gap and provided an
important entrance into Kentucky.
going frequently sixty miles to dinner —
you
may conclude from this their roads are extremely good." Another newcomer to the col-
ony in 1756 noted that most traveled " with six
horses" and footmen and postilions. For such
That so many old roads became modem
widespread use of wheeled vehicles the roads
highways shows how practical the early plan-
had to be fairly well built and maintained.
ning was.
HG
The counties were required to construct
roads at least forty feet wide to accommodate
wheeled vehicles. In general the roads were
apparently good, for visitors commented on
their fine condition. A Southampton County
merchant wrote his brother in England in 1755
that " ten or Twenty Mile is acounted nothing
to ride here the roads are so good" — the impli-
cation being that roads in England were not.
In fact, another visitor said " the roads are ...
Occurrences
some of the best I ever saw, and infinitely
0
superior to most in England." In 1780, a British officer crossed the Blue Ridge at Wood' s
Occurrences? In the dead of winter?
Gap and observed that he didn' t realize until
You bet. For one, don' t forget the next
he looked down from the summit that he had
gained " an eminence, much less one that is of
such a prodigious height, owing to the judi-
lectures in the series being put on by the
Research Department. On January 28, John
cious manner that the inhabitants have made
Hemphill speaks on " Lord Botetourt as the
the road, which, by its winding, renders the
ascent extremely easy." It appears that the
only problems in traveling in colonial Virginia
King' s Representative in Virginia." Harold
Gill follows on February 16 with " Storekeeping in Eighteenth-century Virginia." Mr.
were encountered at ferries and fords when
Hemphill retums on March 18 to talk on
the water was high and in the winter when
Governor Robert Dinwiddie: A Scottish
Bureaucrat in Virginia Politics, 1738 - 1758."
All the lectures are at 8: OOpm. at the Botetourt
many roads became impassable. ( Of course,
there was no efficient snow -removal equip-
Theater in Swem Library at the College of
ment.)
William and Mary.
The major north -south road ran from Alex-
There is also George Washington to com-
andria to Williamsburg roughly along the present route of US 1 to Fredericksburg and from
memorate. The Foundation will do so with a
606 to US 33 until it joined US 60 near Toano
Capitol Evening on Friday, February 12,
Washington In Williamsburg Tours" from
February 13 through February 22, a Washington' s Birthday Tattoo at 5: 15 P. M. on the 13th,
and from Toano into Williamsburg by what we
an eighteenth- century play that night, and,
call Richmond Road that follows the old In-
the climactic event, Washington's Birthday
dian trail through Middle Plantation. The
present Penniman Road in Williamsburg has
Review at 4: 30 P. M. on Monday, February 15.
Our visitors may want to know that there is
been well traveled since the early seventeenth
much to do at Colonial Williamsburg to re-
there by US 301 to Hanover Court House.
From Hanover it followed the south side of
the Pamunkey River by State Routes 605 and
member and to celebrate the birth of Amer-
century.
ica' s greatest great man.
The principal east west road, the famous
Three Chopt" Road, followed closely US
3
�Fire Engine, continued
allowing for shrinkage as the metal cools and
trying to design patterns so that the cyclinders
1832 and was highly regarded. Furthermore,
Newsham -type engines were ordered for cities in other colonies:
Philadelphia, New
are true enough to give the pump a smooth,
York, and Salem, Massachusetts.
critical tolerances become when pieces must
finished bore. All are concerned about how
The arrival of the new engine did not solve,
fit and work together well enough to create
all the problems of fire protection, however.
pressure to pump water. Jim Curtis is making
the air chamber of heavy -gauge copper. Peter
Strategically placed wells with pumps in good
repair were needed. Some citizens complain-
Ross and his staff are doing the ironwork for
ed that Williamsburg should have more than
the first engine had maintenance problems. A
the engine, as well as making the special tools
and equipment needed by the other shops.
Wright Horne is constructing the carriage, and
campaign to hire night watchmen finally resulted in a 1772 Williamsburg City Council
Painting will be done by the C &
one fire engine, and there are indications that
Dan Stebbins has already " tyred" the wheels.
M paint
decision to provide " a watch, to consist of four
sober and discreet People," who were to patrol the streets to detect fires and deter rob-
shop. Irvin Diehl ( CWF' s " Honorary Fire
bers. - They were also to care for the " fire
engines" ( it is possible that another one had
hoses, and about twenty five buckets.
Now if we can just find four sober and dis-
been purchased by 1772) and to assist in extin-
creet people to run the thing.
Chief') will make the hard sleeves needed to
draw water from the well, flexible leather
guishing fires.
BB
Fire insurance was already available in
other colonies before the Mutual Assurance
Society of Virginia was established in 1795.
Fire insurance policies were decorated with
elaborate engravings intended, no doubt, to
The King' s English
inspire confidence —it's not surprising that
the Newsham engine was featured in policy -
heads for many years.
Draught —
applied to animals, used fordraw-
Dan Berg, Jim Curtis, Irvin Diehl, Wright
Horne,
Peter
Ross,
Dan
Stebbins,
ing a weight.
and
Hard sleeve —a tin insert to keep leather
hose from collapsing.
George Wilson are teaming up ( and tooling
up) to make a working reproduction of the
Newsham -type fire engine in our collection.
The antique engine was purchased in 1960; it
came from Gloucestershire, England, where
Landau — four a
wheeled carriage with a con-
vertible top; named for the town in Germany where it originated.
Sociable — open, four an
wheeled carriage in
it had apparently been in the same family
since
1830.
which the occupants face each other.
The reproduction project has
been funded by the chairman and chief executive officer of Figgie International, Mr. Harry
Tyre or Tire —
the iron rim on the wheel of
E. Figgie, Jr., and should be completed early
next summer. Bill Hammes has done research
Withers —
the juncture of the shoulder bones
any vehicle.
of a horse or other animal, forming the highest part of the back.
and is the coordinator for the project.
Dan Berg and his staff are excited by the
challenge of these large and complicated cast-
ings, which are a far cry from the small, deli-
cately detailed pieces usually made at the
Me interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart -
foundry. Pouring one hundred pounds of mol-
ment of Interpretive Education. -
ten brass ( at 2000° F.) at one time is an awe-
Editor:
some undertaking. Special equipment must
be used —for example, a very large crucible
Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editorand Featurarriter: Lou Powers
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Cliff Burket, George
Collins, Harold Gill, Dennis O' Toole, Jane Strauss,
and devices to support it. George Wilson is
Sumpter Priddy III, Shomer Zwelling
1982 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
creating the patterns to use in constructing
sand molds for the castings. He talks about
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 3, number 1, January, 1982
Description
An account of the resource
Horses of the Colonial Period -- Fire Protection and the Fire Engine -- Roads in Colonial Virginia -- Occurrences -- The King’s English
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/3647abebe5ef94e7e32640be0f06722d.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=HQ1KuyhRfkLMC0Pshs2r3y8FTafDx7aH4xYWvCBk1RDmJ8YEYaGhfhBOLso2UTmGpmTHKbslcxyQgisVitJ0ljNqvSRd9zRLHjwpxhorbTu1C-eDI-y%7Eak2oRiztRVlyq9df7NfA5OKwnx5id8q3jvQCpjEw0sihxIJsLojyVgflLMJCH0f2P%7EIqZSh19IWwaGDw6Gq%7EJiVzfskyztNQQyrRl%7E-dogB5%7E6egOYnDdnxi11s%7EaAMc1knExgPAFX1Eli4GoOZmuS9gIBUlqVQtc4wGqZP9aZAR6qx5PyPo5k7BKj3SuddwBINN5aNjq1QdhGSHBxl3oZVLtK8v5SJOYw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
7302fc34ce252541d3642d62c565092d
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
I n e r __ e r
re
VOL.
3
No.
MARCH 1982
2
The Greenhow Store
Store interpretation assumes a larger role at
We asked Mary Theobald, who coordinates
Historic Area products, to tell as about the new
the
Greenhow Store.
Apothecary visitors receive general informa-
Eighteenth century Williamsburg was a
commercial town boasting many stores,
tion -about the colonial apothecary and the
shops,
Office guests leam about the printers who sold
tavems,
markets,
and
smaller
sales
outlets.
At McKenzie' s
products and services he offered. At the Post
fairs where
merchandise routinely changed hands.
flee " King' s English" for distinction between store and shop.) Though fewer of
merchandise
these business establishments exist today
open its doors to the public and store interpre-
than
and
operated
a
postal
service
from this shop.
In the fall the ninth Historic Area store will
ago,
their
tation will take a giant step forward. John
overall
Wil-
Greenhow' s establishment across from the
liamsburg experience has never been more
Geddy House will be unique among the His-
significant.
toric Area general stores in its incorporation of
flourished
contribution
Part
to
of the
two
centuries
the
visitor' s
educational
mission
of the
an " exhibition store" within a working retail
Historic Area stores and shops is to repre-
operation.
continued, page2)
sent the role that retailing played in the
Gi everyday lives of eighteenth -century Virginians;
public
another aspect is
with
a
variety
to
provide
of authentic
the
eigh-
teenth- century products. To achieve these
educational
goals,
an
interpretive
T. A. C. T.
program
with two basic areas of emphasis was initiated
in the late 1970s:
store interpretation and
Thoughtful Actions Can Talk)
product interpretation.
Many interpreters have expressed an interest in continuing discussions begun dur-
Product
interpretation
dominates.
What
ing our 1982 in- service interpretive education session, " Diplomacy Under Pressure."
is a teetotum, how and why was it used?
How was the mob cap worn, by whom, and
when?
What
are
Pontefract
cakes
Although our formal classes cannot continue throughout the year, with this issue
and
where did they get their name? These are
just a few of the questions to which the
of The Interpreter we are introducing a spe-
sales/ interpreters respond every day. Of-
cial column addressing this important topic.
ten a printed card accompanies the item to
As you know, in our last issue we asked you to
explain
its
historical significance.
In this
suggest titles for this new feature; your sug-
way the educational message is delivered
twice, orally and in writing. Because many
gestions have been clever and varied. Each of
purchases are intended as gifts for people
your ideas underscored this column' s objectives:
1) to relate difficult visitor- related
not
signifi-
situations in which we' ve found ourselves,
cance is explained, these cards carry our
historical information one step further. The
situations absolutely requiring us to employ
present
when
the
product' s
dise must not be underrated. Long after the
diplomacy under presure; 2) to share successes in solving such dilemmas; and 3) for the
Department of Interpretive Education to sug-
visit
gest ways to handle encounters that have
educational
is
value
over,
the
of
authentic
gift
taken
merchan-
home
stirs
memories of Williamsburg and reinforces
stumped us.
continued, page3)
j) learning that has taken place.
the
1
�Greenhow, continued
While working his way through files at
the Virginia State Library, a Foundation re-
counting room" in the back of the store to
be
furnished with antiques and reproduc-
tions. A desk will be open and equipped
searcher came upon a series of sketches in
John Hook' s papers. Both the letters and
with money scales, sealing wax, quill pens,
the
a pipe, and other accessories for a busy
location of the originals is unkown. The
merchant. The bookcase will hold period
publications on bookkeeping and mer-
sketches
are
negative
photostats,
and
drawings were created in 1772 as a guide to
building or remodeling Hook's store in
Bedford County. Remodeling is more like-
chants' guides, as well as facsimile account
books and ledgers. A strong box will pro-
ly, as a carpenter' s account at that time
tect Mr. Greenhow' s money and valuables.
A few prints and maps will decorate the
walls. The Greenhow team limited the in-
mentions moving the counting house and
various kinds of repairs to Hook' s prop-
trusions
erty.
of
the
necessary
twentieth cen-
merchandising
requirements: the
cash registers will be quiet and shielded
John Hook came to Virginia from Scot-
tury
land as a very young man. After working as
a bookkeeper in a couple of Virginia stores,
he formed a partnership and established a
from public view, and the specially designed lighting fixtures will be inconspicuous.
wholesale store at Warwick in Chesterfield
Another feature of the John Greenhow
County and the retail store in Bedford.
Until recently the paucity of concrete in-
Store will be its accessibility to physically
formation on store interiors prevented the
Historic Area stores from claiming too close
trances to Historic Area stores and shops
are several steps above sidewalk level, it is
a
eighteenth century
difficult for guests in wheelchairs to enter
counterparts. Last year a field study by the
them. One plan under consideration for
Greenhow is a lightweight ramp, concealed in a pile of barrels and shipping
resemblance
to
their
Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation
handicapped
archi-
tects into eighteenth and early nineteenth-
visitors.
Because
the
en-
crates near the front door, which the sales/
century Virginia stores provided knowledge
interpreters could quickly pull up to the
entrance. No steps or barriers should im-
on shelving, counters, and other aspects ofthe
interior arrangements of stores. Information
from the field survey was substantiated and
pede the movements of our handicapped
amplified by the eleventh -hour discovery of
guests, once inside. The lighting levels will
the only known drawings of an eighteenthcentury Virginia store.
the
be sufficient for the sight- impaired, while
The Foundation incorporated part of the
Store,
creating
the
most
will
allow
those
con-
dise.
new discovery on the northwest wall of the
Greenhow
lower counters
fined to wheelchairs to see the merchanIn addition to the usual sales /interpret-
au-
ers, the Greenhow Store will be staffed by
thentic shelving in any Historic Area store.
John
One of the sketches shows the arrangement
Greenhow
himself. Five
actors. will
rotate in the role of Mr. Greenhow, discus-
and dimensions of a group of pigeonholes sur-
sing the difficulties of managing a large
rounded by shelves. Pigeonholes were evident in several colonial stores. William Al-
general store and of acquiring only " the
merchandise for the customers.
best"
lason' s store in Falmouth, for instance, had
an unspecified number of them, as did
Thomas Jones' s store in Williamsburg. The
Weather permitting, Mr. Greenhow may
take to the street to oversee the delivery of a
wagon load of goods or to entice passersby
with descriptions of his wares. Whenever
feasible, interaction between Mr. Green -
drawing of Hook' s store also indicates ten
drawers under the counter; the drawers are
labeled for coffee, pepper, allspice, ginger,
saltpeter, allum, brimstone, medicine, in-
how and " his employees and apprentices"
digo, and cash. The counter extended across
in the store will add another dimension to
the entire width of the building —
twenty feet.
the interpretation.
The products sold in the Greenhow Store
Armed with this information, the curators, architects, and historians set to work
on the Greenhow Store. They re- created a
will mirror as much as possible the items
continued, page4)
2
�through Sunday, May 2. Garden Week in Wil-
Occurrences
liamsburg, with its tour of selected area
homes, falls on Tuesday, April 27.
Visitors will be interested to learn about
People were,
well, different in the eigh-
these events. Let them know about them.
teenth century. And one could scarcely
find a more peculiar — hilarious —group
or
of eighteenth- century Englishmen and wo-
And there may be some events you have
men
than
those
who comprise
the
characters of The Male Coquette,
yet to see. Now is your chance!
cast of
or, 1757.
T.A.C.T., continued
The great Mr. David Garrick wrote this
comedy, a faithful adaptation of which now
George Collins' s sessions afforded us prac-
graces the boards at the Lodge Auditorium.
tice in resolving certain difficult incidents by
Harvey Credle and his talented troupe of
employing some time tested principles of per-
actors have produced this delightful evening,
sonal interaction. Although these principles
which it would be your great ill fortune to
remain constant, there is no end to the variety
miss. Dates are Saturday, March 6, 20, and 27,
of tight situations in which an interpreter
and April 17.
Divisional
might find himself /herself. So, " adaptability"
in- service training may be
soon becomes the emblem of a successful
over, but there are still opportunities to
learn before the onset of summertime and
interpreter.
its attendant busy days. The Research De-
scriptions of incidents you would like ad-
partment' s
dressed here, and we encourage you to
continue sending them. Our teaching in-
lecture
series
continues
Many of you have already submitted de-
with
Shomer Zwelling talking on " Robert Car:
ter:
The Seasons of a Man' s Life"
on
terpreters
review them and
begin discus-
Thursday, April 15. This presentation will
sing possible solutions. Then the rest of us
take
in the Department of Interpretive Education share our thoughts on the matter. By
place
at
Botetourt
Theatre,
Swem
Library, the College of William and Mary,
at 8: 00 P. M. It is certain to be very much
the time it makes its rounds in our department, your situation has had the benefit of
worth your while.
An Evening of Military Life" makes its
1982 debut on St. Patrick' s Day, Wednesday, March 17, at 7: 00 P. M. This is the third
year for this lively program of historical
about seventy to eighty years of combined
interpretive experience. At times we may
want to refer the really complex ones to the
Foundation - ide Hospitality and Courtesy
w
instruction and dramatization. The thirtysixth Garden Symposium opens Sunday,
Committee chaired by Steve Elliott. We all
March 28, and concludes on March 31.
assistance is really needed.
hope our responses will assist you when
April brings its usual bounty of showers,
Well, I've kept you in suspense long
flowers, and visitors. Easter, which falls on
April 11 this year, will be celebrated at Col-
enough. You must be wondering who won our
Easter militia review at 8: 30 A. M. and a
Name- The New Column Contest." ( The
envelope, please.) Our winner, Anne Potts, a
hostess in the Department of Exhibition
dinner play at the Lodge at 7: 00 P. M. on
Saturday, and a Palace Garden Party from
Buildings, has won a $ 20. 00 gift certificate to
be used at the Information Center Bookstore.
2: 00 to 3: 30 p. M. and Capitol Concerts at 8: 00
I envy Anne this award. There are many attractive books there. By the way, I too had
what I thought to be an appealing title for this
column. I wanted it to be called " The Sticky
Wicket." Members of my staff, however, told
onial
Williamsburg
with
the
traditional
P. M. and 9: 00 P. M. Easter Sunday. Friday,
April 16, marks the premier of a new evening
program titled " An Assembly at the Capitol."
It is a gathering of visitors to the town for
music, dance, and diversions at the Capitol.
It' s another production of Mr. John Moon and
the talented people in the Company of Colonial Performers. Williamsburg Garden Tours
9
me that I simply didn' t qualify for the " Name The- New -Column Contest." They needn' t
wasn' t cricket. Congratulations, Anne.
have told me, though. From the start I knew it
begin on Saturday, April 24, continuing
continued, page 5)
3
�Greenhow, continued)
Greenhow Store, you probably wonder
how all of this could affect your daily in-
that John Greenhow advertised in the Virginia Gazette in the 1760s. " Large, rich and
noble China bowls" will sit on the shelves,
Pontefract cakes" will make mouths wa-
terpretations. What might craftspeople, es-
ter, " fish hooks" will tempt the " compleat
say about stores in general and Greenhow
window
angler," "
nails,"
glass," "
corts, hosts and hostesses, and visitor aides
in particular?
and
We suggest that you avoid extremes. The
other " materials for buildings" will interest
stores
the home renovator, while " working canvas
and
of
all
silk"
worsted
should
silver
shades," "
and "
sizes,"
appeal
ribands,
to
the
they
thimbles
thread,
not "
precisely
souvenir
portray
nor do
shops,"
eighteenth- century
stores. Only an exhibition store where no
and
sales are transacted could aspire to this lat-
needleworker.
ter description.
Many new products are being developed
exclusively for Greenhow,
are
and
though some
shops
The Historic Area stores
are active
places of business,
representing the commercial aspects of the
overlap with products in other stores is
period,
necessary.
where
visitors
can
team
about
Just how much product overlap should
eighteenth- century lifestyles and purchas-
exist was a problem encountered early in
ing habits through the products that were,
the planning stages. The desire to infuse
and are. available.
When asked for film, calendars, modern
each of the three general stores with its own
character and appearance was strong, but it
books,
ran counter to the historical evidence that
you might direct visitors to the nearest gift
all eighteenth -century general stores im-
shop ( Inn, Lodge, Motor House), the Infor-
ported
and
inventoried
essentially
or other twentieth -century items,
mation Center, or Merchants' Square. Ex-
the
same items. For example, to offer candles at
Prentis Store while omitting them from
Tarpley' s and Greenhow would mislead
O
plain
able inside the Historic Area. When asked
the
public
to
suppose
that
merchandising approach that was
not
categories.
by
Take
categories
but
candles
an
as
not
avail-
If asked whether all the stores carry the
same items, perhaps you could say that,
while in the eighteenth century Greenhow,
Prentis, and Tarpley stores offered much
adopted distributes products between the
stores
products are
for a place to buy a snack, suggest the
Raleigh Tavern Bakery for baked goods and
cider, or Tarpley's and Greenhow for
candy, dried fruit, and fresh fruit in season.
specialization
was the rule.
The
why modern
within
example
once again. Nearly all general stores in the
eighteenth century inventoried candles of
the same sort of products, today each has
different areas of emphasis so that every
store is worth a visit. When escorting a
group by a store, encourage the visitors to
some sort, and all three general stores in
the Historic Area today will offer some can-
dles. But only one will carry all of the available bayberry and beeswax, dipped and
return after the tour ( no ticket required) to
molded candles in all sizes.
A similar situation in eighteenth- century
examine the vast array of interesting products
stores may have resulted from the uncer-
teenth- century Virginian. After Greenhow
tainties of transatlantic shipping. No one
store could keep a stock of all items at all
unique store —talk with John Greenhow and
and discover what was available to the eighopens in the fall, urge guests to visit this
times. Where general stores did differ was
his employees about the store and its prod-
often
The
ucts, see the exhibition counting room, and
storekeeper who had just received a ship-
learn more about this important aspect of
in
merchandise
availability.
ment from London presumably had a wider
eighteenth- century life.
fresher selection of merchandise from which
Have You Heard
to choose, whereas a competitor whose deliv-
What a good issue the January 1982 William
and Maly Quarterly is? All of the articles deal
with the theme " The Family in Early America." Check your departmental library or the
ery was not expected for several weeks might
run a bit low on some goods.
Unless you are one of the actors or sales/
interpreters slated to work at the new John
Greenhow Office for a copy to borrow.
0
4
�T.A.C.T., continued
To begin our new column, members of the
offer the full range of exhibitions to our
Department of Interpretive Education have
visitors, along with the many other golden
chosen the following situation. ( Note that, as
opportunities of the season!
always, the person who submits the incident
will remain anonymous because it' s the inci-
Bill Tramposch
dent and not the individual that' s clearly being
addressed here.)
What if a visitor should pose this question, " Half the buildings here seem to be
The King' s English
closed, and I' ve paid full price for a ticket.
Why ?" Perhaps you' ve experienced this
many times already. There obviously are
Brimstone —
formerly the common vernacular name for sulphur, which was used in
many positive directions in which your
answer may go. Remember always the importance
of maintaining
the
visitor' s
gunpowder, fireworks, metal- working pro-
self -
cedures, as a medicine, cloth whitener, and
esteem, of listening empathetically to the
a wood preservative.
complaint, and of assisting the visitor in plan-
Counting room — office in which the
an
ning around the given situation.
There
are
why fewer
obviously
buildings
financial
are open
store' s bookkeeper kept the records of the
reasons
in
business.
the
winter. We suggest that you assure the vis-
Gallipot — small glazed earthen pot, espea
itor that there is plenty to see on any single
cially one used by apothecaries for oint-
day and point out that his ticket is valid for
ments and medicines.
Poll comb —a comb for the hair of the head.
Pontefract cakes —licorice candy, not too
more than one day. And while the alternat-
ing schedule means some buildings will be
sweet, from Pontefract, England.
closed every day, at least one of each type
of building is always open —either Wether-
Shop —a retail establishment characterized
burn'-s -or the Raleigh, for example, is open
by its specialization in one particular area;
each day. Those buildings that were closed
today may well be open tomorrow or when
often a part of a craft operation, such as a
millinery shop or blacksmith' s shop; example: McKenzie' s Apothecary Shop.
Store —
an Americanism indicating a retail
establishment characterized by a wide assortment of merchandise typically including cloth, tools, food, household articles;
the visitor returns. You may even have time
to assist the visitor in the planning of his
day.
Too, our winter visitors benefit greatly
from interpreters who can be more " open"
examples:
to interpret in the directions of the visitors'
interests. On these days of low attendance,
Tarpley' s, Prentis, and Green -
how. A store in England usually meant a
our visitors also can more freely imagine
warehouse.
fewer vis-
Teetotum — top with numbered sides used
a
itors, fewer distractions, and fewer lines all
in games especially produced for children
afford
and " polite company" to replace dice,
how life was in Williamsburg:
each
visitor
a
more
personal
en-
which
counter with eighteenth -century life. This
is an intimacy that the Foundation has al-
were
too
closely associated
with
gambling.
ways tried to preserve; the closing of the
Duke of Gloucester Street to traffic and the
intentional
separation
Center facilities
of the
Information
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Department of Interpretive Education.
are but two examples of
Editor: Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Cliff Burket, George
Collins, Harold Gill, Dennis O' Toole, Jane Strauss,
this commitment to free the Historic Area
from "
alien
and
inharmonious
surround-
ings."
In
short,
the
winter
schedule
and
Sumpter Priddy III, Shomer Zwelling
1982 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
the
flexibility of the ticket structure combine to
5
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
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Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 3, number 2, March, 1982
Description
An account of the resource
The Greenhow Store -- T.A.C.T. (Thoughtful Actions Can Talk) -- Occurrences -- The King’s English
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/72dc021597e30b07be5bd5baf1afd00c.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=HRiajtt3tuMNFVZnYYtkcvGzU3KLBbwKobpJNCvY5dfXX5%7EpqhYzVZet2lYdqU1vfL1-2ZODFQrSRYwG%7EhysG9mod5P5ZunAfy9uTQ-zbAP5GykkQ6g9oKHRc8a5sgYBeabdfXLBJdBRO4zz1MZ5X0e-UF1Z2IPO-8sHvD-YBs4Bcj6TIiUXDXWygGNgrOkvnqA3PKOeAtXc-iwreloXA93eX9H01XoV-4mlZwkozAs4ltI5%7EIP7ijL6LPHeAtuwkZEZo5pB1AGZhci4ATDXTlGu9ucZoayYR30i%7EkrXmE0M7O9F6wXfOmM40zI7mWu8KDiJ-pDl3vlwqHHJ3ddzUA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
e027a97fd7c54dc15973c363a25fb5df
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
interpretex
The House That Jill Built
Cary Canon and Lonna Wakh's paper, " The
Material Life of the Early American Housewife,"
presented lastfall atthe women's history conference
mixed farming not unlike what they had
known in the Old World. Their farmhouses
in Williamsburg, userthe history ofmaterial life to
were similar too. For a hundred years or more
the typical New England house was a hall and
make sense ofthe slow but thorough transformation
ofthe English andearlydmeticanfurnishedho,ae.
From all- purpose, one -room houses to
with loft or chamber above. As finances permitted, lean -tos were added for workrooms.
perhaps a sleeping room on the ground floor
multi room, highly specialized residences,
the change in house plans is one way ofgetting
at women' s history. Since the house has been
Eventually the lean -tos acquired hearths and
became kitchens. This meant the hall in New
the
other chores to become a sitting room. By
woman' s
sphere
throughout
most
England houses was freed of its cooking and
of
American history, the study of vemacular or
commonplace houses can tell us how and ap-
slept and sometimes dined in parlors, and al-
proximately when the housewife' s work and
work place changed. Vernacular buildings and
most invariably cooked in lean -to kitchens.
The whole back portion of the house became
their contents are the most helpful because
jbuilders constructed what housekeepers
a consolidated, efficient woman' s work place.
needed,
and
their
changing
needs
1700 most New Englanders sat or ate in halls,
Maryland and Virginia were first settled
are
continued, page2)
reflected in changing house plans.
From
medieval
times
to
the
early
seventeenth - century, English houses were
mostly hall, a central interior space open to the
rafters, where smoke from the cooking fire
Virginia Gardeners
accumulated, and large enough to accommo-
date a whole family and all their activities from
Peter Martin, garden historian for the Foundation, discusses amateur gardeners in eighteenth -
cheese -making to love- making. At more or
century Virginia.
less the same time that settlers were boarding
Who were the designers of Virginia' s eigh-
ships for the colonies in North America, En-
teenth-century gardens? More specifically,
who laid out the gardens in Williamsburg? It is
plain, at least, that they were not what we
know today as landscape architects, individuals who employ drafting skills and understand
the technical aspects of laying our ground pre-
glish building traditions were revolutionized
by the use of substantial construction materials and the invention of chimneys. These
innovations permitted taller structures of two
full stories. The medieval concept of house as
mainly hall gave way to the newer notion of
cisely according to scale and with an architectural sense of possibilities. Such professionals
house as a large box containing several small
boxes. What the colonists began building
did not begin to flourish in Britain until well
were these new style English houses. The
into the second half of the eighteenth century,
result was a compartmentalization that gradu-
but even then their number was small indeed.
ally isolated women in their own houses.
People come to mind like Launcelot " Capa-
While
New
England
and
Chesapeake
house types share the same origins, house-
bility" Brown, who was not beyond removing
a village in its entirety if it was in the way of a
keepers and their families in the two regions
hit upon different adaptations to suit their
needs. Immigrants to New England came in
others were Humphrey Repton and Richard
landscape garden he was hired to lay out;
Payne Knight. In America the era of the pro-
family groups and established farming communities in which they practiced a system of
fessional landscape architect did not arrive un-
til the nineteenth century, with the likes of
1
continued, page3)
�Jill' s House, continued
predominantly by young men who came in
important that you be aware of which guests
hopes of making fortunes in tobacco. Every
loose shilling was best invested in workers to
were waiting and punch their tickets first. If
possible, try to speak privately so as not to
embarrass this person in front of everyone
raise the labor intensive money crop. Chesapeake planters built temporary dwellings and
made do with minimal repairs as long as possi-
else. Loud and angry directions will only in-
than a hall house, Chesapeake planters were
crease his resistance.
Give the guest the benefit of doubt. Perhaps he was unaware of the procedure. Ex-
as likely as New Englanders to reproduce a
plain that a limited number of persons in a
version of their English houses. Gradually,
group insures a more enjoyable opportunity to
one of the assortment of building plans re-
see and to hear. Emphasize that his best in-
ble. When they could afford something larger
membered from England was deemed more
terests are being considered. Often, it is only a
suitable than the rest for family life in Virginia
simple explanation that is needed.
and Maryland. This was the three part farm-
If you know, tell him the length of time he
house typical of the English West Country. In
will have to wait in line and how long the tour
it the cross -passage divided the hall from the
kitchen; it seems also to have divided the
takes. Often guests appreciate this information because of their schedules. This has be-
house along social lines by separating family
come more important because of timed reservations at the Governor' s Palace and at Bassett
Hall.
members, who increasingly used the hall as a
sitting room, from servants or slaves who
worked in the kitchen and slept in a loft above
If guests do not want to go through with a
it. The plan' s ready made division recommended itself to planters who, unlike New
group, the response is simple: " I' m very
sorry, but we only show this building by
Englanders,
that
guided tour." You could suggest the houses
helped define the ambiguous place of in-
where they might walk through on their own.
dentured servants and later the unambiguous
Then let the guests decide.
inferiority of slaves. Ultimately, the kitchen
was detached completely from the rest of the
nearly so important as how we say id
needed
an
architecture
And remember:
the what we say is not
house. It became a separate structure close
enough to the house for the mistress to supervise and close enough to be convenient to the
dinner table, but sufficiently removed so that
those coming and going from house and kitch-
The Woodwright' s Shop
by Roy Underhill
4 book review by Dan Stebbins
en had no need to encounter one another in
the same passage.
After a room has been comfortably heated,
Though written as a companion to his success-
adequately lit with windows, and arranged in
ful PBS television series, Underhill' s book
convenient relation to other rooms, architec-
competently serves the needs of an inquisitive
ture can do little more. Furniture and other
woodworker on its own. Well organized, in-
personal belongings in the rooms must do the
formative, and readable, this book takes one
rest. We shall look at them in an article on Jill' s
household effects in a future issue of The In-
through a progressively challenging series of
projects.
terpreter. In the meantime if you' d like to read
Initially, the reader is given information
the full paper, ask for it at your departmental
library.
that is essential to getting started. There is a
LP
what they have to offer; also a basic descrip-
good introduction to trees, how they grow and
tion of tools, types available, how to find, use,
and maintain them. This culminates with that
Tact
first important step, procuring raw material.
One is then introduced to the methods and
What shall I do when a guest does not wait in
techniques necessary to make a variety of ob-
line to enter a bulding or refuses to go through
jects such as chairs, bowls, and rakes. These
with a group?
projects provide the fundamental skills needSigned,
ed to fabricate the more complex items, dove-
Resigned
tails and panel -frame construction for example, that the woodworker is progressing to-
Politely suggest that he join the other
guests who have been waiting to enter. It is
wards.
2
�Thus, from basic wood technology through
towns like Williamsburg where pleasure gardening, in addition to practical gardening, was
the finished product, Underhill is " promoting
Oexperience." This concern is pervasive; Roy
pursued with energy and imagination. Virgin-
constantly challenges the interested novice to
ia' s gardeners certainly lagged behind their
learn by doing, to experiment and further de-
English counterparts in terms of design and
velop his newly found talents.
even the culture of plants, but not by much —
One of the many interesting aspects of the
surely not by more than twenty-five years.
book is the way in which the structuring of the
There is not space enough here to demon-
various chapters reveals the author' s goals and
attitudes. Underhill' s enthusiasm for his work
strate that, but some Williamsburg residents
and " amateur" garden designers may be cited
is well served by the introduction to each proj-
to illustrate the point briefly.
classics such as Moxon' s Mechanick Exercises
den layouts at the Palace —and they were his
idea —derived immediately from current fash-
ect. He has chosen descriptive quotes from
To begin with, Governor Spotswood' s gar-
and by sources that have a technical, even
philosophical, relevance to the undertaking
ion in England in the first decade of the
ahead. Once a project is completed, the newly
century, when Italian terraces, French par-
initiated woodworker is complimented on a
job well done and treated to often humorous
terres, and Dutch canals were still in the as-
cendancy there. His transformation of the
ravine into terraces, a canal, and a fish pond
was brilliant but derivative —that is, he was
guided by contemporary English practice. If
the Bodleian Plate can be taken as a clue to
what Spotswood laid out before he left the
governorship in 1721 — and that can be argued
accounts of the author' s personal experiences
and lessons teamed along the way. Importantly, this puts the projects into proper perspective. The successful completion of a given
project is attainable only through continued
effort. Underhill offers no shortcuts.
This genuine concern for progression is
either way —then the diamond beds ( which
have been restored to the garden) also reflect-
what makes The Woodwright's Shop different,
if not superior, when compared to most intro-
ed current European taste in his day.
ductory works. This book leads the reader
John Custis was in constant touch with English botanists and kept abreast of English
Obeyond mere how- to- do -it, beyond raw materials and finished goods to a higher level of
progression:
gardening trends through extensive corres-
that of the " development of
pondence between 1717 and the late 1740s.
His large gardens on the corner of Nassau and
confidence in your senses." To achieve this is
to achieve success. The Woodwright's Shop
Francis streets probably disappeared by the
points one in the right direction.
end of the eighteenth century, neglected by
George Washington, who owned the property
toward the end of the century. He was a mov-
Gardeners, continued
ing example of how a gardener could identify
Andrew Jackson Downing. Jefferson, for all
emotionally and psychologically with his garden. As one of Williamsburg' s " poetic" gar-
his competence and brilliance, was not a professional; that is, he was neither trained nor
paid for the purpose. He practiced the art
deners, he " composed" his garden, " read"
it
pictorially, interpreted its significance or
meaning, endowed it with iconography
through statues of classical deities, and prop-
because he liked it. The word " art" here is the
clue to the eighteenth- century " gardenist"
one who approaches gardening as an art, not
agated
only horticulturally).
native and
English
plants suffused
with overtones of the Anglo- American divided
self that he, William Byrd II, and others
In Britain and to some extent the American
colonies, the eighteenth century was the era
of gardening as an art, one of the so- called
keenly felt. This sort of personal creation is
not easily possible if you bring in a landscape
architect to do the designing for you.
sister" arts to poetry, painting, sculpture,
architecture, and music, practiced by amateurs who regarded it as highly personal, even
poetic." They brought to the art the sketch -
At Westover plantation, Byrd II sounded
similar themes through his gardens; his letters
reveal this more than his diaries. Spotswood,
pencil rather than the T-square. As an art,
Custis, and Byrd were all so closely in touch
with England that it is scarcely credible to me
garden design reflected evolving notions of
taste and beauty as well as ideas about man' s
relationship to the landscape. As the century
they would have laid out gardens without be-
ing heavily influenced by English gardening
progressed, this became more and more the
ideas of the early eighteenth century. And
later in the century people like Joseph Prentis
case in Virginia, too, at plantations and in
3
continued, page 4/
�Gardeners, continued
and St. George Tucker, two other " poetic"
Occurrences
gardeners emotively tied to their gardens, )
drew upon sources that show their attention to
English practice of the day. Even Jefferson,
With summer upon us there are many special
who was exceptional in that he was more de-
program offerings for our visitors. We invite
liberate than the others ( except perhaps for
Byrd), rambled in England from garden to
you to come out to see them all and help us in
A new program, To Delight the Ear, will be
garden taking notes on what he saw and apparently priming himself for the time when he
presented this summer in the Williamsburg
could concentrate on his own Monticello gar-
Lodge Auditorium. This musical concert, a
dens.
giving the word to our guests.
must for even the most casual music listener,
Personal involvement and contemporary
is a new opportunity to hear the music popular
English practice adapted to Virginia' s climate
during the eighteenth century performed on
and soil are two touchstones in an understand-
the baroque style instruments and by ensem-
ing of Williamsburg's eighteenth- century gar-
bles.
dens.
Two programs that emphasize the African
heritage of eighteenth -century Virginia will
The King' s English
return. First is the Black Music program, which
will occur behind the Wythe House on Mon-
days and Wednesdays at 5: 30 P. M. and 6: 00
Bowling green —
very popular in England in
P. M. beginning June 7. Second is the African
the first half of the eighteenth century, the
bowling green was a garden feature that had
Traditions program on Thursdays at 6: 15 P. M.
in the garden behind the Music Teacher's
both recreational and omamental value.
Room. The Other Half tour will also be returning to the streets. If you have not yet experi-
Long and narrow, smooth and level, turfed
bowling greens were highly desirable in
gardens. People laid out bowling greens
who had no intention of playing bowls upon ;
enced this tour, please take time to do so. It is
a very special way of focusing on the black
experience in Williamsburg.
them,
During June and July many daily events are
scheduled
throughout
the
Historic
and
temples,
Area.
they ornamented them with
monuments,
statuary,
terraces,
summer houses, canals, etc. They were
popular in Virginia from early in the century: there was one in the Market Square
Theatrical living history portrayals, afternoon
concerts behind the Music Teacher' s Room,
and living history demonstrations at the Pow-
in Williamsburg, at Westover, and at Green
Spring. Byrd liked to play on them, not just
der Magazine provide different ways for our
visitors to Team about the eighteenth century.
Read " How to Enjoy Colonial Williamsburg"
look at them.
and the " Visitor's Companion" for specific
times, dates, and ticket prices for all these
Parterre —
this feature was a garden area
close to the house laid out in geometrically
shaped beds separated by paths and planted
offerings. For your ready reference, the insert
omamentally with bushes and flowers in
of this issue of The Interpreter summarizes this
elaborate patterns. Like topiary, the par-
summer' s daily programs and special events.
terre became outdated in England by 1725-
June is also the month during which the
Twenty- fourth Annual Seminar for Historical
features.
1730 and was replaced by more naturalized
Topiary—evergreen
Administration meets in Williamsburg. Eigh-
bushes
and
trees
teen museum professionals will be represent-
clipped into shapes and figures. These
ing sites throughout the country. This program is sponsored by the American Association for State and Local History, the American
were common in English gardens up to the
second decade of the eighteenth century,
but then fell quickly out of favor and be-
Association of Museums, the National Trust
for Historic Preservation, and Colonial Wil-
came synonymous with old- fashioned gardens.
liamsburg Foundation. It is funded by a grant
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
through the National Museum Act. If you' d
like to know more about how this program
works, call Bill Tramposch on Ext. 2711 or
Frances Griffin on Ext. 2389.
ment of Interpretive Education.
Editor:
Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editorand Feature Writer. Lou Powers
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Cliff Burket, George
Collins, Harold Gill, Dennis O' Toole, Jane Strauss,
Sumpter Priddy III, Shomer Zwelling
1982 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
4
�Summary of Company of Colonial Performers Programs
Summer 1982
Mondays:
Black Music Programs behind the Wythe House begin June 7, 5: 30 P. M. &
6: 00 P. M.
Musical Diversions at the Capitol begin July 5
Tuesdays:
Militia Reviews
Eighteenth -century Plays at the Williamsburg Lodge Auditorium begin June 15
Wednesdays:
An Evening ofMilitary Life beginning at the Magazine through May 26,
7: 00 P. M.
Black Music Programs behind the Wythe House. First Wednesday night program June 9, 5: 30 P. M. & 6: 00 P. M.
A Capitol Evening begins June 16
Fifes and Drums Parades begin June 30
Thursdays:
Militia Reviews through June 24
Militia Musters begin Julyl
Palace Concerts through May 27
African Traditions behind the Music Teacher' s Room begin July 1, 6: 15 P. M.
Fridays:
Retreat by the Fifes and Drums, May 21 through July 2 and July 23 through
October
0
Assembly at the Capitol, May 21, June 4, and June 18 at 7: 00 P. M.
Thomas andSally, Williamsburg Lodge, May 28 and June 11
To Delight the Ear, a musical concert at the Williamsburg Lodge Auditorium,
begins July 2
Reveille Ceremony July 9 and 16
Saturdays:
Fifes and Drums Parades
Eighteenth- century Plays at the Williamsburg Lodge Auditorium
Sunday:
Capitol Concert on May 23
Special Events
May 31:
The Memorial Day Review Program at 10: 00 A. M.
July 4:
The Independence Day Review at 5: 00 P. M.
The Palace Garden Party from 6: 00 p.m. to 8: 00 P. M.
Annual Tatoo andFireworks begin at 8: 30 P. M.
July 24: .
Military Review celebrating the 206th anniversary ofthe reading ofthe Declaration of Independence in Williamsburg, 5: 45 P. M.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 3, number 3, May, 1982
Description
An account of the resource
The House That Jill Built -- Virginia Gardeners -- Tact -- The Woodwright’s Shop: A book review -- Occurrences -- The King’s English --Summary of Company of Colonial Performers Programs and Special Events Summer 1982
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/a06de502dfea6e451c4ebee2898ad375.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=CtKk1FSpSmsiKgiWoth8AgUP6lztAqeyAj2C4LpRho3n-7S3EQyizMIP0zMVhDDxJ3Z-%7EFhh6IoAQWWyId86kvXFZpvhCxWU5tdX9xUDGOTh0b8wRrIL9xe%7EhvoEaxlhU5TLDvAdfusgaspl4-yPmDYncZZ%7EsrsU%7E39ra9OkgE-0YQixqauPeOFRslEVLFrXLFmBnj9oCkN6x%7EB41wqzK5u8DTzTYbubOYS3wMxs0BCIwB93j6vvimVK2M0klMSuLI3AGXowda4GdD7wNquPYsF2Y2kkLhuruI10AYZJFMwHwe7PQghDj0iAhkFFwspQa2VptgZn3B%7EHj%7ErkxJQpUg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
b775276fb5dedaaec2e3dcdc172a45a4
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
1n
VOL. 3 NO. 4
r
r
r
JULY 1982
been no general agreement on particular items
that were more appropriate than others to be-
Jill' s Household Effects
In the May issue wefollowed the evolution of ver-
token a family' s rise to gentry status. After
acquiring standard amenities like skillets and
nacular house plans in America and found the
sheets, the choices of additional household
social reasons behind regional variations. The
goods were apparently a matter of individual
buildings by themselves tell only pan' of the story;
furnishings and equipment add detail to the history
of housekeeping. Inventories ofpersonal property
were the source of information Cary Canon and
preference.)
The wife of a tenant farmer or small planter
without house slaves or servants had to pro-
vide the family with food. Its cultivation,
preparation, and preservation were mostly her
responsibility. In addition, she was obliged to
Lorna Walsh usedfor this portion of their wom-
en' s historypaper.
Until the eighteenth century, household ar-
wash and mend,
perform basic chores like
tifacts were generally simple, utilitarian, un-
sweeping and tidying the house, and care for
specialized, few in number, and less impor-
infants, children, and the sick. Her spare time
she spent in the orchards or fields. Her con-
tant than the architectural spaces in which
tribution to the family's success was leaving
her husband and the field hands, if any, free to
they were used. A pervasive uniformity characterized material life before the end of the
seventeenth century. Being rich meant own ing more and living better, but not really being different. Inasmuch as housework puts
many domestic artifacts to use, it follows that
work full time on the tobacco crop.
there was a close correspondence between the
Breathing Life Into History
continued, page2)
sameness of matenal life in the seventeenth
century and a common experience among
housekeepers.
John E. Harbour, director of the historic sites
division ofthe State Historical Society of Wiscon-
During the second half of the seventeenth
century most tenant farmers and small
planters had some sort of house, a hearth,
sin, was a guest speaker at theAASLH meeting in
mattress, basic clothing, a storage chest, a few
marize his address for The Interpreter. John E.
tools to prepare food ( mortar and pestle, ax
and knives, a pot or two), some wooden
Harbour is the son ofJohn W. Harbour, Jr., who
was vice president ofour Division of Presentation
trenchers, a few spoons, stored crops, and
for many years. We think you' ll enjoy this editorial
very little else. Middling planters of the same
perspective on interpretation.
era improved their modest furnishings with
Something very exciting has been developing, evolving perhaps, over the past ten to
Williamsburg last fall. We asked him to sum-
better bedding (a shuck or flock mattress for
every two or three family members, later a
ter plates and porringers, coarse earthenware
fifteen years in the way we view the role of the
historic site and in the ways in which we interpret them. A recent survey of 110 museum
for the dairy, frying pans, and maybe a roast-
villages in the United States and Canada
ing spit. The most affluent households of the
noted that " the most apparent shift in em-
time had all the above plus chairs, tables with
with sheets, assortments of cooking equip-
phasis for village museums has been from
buildings and fumishings to interpretation
and demonstrations. This shift is pervasive,
ment, lanthoms, candlesticks, chamber pots
affecting all museums including the most
or close stools, and occasionally a piece of case
richly endowed."
furniture. Luxuries such as silver and clocks
been given a name —Living History.
feather bed for the master and mistress), pew-
cloths and napkins, more beds on frames and
This movement has also
continued, page Z)
appear once in a while. (There seems to have
1
�traveler called the " sweeping train of luxury"
Household Effects, continued
between 1715 and 1740. Both men and wom-
If the housewife had a helper or two, she
en were participants in the new fashionable ('
style of living, but women carried more of the `-
probably delegated chores like carrying wood
and water, building fires, gardening, and
other heavy work. While each additional pair
of hands meant another mouth to feed and
more clothes to launder and patch, it also allowed the housewife to superintend an im-
growing burden of behind -the -scene preparations. The new style affected all economic
levels, the lowest aspiring to the highest' s way
of life. One of the major showcases of the new
style was formal dining. Especially here wom-
portant division of labor. She set the extra
en' s work increased. Extra attention was re-
hands to carding and spinning when the other
quired to produce a multitude of elaborate
work was done. The wife herself might have
more time for sewing and knitting.
dishes brought forth in specialized serving
pieces. Carefully orchestrated mealtime ritu-
Houses changed over the course of the colo-
als were the way workaday wives and house-
nial period in the direction of ever greater
bound mothers took part in civilized conversa-
specialization, social separation, and privacy.
tion and displayed social graces to company.
This was the reward for all their kitchen
Partitioning the hall, heating the parlor, demoting the kitchen, and multiplying the bedchambers
started a
process
labors. Both the social rewards and attention
that eventually
brought a multitude of people into closer,
to household matters increased over the years
more intimate association with their personal
and culminated in the nineteenth- century
wife, mother, and homemaker' s sacred place
possessions
and
self - ade
m
surroundings.
within her " earthly tabemacle."
Where artifacts were numerous enough for
everyone to have his own, people developed a
closer personal identification with the every-
12
day things they used. Matched sets of chairs,
dishes, forks, and so on helped define peer
groups, and the artifacts themselves became
emblems of the group' s self consciousness.
The years between the late seventeenth cen-
tury and the late eighteenth were a period of
Living History, continued
social and economic adjustment to demographic expansion, religious reformation, and
The 1970s saw the awakening of interest in
popular-education. More people became in-
the new social history. The life of the common
volved in a world outside the confines of their
man and the societal relationships that bind us
own local communities. The wider world was
together became grist for scholarship that
unacquainted with a person' s social standing
fueled both the printing industry and the
historic site. Process and change became the
at home since the traditional and continuing
buzzwords for a whole new generation of his-
measures of status such as property, family,
torians and museum staff who wanted to un-
and offices couldn' t be carried round. People
derstand and provide for the museum visitor
had to invent a portable system of status
an experience of what " real life"
identification — system of manners, rituals,
a
was all
about. In a recent article, Cary Carson ad-
and conventions discemable by anyone in the
monishes visitors and museum staff to be
know. Artifacts were the medium of this new
more critical of the increasing number of living history museums that assume that a re-
social communication. Their use was leamed
at home and practiced abroad in activities that
created past speaks for itself and that an accu-
never before had been part of ordinary domes-
rate portrayal of activity provides sufficient
tic routines. Tea ceremonies, formal dinners,
social calls, promenades, balls, assemblies,
explanation.
Living history must explain
something worth knowing about the past. De-
and musical evenings required much special-
ized equipment not to be found in the chests
monstration for its sake alone is worth little.
and cupboards of an older way of life. Thus
However, the headlong dash into what one of
my site managers calls " the usual trendy crafts
began the proliferation of artifacts for specific
popular in the museum world of the moment"
uses ( smoking chairs, card tables, dessert
is the legacy that has become known as living
history. Indeed, Ellis Burcaw went so far as to
suggest that living history enjoys such popularity that to not engage in some form of it
plates, chocolate cups) and for specific placement (end tables, corner chairs, sideboards).
Women' s roles and work habits were greatly
altered by what a French eighteenth century
2
�implies an inexcusable backwardness. It is not
communication, and participation, rather than
that living history is wrong, but that what is
wrong are the ways in which we are imple-
lecture. Living history can enable us to interpret the new social history more fully and
menting the concept.
completely.
Living history is an art, as interpretation is
an art. It is so easy to leam the what of history,
By its very nature living history requires
that we understand the past, not simply por-
tray isolated aspects of it for our public. We,
but far more difficult to understand the how
who insist on documentary proof of the writ-
and why. The presentation of ideas, the un-
ten word, seem curiously willing to settle for
something less for the living history which we
serve up to the museum visitor. If the new
social history does concern itself with the totality of the human experience, does it not
follow that we must learn not only all that it is
derstanding of cause, the role of setting,
selectivity —
these are abstractions which play
a key role in understanding the past. Bridging
the gap between fact and understanding is the
hurdle over which we are stumbling. Making
this connection creates the context. How is
this accomplished? There must be a totality to
possible to know about the lives of people, but
the experience, so that the whole is not mis-
more importantly, place these experiences in
a context, specific to time and place? This is
sing some of its parts. Relationships must be
the fallacy of living history as it is practiced by
many museums. The context is missing. We
must not only understand how something
happened, but why.
correct, whether they are buildings, objects,
or landscapes.
Why have we so willingly embraced this
new interpretation, this living history? Tradi-
There is a sameness to the American his-
tional methods of interpretation leave us un-
toric site that is numbing. How was life on a
German immigrant farm in Wisconsin diffe-
fulfilled. The why is absent, the context is
missing. We must breathe life into history.
rent from that of a Yankee in Connecticut, or
We must understand history before we can
village life in Indiana from that in North
expect the interpreter to weave the spell from
which the visitor gains greater insight and un-
Carolina? Many of the day -to -day necessities
derstanding. This is the challenge of the
were the same. But, were they accomplished
1980s for historic site interpretation.
differently, with different tools, with different materials, and if so, why? The list of
questions is endless. The answers require
more research. That is the missing ingredient.
We must put the history back into living history. If we do not, we are simply portraying
The King' s English
some undefined past living, without reference
to time or place. In this age of competition
with various forms of mass entertainment, we
are dangerously close to succumbing to the
lure of more activity for the sake of increased
Flock—shredded bits or tufts of wool or cot-
ton used for stuffing mattresses, beds,
attendance.
Flow can we correct this drift away from
cushions, etc.
history as we are caught up in the excitement
and stimulation of more activity? Our program
Piggin — small pail, especially a wooden
a
one, with one stave longer than the rest
goals must be clear. They must be related to
the specific nature of the historic site. Sound
serving as a handle.
Salamander — circular iron plate with a long
a
scholarship must be the underpinning of the
handle. The plate is heated and placed over
a pudding, etc. to brown it.
entire program.
Trammel — series of rings or links or some
a
other device to bear a crook at different
A basic misunderstanding has developed.
Living history is a technique, not the pro-
heights for holding a pot over the fire.
gram.
development and interpretation that seeks to
Treenware — wide variety of small, useful
a
articles made from wood: spoons, bowls,
re- create an historical environment where
mugs, trenchers, etc. The term is derived
Living history is a concept of historic site
people actively pursue the daily activities of
0
from tree.
the life which the museum seeks to preserve.
Trencher —
a
square
or
circular
piece
of
Living history interpretation seeks to teach
wood, shaped like a plate or dish, from
inductively, through demonstration, informal
which food was served or eaten.
3
�through family, work, community, and mate-
The Exchange
rial culture; and CWF history and surroundings. The book will include articles by
curators and historians, informational outlines
What' s a Senior Interpreter? Presently, it' s a
host /hostess or escort who has, by dint of
study and effort, succeeded in producing
and descriptions, as well as training aids such
three projects that are judged to be excep-
library, so each veteran interpreter will
receive a personal copy of the new handbook
as a glossary of fashion terms before 1775.
We think you' ll want this resource in your
tional and useful for interpretation or education. Three people serve on a review commit-
as soon as it is printed.
tee to approve each project, and one of these
people is a specialist in the subject area
studied by the applicant. Each project equips
the host /hostess or escort to conduct training
Occurrences
in a particular area or to provide an educational
aid or program for visitors or other interpret-
ers. Promotion after three such projects recognizes the special qualifications of the Senior
Interpreter. June Shields was the first to eam
As we continue through the summer, be sure
the new title with her extraordinary program,
offered to our visitors. Check the Visitor's
Companion for the events, times, and loca-
to come and see the many events that are
Once Upon a Town," and other programs
designed to educate young people. You are all
tions. We would appreciate your efforts to
familiar with Cynthia Long' s Garden Journal
and her essay on the Palace gardens in the
help keep our visitors informed about these
Governor' s Palace brochure. She used these
them.
special opportunities which are available for
On August 21,
pieces to help her become a Senior Interpreter
Doris
Hammes
submitted
the Fifes and Drums,
Militia, and Garrison Regiment will celebrate
and continues to write the Garden Journal.
the Monatrh' s Birthday on Palace Green. Dur-
several pub-
lished pieces ( including her book, AWilliams-
ing Labor Day Weekend a Military Encamp-
burg Hornbook), a biographical tour, and a lec-
ment will be held. Troops from the re- created
Southern Battalion and the Yorktown Bicen-
tuie as her projects. Margaret Schober pur-
tennial Brigade will be camped on Market
Square and the Capitol Exchange. It will be
sued her interest in herbs and health by re-
searching eighteenth- century knowledge and
an excellent weekend of living history.
Keeping the Best Company will be presented
practices in these areas. Her paper, " A Glos-
sary of Eighteenth Century Diseases, Medical Terms, and Medication," is available to
at 8: 00 P. M. on Friday evenings in September.
borrow from the Davidson Shop library. What
Also, at 7: 00 P.M. beginning September 1, Lt.
Henry Williams will be court- martialed every
Wednesday during the Evening ofMilitary Life
is St. Anthony' s Fire, anyway? If Lord Botetourt died of it, maybe you' ll want to know.
John Lowe, our fifth Senior Interpreter, qual-
program, which begins at the Magazine. So
ified with programs based on his extensive
take your employee' s pass in hand and come
studies of Peter Pelham and with another en-
out during the evening to enjoy yourself.
In October CWF will host a six day AASLH
richment lecture on General Braddock and his
seminar
part in the French and Indian War.
entitled "
Successful
Interpretive
Planning." Twenty-five participants will be
A number of other hosts, hostesses, and
escorts are at various stages in their progress
toward promotion to Senior Interpreter. Our
selected
from
applicants
throughout
the
hats are off to all of you who have undertaken
such seminars work, call Bill Tramposch (Ext.
country. For more information about how
2711) or Frances Griffin (Ext. 2389).
this challenge.
Working with Cliff Burket and the entire
Department
of
Interpretive
Education,
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Department of Interpretive Education.
Editor: Barbara Beaman
Jeanne Whitney has been developing a handbook that will be studied by all new interpreters as they go through Preliminary Training.
Assistant Editoran11 Feature Writer::
Lou Powers
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Cliff Burket, George
Collins, Harold Gill, Dennis O' Toole, Jane Strauss,
The various chapters of the book correspond
Sumpter Priddy I1I
to the areas addressed during Preliminary
Training: interpretation; history studied
1982 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
4
9
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 3, number 4, July, 1982
Description
An account of the resource
Jill’s Household Effects -- Breathing Life Into History -- The King’s English -- The Exchange -- Occurrences
-
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PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
interpreter
SEPTEMBER 1982
Core Curriculum Catalog Issue
for HistoricArea Interpreters
Introduction to the Core Curriculum
After scores of meetings with interpreters and research staffs, after various rereadings of
interpreters' evaluations of training programs, and after many stimulating conversations with
interested individuals, we in the Department of Interpretive Education are delighted to introduce
the Core Curriculum program. This issue of The Interpreter describes the program' s offerings and
general policies. It is our catalog of courses, and henceforth each September issue of this periodical
will be employed for the same purpose. Please read it with care.
The Core Curriculum is designed for interpreters in the following HAPO departments:
Com-
pany of Colonial Performers, Crafts, Escorts, Exhibition Buildings, and Visitor Aides. More than
any interpretive education program we' ve undertaken, the Core Curriculum strives to recognize
and reflect the diversity of the Historic Area's interpretive staff. While recognizing the various
backgrounds and interests of our interpreters, the program —
especially at the BASIC COURSES
level —is committed to providing each participant with a sound footing in colonial history and
culture as well as in interpretive techniques.
The entire program outlined below is the result of a dialogue between you —the interpreter —
various members of the research staffs, and the Department of Interpretive Education. Thegrowth
of the program is as dependent upon your continued contributions as was its inception, so you will
be asked to evaluate the Core Curriculum program. We look forward to reading your remarks.
In total, -the -Core Curriculum represents more than half of the in- service training time you
receive each year. The remaining time is spent in either a divison -wide update session (which is
scheduled automatically into your individual winter Core Curriculum program) or your departmental training ( which is coordinated chiefly by your master teacher or the designated training
specialist in your particular interpretive department).
We certainly hope that, for you, the Core Curriculum is everything we think it will be.
Bill Tramposch
The Partnership:
Teaching and Application in Historical Interpretation
The CWF Core Curriculum program includes both BASIC and ADVANCED COURSES. As
an interpreter, you are an active participant with expert teachers and researchers. In the BASIC
COURSES you acquire a foundation of knowledge upon which to build as you proceed through
the program. BASIC COURSES focus on general areas that are essential to your professional
growth. ADVANCED COURSES focus on specialized topics building on the basic courses and
allow you more choice in the direction of your development. Application is an essential and
exciting part of this educational endeavor. For this reason, another aspect ofthe program will focus
on interpretive techniques that you can use in your own work situations.
As HAPO interpreters, you are a diverse group and you bring special talents and interests to a
wide range of interpretive situations. This program, the Core Curriculum, is designed to provide
you with ample opportunity to share your ideas and skills with other interpreters. We have a lot to
leam from one another.
�Program Appraisal:
Assessment /
Practicum /Evaluation
Assessments and Assistance —
Assessments help us evaluate our program, especially its value to
you as an interpreter. We hope that the exercises will assist you in gauging your understanding of
course content. If you are in the BASIC COURSES, you will participate in a 11/
2-hour assess-
ment given by the faculty on the last day of class. Similarly, each of the three ADVANCED
COURSES will involve a 30- minute assessment at the discretion of the individual instructor.
The Core Curriculum faculty and the Department of Interpretive Education will be glad to
answer any questions you may have about your courses, to provide tutors upon request, and to
assist you in choosing future courses.
Practicum —
Your Core Curriculum studies will conclude with a practicum, a period of practical
application. This is an opportunity for you to apply one or more of the course themes to your
specific interpretive work situation. At the conclusion of' the practicum, you will reconvene in
small departmental groups to discuss your applications.
Follow - p Student Evaluation —
U
Approximately two months after completing your course work
and the practicum, you will receive a student evaluation form asking for your reflections on the
Core Curriculum segment in which you participated. This will help us to arrange for you the
highest quality educational program that the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation can provide.
Basic and Advances Courses
How to Enroll:
Eligibility —
BASIC COURSES: For interpreters hired afterJanuary 1, 1980.
ADVANCED COURSES: For interpreters hired before January 1, 1980.
If you are eligible for the ADVANCED COURSES, you can still choose to take the
BASIC COURSES if you prefer.)
Registration Form —
Please fill out the registration form that relates to the courses you will
take —BASIC or ADVANCED. Retum the registration form and the interpreter profile to the
Norton Cole House by Wednesday, October 6, 1982.
Interpreter Profile —
Because we are interested in devising courses that meet your professional
needs, please complete the enclosed intetpreterproftle and return it with your registration form.
Confirmation —
You will receive enrollment confirmation through your department during the
month of November.
Attendance —
Participation in training is an integral part ofyour job. Attendance will be recorded
at each class meeting. As usual, all classes will be held regardless of weather conditions unless
the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation closes operations. With the permission of your department head, one excused absence may be permitted for illness or an emergency.
Core Curriculum Committee:
Bill Tramposch, chairman, Barbara Beaman, Peter Bergstrom,
Ed Chappell, Kevin Kelly, Sumpter Priddy III, Jane Strauss, and Carol Williams.
Also involved in the planning:
Dennis O'Toole, former chairman, Cliff Burket, John Moon,
Earl Soles, Margie Weiler, Jeanne Whitney, intern, and ShomerZwelling.
Core Curriculum Catalog:
Carol Williams, coordinator; John Thelin, Associate Professor of
Higher Education, College of William and Mary, advisor.
The interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Department of Interpretive Education.
Editor.
Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer.
Editorial Board:
Lou Powers
Bill Tramposch, Arthur Barnes, John Caramia, George Collins, Harold Gill, Dennis O' Toole,
Sumpter Priddy III, and Jane Strauss
1982 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
2
�Course Descriptions
First - ear Basic Courses (Offered in 1983 and 1984)
Y
Virginia Society in Profile
This course traces the evolution of Virginia society from its beginnings in the chaotic seventeenth
century to its mature form in the third quarter of the eighteenth century. In the process, society' s
component parts ( gentlemen planters, backcountry farmers, blacks, women, townsfolk, et al.) are
examined and the interactions of its units (family, plantation, neighborhood, town) are explored.
Kevin Kelly.
The Growth ofVirginia's Preindustrial Economy
From its seventeenth -century beginnings, Virginia' s single -crop economy was wracked by cycles
of boom and bust in the intemational tobacco trade. Yet during the eighteenth century, with the
massive introduction of slavery, the growth of new markets, and increased infusions of British
credit, Virginia' s planters turned away from a single- crop economy to a mixed agricultural output
and began modest experiments in manufacturing and intemal trade. Along the way Virginians
learned to cope with the mysteries of specie, currency, and bills of exchange: This course provides
an overview of the economy of the colonial Chesapeake by exploring the twin processes of
economic development and economic diversification. John Hemphill and Peter Bergstrom.
Fine Things /Plain Things:
Virginia' s Material Culture
This course will take a close look at a number of artifacts that survive from colonial Virginia,
particularly those goods with close Williamsburg associations. Its main objective is to show how
objects can give insights into colonial Virginia in ways that written records alone are usually unable
to do. Secondly, it focuses on those same objects as reflections of the economic, social, political,
and cultural history of the colony. Sumpter Priddy III.
Second Year Basic Courses (Beginning in 1984)
Folkways:
Everyday Behavior and Occasional Customs in Colonial Virginia
Williamsburg' s eighteenth -century residents were different from us. Their everyday language and
behavior, their public ceremonies and private transactions, their attitudes, beliefs, and ideas were
those ofa bygone, preindustrial age. This course, through the presentation and analysis ofa variety
of visual, artifactual, and documentary sources of the period, attempts to describe and interpret the
day -to -day world of colonial Virginians. Dennis O' Toole.
The Evolution of Government in Colonial Virginia
This course will consider the evolution of govemment in colonial Virginia from its settlement in
1607 to May 15, 1776. It will cover English policy and administration of Virginia as a royal colony
but will be concemed primarily with the development and processes of local and provincial
administration and government, including legislation, the judicial system, and the system of
representation in the House of Burgesses. John Hemphill.
The Revolution in Virginia and ItsAftermath
This course covers Virginia' s role in the growing imperial crisis, 1763 -1775; areas of internal
tension; the role of Lord Dunmore; the outbreak of war in Virginia, 1775 -1776; establishment of
republican institutions; the war renewed, 1779 -1781; the Confederation period in Virginia; and
ratification of the federal constitution. John Selby.
3
�Advanced Courses 1983
Afro - merican History
A
This course explores the world of Afro Americans in the seventeenth- and eighteenth century
Chesapeake. Two major aims are to develop a sense of changes in the black community over time
and to focus attention on the central concerns ofeveryday life— family, work routines, and culture.
Philip Morgan, Lorena Walsh, Reginald Butler.
Agricultural History ofColonial Virginia
Among the topics included in this course are the development of tobacco as a staple crop,
seventeenth -century efforts to diversify agricultural production and why they failed, techniques of
tobacco culture and the tobacco inspection system, importance of livestock and its by- products,
grains, and other crops, techniques of grain culture, and mills and milling. Harold Gill.
Architecture:
Social Spaces
This course first considers the architectural details and forms that distinguish the early architecture
of Williamsburg and the Chesapeake Bay region. It then examines how levels of architectural
decoration, choice of building materials, room arrangements, and selection of overall forms all
responded to social imperatives. Upon completion of this course, participants will be more
conversant with how social forces shaped architecture here in Williamsburg. Ed Chappell.
Household Economy
Each eighteenth -century household had to consider and manage its time in a particular season to
utilize fully its human and material resources. How did families contend with the daily concerns of
living and interruptions implicit in human experiences? How did the urban household differ from
the rural? What variations were present according to social class? " Household Economy" explores
these challenges to eighteenth -century living. Pat Gibbs.
Learning from the York County Project
Learning from the York County Project" focuses on the beginnings of Yorktown and Williamsburg- during the period 1690 -1720. This course examines the population of the county, the
founders of the towns, and the chances for advancement —economically, socially, and politically —
by town dwellers as opposed to their country neighbors. Kevin Kelly and Peter Bergstrom.
Period Clothing
After participating in this course, the interpreter will be able to identify textiles typically used for
eighteenth century clothing, to use proper eighteenth century terminology, and begin to differentiate among kinds of clothing worn for different activities. Also included will be a study of
some surviving period clothing and accessories as well as various other visual sources. Linda
Baumgarten.
Williamsburg's Public Buildings
This course examines the cultural traditions and practical needs that shaped these buildings
individually, and how they in tum functioned together as a group of highly visible community
symbols. By stressing the interrelationships between Williamsburg' s public buildings, we will
identify new interpretive opportunities for each of them. Upon completing this course, participants will be better prepared to tie each of these buldings into a larger historical context. Mark R.
Wenger.
Women in Chesapeake Society
This course explores the lives of black and white Virginia women within the context of the
seventeenth- and eighteenth century Chesapeake society in which they lived. The position of
women under the law, the nature of women' s work, and the roles of women within the family will
receive special attention. Gail Terry.
4
�of se:wninnnimnniill dlllllililnnnnnnin
1983
Core Curriculum Registration Form
The Core Curriculum is intended for interpreters in the following HAPO departments:
Company of Colonial Performers, Crafts, Escorts, Exhibition Buildings, and Visitor
Aides. Please register for either the BASIC COURSES or a set of ADVANCED
COURSES and return this form with the enclosed " Interpreter Profile" to Carol Williams
at the Norton - ole House by Wednesday, October 6, 1982.
C
�Basic Courses Registration
Ifyou were hired after January 1, 1980, you will be scheduled by your department to take the first
set of BASIC COURSES in January or February, as shown below:
1983 Courses
Virginia Society in Profile
The Growth of Virginia's Preindustrial Economy
Fine Things' Plain Things: Virginia' s Material Culture
Interpretive Methods
In January 1984 the following BASIC COURSES will be added:
Folkways: Everyday Behavior and Occasional Customs in Colonial Virginia
The Evolution ofGovernment in Colonial Virginia
The Revolution in Virginia and Its Aftermath
Interpretive Methods
Department
Please print or type your name.
I understand that my department will schedule specific dates for me to attend the BASIC
COURSES.
Signature
�Interpreter Profile
Because we are interested in devising courses that meet your professional needs, please
complete this profile and retum it to the Norton Cole House with your registration form by
October 6, 1982.
Please print or type your name.
1.
Years of interpretive experience at CWF.
2.
Department
Present position and department.
3. Other related work experience.
4. Schools you have attended (list school, date, diploma or degree).
5. Which areas of interpretive education at CWF are of particular interest to you? (Communications, architecture, gardens, agriculture, animals, etc.) Please he specific.
�Advanced Courses Registration
If you were hired before January 1, 1980, you are eligible to choose between taking ADVANCED
COURSES or BASIC COURSES. Please indicate your preference by checking the appropriate
box. Note: Each interpreter will take three BASIC COURSES or three ADVANCED
COURSES— combinations of BASIC and ADVANCED courses are not possible.
I choose to take BASIC COURSES rather than the ADVANCED for which I am eligible.
I am taking the ADVANCED COURSES.
If you are enrolling in ADVANCED COURSES, indicate in the boxes at the end of this form your
first four choices of sets in order of priority.
Dates of Courses
Set A
Learning from the York County Project
Household Economy
Architecture:
Set B
Set C
January 5 -11
Social Spaces
Women in Chesapeake Society
Household Economy
Afro- American History
January 10 -14
Period Clothing
Household.Economy
January 19 -25
Agricultural History of Colonial Virginia
Afro-American History
Set D
Set E
Agricultural History of Colonial Virginia
Williamsburg' s Public Buildings
Women in Chesapeake Society
Household Economy
Learning from the York County Project
continued on reverse)
January 24- 28
February 2 -8
�Set F
Women in Chesapeake Society
Period Clothing
February 7 -11
Architecture: Social Spaces
Set G
Learningfrom the York County Project
Period Clothing
Williamsburg' s Public Buildings
February 16 -23
Set H
Learning from the York County Project
Agricultural History ofColonial Virginia
Afro-American History
February 24- 28
Please INDICATE BY LETTER OF SET your four choices. Every effort will be made to place
you in one of the ADVANCED sets you have selected.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Choice
Choice
Choice
Choice
Set
Set
Set
Set
Print or type your name.
Signature
Department
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 3, number 5, September, 1982
Description
An account of the resource
Core Curriculum Catalog Issue for Historic Area Interpreters -- Introduction to the Core Curriculum -- The Partnership: Teaching and Application in Historical Interpretation -- Program Appraisal: Assessment/Practicum/Evaluation -- How to Enroll: Basic and Advanced Courses -- Course Descriptions -- 1983 Core Curriculum Registration Forms -- Interpreter Profile Form
-
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e97cf28df05740f1e4209e1d5131df9d
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
interpreter
NOVEMBER 1982
VOL. 3 NO . 6
Exploring in Museums
Dr. Frank Oppenheimer is thefounderand director
can explore it on their own by finding their
of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, a science
own path and making their own abstractions.
museum where adults and children may touch,
Part of the trick of a museum, I think, is to
hear, see, and explore in the fields ofscience, art,
have the exhibits laid out in such a way that
and technology. Dr. Oppenheimerhas combined his
scientific interests as a physicist with a consuming
visitors can make these abstractions. One of
interest in how people learn to establish a museum
do so is to have each idea illustrated in many
different contexts by using a variety of props.
inviting young and old to experiment and search
for answers about nature. Bill Tramposch inter-
the ways to make it possible for the visitor to
For example, it' s important that in our section
viewed him recently at the Exploratorium.
on reflection we have many different exam-
BT:
ples: flat mirrors, entertaining mirrors, and
When you appeared recently on the
educational television program, NOVA, you
magnifying mirrors, etc. By experiencing
said the reason we have museums is to help
people understand the world they live in. You
went on to say that if we lose interest in our
world, we soon lose interest in many other
something over and over again, people begin
to see the essence of what the idea is.
BT:
There are those who think that a
museum tour should be structured from A to
things, too. How does the Exploratorium ex-
Z, and there are those who believe that learn-
emplify_
these. thoughts?
ing should be spontaneous, and that it should
FO:
What I' ve learned is that a museum can
be a " woods of history," as you call it. Obvi-
really serve many functions. For one thing,
ously, you would prefer the latter in a museum
experience, choosing your own course of
there are many props here, so that people who
already know something can come here and
action.
do all the teaching. The visitors do a lot of
FO: I think, however, that the interesting
thing about leaming is that everything one
teaching of each other. Sometimes school
says about it is true. That is, a guided tour can
children have been here and want to return
with their brothers and sisters or their parents
or friends and tell them about the place. Or
be very useful, but the kind of exploration I
teach other people. Our staff doesn' t have to
am talking about is also very useful. I think
one would like to have opportunities for both.
their
For example, a guided tour of a large group
children. One sees a great deal of teaching
doesn' t work here because, in order to get
something out of the tour, visitors have to
there
are
parents
who
want
to
tell
going on, which couldn' t happen without the
setting— without the props. A museum is a
expectation of showing things to each other.
drop behind and play with exhibits. But a
guided tour for four people works very well.
I' ve done it. You go along, stand aside, and
That' s true whether it' s an art gallery, a
wait while they talk with each other and do
natural history museum, a basic science or
technology museum. I have learned that this
things, and then you go on. But that' s some-
kind of place to which people go with the
thing we can only aim for. We can do a little of
particular role of a museum is much more
this, but we can' t arrange guided tours of four
important than I thought at first.
The museum becomes a kind of "woods of
for the many thousands of people who come
natural phenomena" or a " woods of history,"
can do. It is certainly true that some of both of
which one doesn' t ordinarily run into. People
1
here. So there' s a practical limit to what you
continued, page 2l
�Exploring, continued
those methods, guided tours and spontaneous
on is the first question, followed by how you
exploration, would be good. I' d also like to
find out what went on —that technique is one
find ways of having demonstrations of some of
the phenomena, especially in electricity. You
can' t get every idea across without talking
of the most important things.
BT: The fascinating history of history
museums shows us that in the beginning they
about it a little. So, I think this mixture of
were " cabinets of curiosities" where we could
different ways of educating should be in the
see many things, ranging from stuffed alli-
museum, without the notion that this or that
gators to pieces of the Fort Sumter flagpole,
way is wrong. The way you have to do it may
all in cases. Here visitors could roam around
depend on other considerations. It is like say-
reading various labels and trying to under-
ing if one teaches just by having students
stand. But interpretation has evolved from
memorize, the result is not a good education.
these static exhibits to exhibits encouraging
But, it is, nevertheless, a good idea to Team
more active visitor involvement. The reason
that I' m attracted to the Exploratorium is that
how to memorize.
BT: Whereas you call members of your
teaching staff " Explainers," we call ours " Interpreters." We look for certain characteristics
you really have invited a lot of involvement,
in an effective Interpreter, and I noticed a lot
of these admirable characteristics in your Ex-
well. So, my next question is, suppose you
were suddenly made the director of a historic
plainers while viewing the piece on NOVA.
village
museum. ( You said that you don' t
What do you look for in an ideal Explainer or
really
know
Interpreter?
museums, but you probably know more than
FO:
you suspect.) What do you think you would
In general, we want people who are
and what we' ve done at Colonial Williams-
burg on occasion in that area has worked very
very
much
about
history
enthusiastic, observant, and articulate. They
try to do?
don' t necessarily have to use the King' s En-
FO:
glish, but they should want to express them-
try to find out what I wanted to tell people. I
think that all teaching should come, not from
selves, and they should like to talk. Basic
scientific knowledge is not a criterion. School
grades are not a criterion. They must feel that
it is a hard job and a demanding job. We want
them to take it seriously and be " on" when
they are here and also agree to work as often as
possible.
BT:
My next question is that, at first
glance, it seems as though a history museum
and a science museum would be relatively
distant cousins to one another, but you' ve
cited a few things that they have in common.
Will you discuss further these shared purposes
of history and science museums?
FO: I don' t know enough about history
museums. It seems to me in terms of history,
one' s trying to find out what happened —not
so much what is happening —but what did
happen. In some ways that's like astronomy or
geology or evolution in biology. One wants to
look into the past and see what happened.
The techniques for finding out those things
are related to the techniques for finding out
what is happening. I think that one should be
aware of that relationship. If you want to know
what' s happening in government now, what' s
causing wars and fighting, you use somewhat
I would start reading a lot of history and
what we think people ought to know, but from
what you know yourself and want to tell
people. That happened here to a certain extent. I thought that perception would be a
good theme to start with because I' d done a
little work in that. So, I read books on it and
got people from all around learning about the
various effects —it was a very exciting period.
I think the important thing is that the director
of a museum be somebody who loves the subject and wants to tell other people about it.
BT: Should the director have a message
that he wants to tell people? For example,
should a museum like Colonial Williamsburg
have a particular message and in every way
possible try to promote it?
FO: 1 don' t think so. I suppose, in a sense, I
have a message, and it is that the world is
understandable. But that is a very broad message, and it isn' t a message that science is good
or that science is bad. If you go to a museum
and the message is the main point of it, once
you' ve been there, there is no point going
back. That' s why I use the word " woods,"
because if you go to the woods and enjoy it —
it
the same techniques that you use when find-
doesn' t have a message —but you want to go
back over and over again. The same is true of a
ing out what happened long ago. What went
beach, playing tennis, all of those places
�where you don' t get it all done in the first visit.
I think, is important to have. One of the
BT:
My feeling is that one of the worst ex-
historical exhibits that I like is " We the
periences visitors can have at a museum is to
have interpreters simply stand there and talk
to them —without being stimulated to think
much. If you administered an outdoor history
People" at the Smithsonian, where you are
encouraged to wander around. You stop in
front of the women' s suffrage things and you
can read those, but you may not read some-
museum, is there any particular type of activity in which you might get visitors involved?
wonderful
FO:
thing else. You discover a little tidbit of
I might ask the question, " What' s go-
quotes
here or Lincoln there.
There' s a real sense of exploring, of finding
ing on now that resembles something that
went on then ?" What kind of things were
hidden things that you believe are your own.
BT: The question we often raise is, " Are
happening to peoples' values at that time that
we, as educators at the museum, to teach a
compare to changes that people are going
through now? I would try to relate some of
these things, not to say that they are cause and
message from beginning to end, or should we
in museums try to stimulate people so that
they might return or perhaps read more, or
effect, but just to point out that the new tech-
learn a craft— something that they wouldn' t
nology that changed everybody' s life then is
have done otherwise."
comparable to what' s causing change now.
FO: Let me ask you this question: What is
the mission of a parent bringing up a child?
Things like that. I' d try to get people to think
of things that were happening then that are
similar to those happening now or before colonial times....
Another thing about history, I
assure the child' s growth without interfering
would think, is that as one reads it, one has the
sense that one event led to another or caused
soon, we could watch our child grow indepen-
another. This kind of causal relationship,
which may be vague in history, I would think
FO: Don' t you also, if there are values and
information you believe in, transmit them as
BT: I would say that our mission is to try to
with it too much so that in the end, and very
dently.
should be brought out. There should be room
well? I think it is that combination which is
for fantasy: What would have happened if
really being transmitted by a teacher. One
becomes a parent —not all the time —to the
OLincoln had not been killed?
BT:
The question we often wrestle with at
people who come to the museum. We provide
Colonial Williamsburg is, " How can we get
opportunities for them and tell, them things
that we know, but our own sense of values is
the visitor - ore involved in teaming ?"
m
FO: In order for leaming to take place, the
also expressed. So, in answer to your question
learner has to make some sort ofdecisions. For
about the distinction between teaching and
example, the trouble with things like televi-
education, I don' t think there is a valid dis-
sion is that the leamer doesn' t make any deci-
tinction. Teaching is a very broad thing. It is
sions, and the same thing is true with listening
transmitting the culture. Within it is stimula-
to a lecture. The only decision to be made is to
tion. Within it is motivation. Within it is team-
turn it off or go to sleep. But ifyou' re reading a
ing discipline. What a museum doesn' t do is
teach people how to do anything —it teaches
book, you can decide to read it over again, to
skip it, or to come back to it the next day —and
people how to think about things.
you can stop to think about things in the
BT:
meantime. With anything you' re learning,
person to think about things from a slightly
different perspective, so as to see it with
like a musical instrument, you can decide,
That' s good enough," or " I want to try it
In your sense, a museum would teach a
greater understanding.
over again," or " I' ll practice that drill." So, I
FO:
think in order to have good learning and even
A museum is a wonderful place to
good enjoyment, you have to be able to make
make connections, which are hard to find in a
book or in a course.
some decisions. It isn' t just where you go, but
it is what you do with each exhibit. Then
you' re making decisions about what to do— of
BT: The connections are made more easily
because the visitor himself is making those
connections as needed.
the possible to -dos and not -to -dos, whether or
not you' re going to read the detailed explana-
FO: That's right, and because there are
many different kinds ofconnections, each vis-
tions that tell you what' s going on. There are a
itor might make different kinds of connec-
lot of decisions, and that kind of opportunity,
tions.
continued, page 4)
3
�Tact
Exploring, continued
BT: The last question I have then is, How
do you know if the program that you' ve
What can I do when a guest asks a question
launched has been a success?
he already " knows ?" The information is incorrect. To add to my uncertainty, he asked
within hearing of a number of other visitors.
and expects me to confirm some information
FO: It isn' t ever totally successful. A lot of
people come away from here feeling like
they' ve not learned anything. But I watch
Signed,
people, I listen to them, and talk to the ones
Uncertain
who come back. Many adults say, " I wish
Shades of last winter' s in- service training!
Remember the diplomacy exercise with
science had been taught this way when I was a
kid." That, to me, is an important statement
because it means they have learned that
science could have been taught so that they
George Collins? Perhaps now' s the time to
would have felt they understood it. I also look
the positive! Surely something the guest said
was correct, even if he mentioned only the
around
and
notice
the
exhibits
at
adapt your responses from that. Accentuate
which
people are confused. Then I take the staff
right century. The number one consideration
here is his self-esteem. Yours is not on the line.
there and we reread and rewrite the graphics.
because people get so intensely involved
What are some possibilities?
I' m delighted that you offered that infor-
here —all sorts of things can happen in the
mation! For some time what you have said has
museum and they hardly look up. That kind
been considered a possibility. However, as
of intense involvement, I think, is a good sign.
I' m sure you are aware, research is continuing
The main reason I think we' re successful is
in that area, and later findings indicate that
Isn' t it exciting to think that even after
two hundred years, past events have so much
to teach us ?"
Or, " Until I started training I felt as you do 0
about that. Now historians have learned .. .
Occurrences
because of their ongoing research. It's a real
challenge to keep up with the amount of new
information and reading available, isn' t it? I
was just thinking how different this aspect of
Have you ever wondered what it was like to
life was in the eighteenth century. Fewer
spend an evening at the theater two hundred
years ago in Williamsburg? Well, soon you can
people read extensively, and fewer reading
materials were available. Perhaps trying to
find out. On December 16, following the
Grand Illumination, the Company of Colonial
Performers will open its newest play, The
Sham Doctor, by Edward Ravenscroft, first
stay abreast of information was less frustrating
performed in Williamsburg in 1752. It was
produced by the Hallam Company at the Sec-
ing processes. If you treat him as a person in
for them."
The whole point here is to educate the
guest, pique his interest, and start his think-
ond Theater as an afterpiece on the same
pursuit of knowledge, he will respond in a like
manner. Both of you will have gained from the
billing with The Merchant of Venice. This rol-
interaction.
licking farce will prove entertaining for the
entire family, so be sure to see it at the Lodge
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
Auditorium on December 16 or on December
Editor: Barbara Beaman
19 as a dinner play in the Virginia Room.
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
ment of Interpretive Education.
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
Tart Columnist: Peggy Howells
Christmas is always a time for many activities in Williamsburg. Keep an eye on the Vis-
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, John Caramia, George
itor's Companion for all the events offered dur-
Collins, Harold Gill, Dennis O' Toole, Jane Strauss and
ing the holiday season.
Sumpter Priddy III
1982 by The Colonial Williu„ isourg Foundation
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 3, number 6, November, 1982
Description
An account of the resource
Exploring in Museums -- Occurrences -- Tact
-
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854d475b6613ec568539e9c559706889
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Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
re e r
r
1n
VOL. 4 NO. 1
JANUARY 1983
The Birth of a Notion
EPC also participates in formulating educa-
As Mr. Birney' s executive secretary, Fredericka
Freddie ") Dooley attends all meetings of the
Program Planning and Review Committee. She
tional policy statements and conducts assessments of current programs.
Examples
describes itsfunctions for us.
of programs
that have
come
What happens when someone proposes a
through the Program Planning and Review
new interpretive idea such as the experimen-
Committee ( PPRC) in addition to the experi-
tal tobacco program at Carter' s Grove? Who
studies it, and what process does it go
mental tobacco crop at Carter' s Grove, are
first person character interpretation and refurbishment of the Governor' s Palace; the
through?
The Program Planning and Review Committee, appointed in 1978 by President
needlework demonstration at the Geddy com-
Longsworth, was created to receive program
Wallace Decorative Arts Gallery and Public
ideas and suggestions having to do with the
educational role of the Colonial Williamsburg
Hospital; proposal for a Museum of Historical
plex; programs planned for the new DeWitt
Foundation. This committee was formed,
after the report of the Curriculum Committee
Archaeology; plans for relocating the stocks
and pillory; Core Curriculum training; stabilization of the Redwood Ordinary; Scholars'
was submitted, to address long -range planning issues. Members are responsible for
John Greenhow Store; Raleigh Tavem bakery
Weekend; James Anderson Forge complex;
making proposals and recommendations to
the president, who in turn consults with the
sales area; and excavations on the Peyton Ran-
Operating Committee,
anything from manuals and training programs
Standards
other
and
officers
Practices Committee,
and
staff
dolph property. The committee may discuss
the Historic Area
members
as
and
to specialized conferences needed to broaden
appro-
our knowledge of particular topics of special
interest such
priate.
as
the Black History and
continued, page 2)
Program Planning and Review Committee
members come from many diverse areas ofthe
Foundation which enables them to study —
from a variety of perspectives —each program
Proper" Proper Names
proposal presented to the committee. There
are staff members from the Office of Ar-
Because spelling was far from standardized in
chaeological Interpretation, the Foundation
the colonial period, it is sometimes possible to
Architect' s Office,
Exhibitions, the Information Resource Offic-
determine the eighteenth -century pronunciation of a surname by locating the " correct"
spelling along with a phonetic spelling in the
er' s Office, and Products. They meet once a
same document or in different documents that
week. Occasionally a subcommittee is ap-
refer to the same person. An ] nterpreterarticle
pointed to complete further study of a proposal, bringing back their findings to the main
about
committee body.
The recently named Educational Policy
from variant— presumably phonetic— spell-
Architectural
Research,
HAPO, Collections, Research, Programs and
Richard
Taliaferro,
builder of the
George Wythe House, noted that we surmise
Committee is a standing subcommittee of the
ings that his sumame was pronounced " Tolliver." Here are a few other well known
Planning Committee. It receives proposals for
eighteenth- century Williamsburg names to-
new educational and interpretive programs
J
gether with their " proper" pronunciations.
and reviews them in light of the Foundation' s
overall educational mission and policies. The
Ayscough —
pronounced AS -kew ( last syllable rhymes with " few "). Seventeenth- and
continued, page 2)'
1
�Through 1982 the PPRC members have
Birth of a Notion, continued
returned to the Geddy proposal as the re-
Women' s History conferences. Anything
dealing with the educational aspect of the
quested alterations were
made to the plan,
Foundation first comes through the PPRC
and is studied carefully before being passed
and after dendrochronology ( the science of
on to the president with the committee' s
former periods
dating events and variations in environment in
by comparative study of
growth rings in trees and aged wood) was com-
recommendations.
Two topics that have consumed much of
pleted in the house to shed further light on its
the committee' s attention in the last couple of
years have been the Governor' s Palace and
Carter's Grove. The Palace refurbishment
dating. The subject of the window removal
process was closely monitored by the commit-
and discussed. This particular proposal was
tee and will be complete once the outside
debated during several meetings and was
chimney pipes are installed and the plinths
finally rejected in favor of better options recently presented by the Geddy Subcommit-
and replacement with a door on the Palace
Green side of the house was further studied
under the stoves altered. The new interpretation there was also studied and is currently
tee. Mr. Chappell and Mr. Noel Hume were
consulted for information concerning dating
going through assessment.
of the house and outbuildings. Mr. Schreiber' s area was included in the discussions as the
Carter' s Grove is yet another story. Discussions concerning the plantation and new programs began in August 1978. Indeed, it was the
committee began to look at the relocation of
first topic on the agenda of the newly formed
the sales area in an effort to improve traffic
committee. The programs planned for Carter' s Grove will continue to be discussed and
flow and to develop an interpretation in
harmony with the other proposed changes for
the building. Representing all the crafts that
James Geddy, Sr., and his three sons prac-
phased in over the next few years. The first
step in the long list of plans for the plantation
was completion of the Country Road with an
ticed means extending the interpretive period
accompanying brochure. The next step is the
entrance facility and parking lot. There are
Jr., gave up his business in Williamsburg.
from 1730 to nearly 1780, when James Geddy,
also plans for an overlook and an archaeologi-
After all the discussions and debates on
cal exhibit near the site devoted to explana-
each proposal, it is either eventually sent to
tion of the Wolstenholme Towne excavations
the
as well as many other exciting prospects for
mendations for implementation ( with dissent-
educational programs at Carter's Grove in the
ing members or opinions noted) or is rejected
because of unfeasibility, inauthenticiry, or be-
near future.
president
with
the
committee' s
recom-
cause it is not in keeping with our educational
Recently the members have been con-
thrust or the mission of the Foundation. From
centrating on proposed changes at the Geddy
complex. In March 1981 the members were
my angle, however, I can assure you that each
asked to consider returning one of the win-
suggestion, proposal, or program is thoroughly
dows on the west side of the Geddy House to a
reviewed, studied, and discussed, no matter
door in an attempt to improve the visitor
traffic flow and, in tutu, the interpretation
there. It is known that a door existed on that
which department or individual has initiated
side in the eighteenth century. In November
have wished us to be.
it. The committee is truly a democratic
machine in this respect as our forbears would
1981 the first formal proposal was presented
by members of the crafts department, led by
Earl Soles and Gary Brumfield, to the PPRC.
The proposal was to move the entire gun -
smithing operation to the Geddy House, and
Proper Names, continued
to add watch- and clockmaking and repairing,
eighteenth- century phonetic spellings deter-
engraving, fine gun finishing work, silversmithing, and metalwork to represent all of the
crafts that took place on the property during
mine this
pronunciation of the surname of
Fauquier' s cook ( Anne) and gardener (Christ-
opher). In 1683 the clerk of York County re-
ownership by the Geddy family. Domestic
corded a deposition of an " Edward Askew"
aspects of social history would be interpreted
signed by the deponent " Edward Ascough."
by showing one room as a family living space
and possibly another room as a joumeyman' s
In 1769 Botetourt' s butler recorded a transac-
tion with Christopher Ayscough: " To Mr.
living and work space.
2
0
�Askew' s Bill for Pease £ 2.. 5.. 0." Other spel-
Ov lings" include " Ascew," "
and
Asque," all pointing
Ascue," "
the inventory- takers as they move from room
Askue,"
to room. Make what you will of the following
to the AS -kew
examples: "
curtains
and
vallins" [
Muzlin Apraing" [ apron], "
pronunciation.
valance],
1 Pewter Sasser"
Chowning —
pronounced CHEW - ing ( first
n
syllable rhymes with " few "). Family tradition
and some documentary evidence suggest this
Chears" [ chairs], " a Chersy West coat a Sharge frock . . .
a pare of wosted
pronunciation.
How about " 1 old frine pan," " One Leather
saucer], "
Stockings" [
There is one reference to
Chare," "
Josiah Chowning as " Chewning" in an
account book of Williamsburg builder
Humphrey Harwood. The variants " Chown ing" and " Chewning" appear frequently in
other Virginia counties. A recent history of the
Chowning/ Chewning family states that members of the family today accept it as a virtual
certainty
that
the
name was
jersey, serge, pair, worsted].
one
Chester
draws,"
and "
To
Puter"?
Linda Rowe
The King' s English
always pro-
nounced CHEW - ing and in most cases have
n
adopted that spelling. Others who retain the
Last spring Peter Martin wrote on eighteenth -
Chowning" spelling nevertheless insist on
century Virginia gardeners and the concept
the CHEW ning pronunciation.
that garden design ideally reflected changing'
Greenhow —
pronounced GREEN how ( last
dence for other pronunciations favors this ver-
notions of taste and beauty as well as ideas
about man' s relationship to the landscape.
sion. In account books, county records, the
The following definitions of popular garden
Virginia Gazette, land tax records, and on his
features of the period further illustrate his
tombstone, John Greenhow' s name is always
spelled " Greenhow." The one exception dis-
point:
syllable
rhymes
with " cow ").
Lack of evi-
Clairvoyee —
this opening in a wall or fence
of a garden, finished with some sort of iron
grillwork according to the French taste, was
a means of allowing prospects of adjacent
Ocovered so far is a reference in the Botetourt
accounts of transactions in Williamsburg to a
Mr. Greenough," which may refer to John
scenery from within walled formal gardens
of the seventeenth century. It was quite
Greenhow. Even if it does, the variety of pronunciations suggested by the " —
ough"
does it rhyme with bough, though, enough,
artificial, but it was a step towards the ha -ha
cough ?) includes the " ow" sound and so may
and suggests a desire to see what is beyond
indicate the GREEN how pronunciation.
the walls.
Burwell—pronounced BURL ( rhymes with
Ha - — French innovation, these ditches
ha a
Considerable documentary evidence together with family tradition supports
or sunken fences led to the development of
this pronunciation. Seventeenth- and eigh-
England. The ha -ha functioned as a fence
teenth- century court records occasionally list a
member of the Burwell family as " Burrell." A
preventing livestock from straying into gar-
pearl ").
the more naturalized landscape garden in
dens. Because it could not be seen from the
house or garden, it did not interrupt the
Revolutionary soldier recorded in his journal
halted within 7 miles of York & encamped at
Col. Burrell' s Mill." An 1863 discussion of
view or " prospect" outward to fields and
John Henry' s map of 1770 mentions place
with the surrounding countryside.
meadows; it visually unified the gardens
names ` Burrell' s Bay" and ` Burrell' s" though
on the map itself these two locations bear the
Burwell" spelling. An 1899 list of " Some
Virginia Names spelt one way and called
Vale — shallow valley or declivity in the
a
landscape that offered pictorial beauty.
another" notes ` Burwell"
Burrell."
The word has pastoral associations. Pope
wrote of the
enlightened gardener who
Proper names are not the only words that
scoops in circling theatres the Vale."
Weir — dam or some other sort of obstacle in
a
a stream whereby garden designers could
received a phonetic treatment in seventeenth -
create a canal ( as in our Palace garden), a
and eighteenth- century documents. For insometimes amusing hints about the pronunci-
pond, lake, or cascade. Water effects be
came more important than ever before to
the eighteenth- century English landscape
ations of common nouns. You can almost hear
garden.
as
pronounced
Otance, inventories give us interesting and
3
�handy to check the details of these. events for
Tact
your families and friends and, of course, our
visitors.
The
Origins
of American Style: The
is the theme of this
Recently I was with two employees who were
Period of Settlement"
discussing work situations within hearing of
year' s Antiques Forum, which begins Sunday,
January 30.
Old Dominion University is sponsoring a
Faculty Development Institute entitled
guests. Their complaints ranged from how
many successive days one had worked to the
large number ofguests in town. Unfortunately
the general impression for the guests was: I' m
Making Women Visible in the Teaching of
History" on March 25 - 26. It begins Friday,
tired, and why don' t these people go home?
March 25, at 1: 00 P. M. with registration and
talks by Elizabeth Fox Genovese and Lois
Signed,
Embarrassed
Banner.
Change the subject as quickly and grace-
Both
speakers
are
professors
of
history and authors who have done much to
fully as possible. Any of us knows what is
wrong with this situation. Problems do exist
help promote the study of women in history.
Registration fees for local registrants are $ 40
and might need to be discussed, but in front of
guests? Never! If our guests don' t come, we
don' t work —
the situation is just that simple.
and include dinner Friday night, luncheon on
Saturday, and a copy of a book published by
For many of us, employment is seasonal,
the Organization of American Historians. For
and we are so informed from the date of employment. Therefore, we must adapt our individual schedules to this feast or famine
more information contact ODU faculty members Dorothy Johnson at 440 -3949 or Nancy
Bazin at440 3823.
lifestyle.
Shop talk" and personal conversations be-
Washington Was Here?
tween interpreters within earshot of visitors
are unattractive and reflect a real lack of con-
cern for others. For our guests —and for
ourselves —it pays to keep our remarks positive and appropriate while we' re on the job.
Kevin Kelly recently came across this anecdote in his
reading:
I was at York with my friend Mr. Bushrod
Washington. We went to see the cave com-
monly called Lord Comwallis' s cave. It is an
apartment dug into the friable shell rock ofthe
Cliff, consisting of a Room 16 feet square, and
an adjoining Chamber 10 feet square. Lord
Occurrences
Cornwallis never inhabited it. . . .
Mr. Washington assuming an air of ignorance, asked our conductor, a white boy of
about 16, when that cave had been dug? 'During the war,' said the boy. `And pray,' said Mr.
Washington, `didn' t a General or somebody of
The winter months provide us with some ex-
cellent opportunities for enjoying different
programs.
The
latest
eighteenth- century
play, The Sham Doctor, opened on December
16. It will be playing on January 29 at 8: 30 P. m.
and will be offered again during two Colonial
Weekends, February 19 and March 5 at 9: 15
the kind live in it ?' Oh yes,' replied he, ` it was
`
1'.M. All performances are at the Lodge
up."
General Washington, or some such Man!' Of
such materials is traditionary history made
Benjamin Henry Latrobe
Auditorium.
Washington' s Birthday celebrations begin
on February 18 with a Retreat program by the
Fifes and Drums at 4: 30 P. M. On Monday,
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
February 21, at 4: 30 p. M., " General Washing-
Editor: Barbara Beaman
ton"
ment of Interpretive Education.
will return to Market Square to accept
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
honors from the troops in celebration of his
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
Tact Columnist: Peggy Howells
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, John Caramia, George -
birthday.
A special tour, " Washington in Williams-
Collins, Harold Gill, Dennis O' Toole, Jane Strauss,
burg," will be offered for our visitors from
and Sumpter Priddy III
1983 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
February 19 through February 26.
Keep your copy of the Visitor's Companion
4
1
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 4, number 1, January, 1983
Description
An account of the resource
The Birth of a Notion -- “Proper” Proper Names -- The King’s English -- Tact -- Occurrences -- Washington Was Here?
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https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/ecaabdf577c5135d4c5c9fd686bde262.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=ZFPNnZyxm4XoJz91PWdAkPAvLu80r694gfMhsb59aXkMXDNgiPe1K%7E0viFjzEB4Jz31ORfVFApmpNq0X1%7EBzljQaB77oeoetpnhKZyT6TRIPaiaxz0N-8EJk9luJwdG0waaEp8LbqDhvPnVcDzpg5xHrMi9KlvNtRicNiIUmTRZoq8T4Qssc%7EtJPnbsKQkzGRQKTLWFDgCwuK6uzB%7EzuPWUdMqFg0daQtvpudm5xr%7ErP8AeDGHW-nZBozRTHqwY-FMkCVjdtGdGU1N7J5OKi6RFeEbYJy1onfd%7EqoCaTXkV4hPYYusSjirWzQOa4NhqKiI0zVXVQp%7EKWL35qEosBZA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
22edcfdee97c4fa4af75c848c4361fda
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
interpreter
VOL. 4
MARCH 1983
NO. 2
Thomas Burney:
Frontiersman in the Capital
Tom Strohfeldt is an escort as well as a former
Wyandot Indian families, which stood upon
apprentice gunsmith. Before coming to CWF, Tom
the site of modern Millersburg, Ohio.
While it may seem unlikely to find the
trades of blacksmithing and gunsmithing
was the Assistant Curator and Gunsmith for the
Ohio Historical Society. He is the author ofarticles
on riflemaking andgives us this account of Thomas
Burney, afrontier craftsman.
The far- reaching effects of the influence
and authority of the royal govemor at Williamsburg are underscored by the narrative of
one Thomas Bumey," blacksmith, gun-
practiced in such a remote situation and at
such an early date, it was apparently customary at frontier " factories" or trading posts. On
his initial trek through the Ohio Country in
1750, Gist was solicited by the Twightwees
Miami),
to provide such an artisan. The
Twightwees spoke at Pickawilinay:
smith, and Indian trader on the Ohio frontier
at the time of the French and Indian War.
Brother our hearts are glad that you have
The account is relevant for us as interpret-
taken notice of us, and surely, brother,
ers because it offers an opportunity to illuminate Williamsburg as the center of a wider
world. The immediacy of contact between
we hope that you will order a smith to
this town and areas six or seven hundred miles
More substantial documentation to affirm
settle here to mend our guns and hatchets.
to the west provides a refreshing addition to
this point is provided by the account of a
interpretation of the microcosm of Williams-
witness to the negotiations of the Logstown
burg. This larger context is a facet of Williamsburg' s significance to which many of our
Treaty. George Croghan recorded:
After which the chiefs ...
told me it was a
custom with their brothers, whenever
visitors can relate since, indeed, many of them
would be " back- country Virginians" by the
boundaries of the eighteenth century colony.
Contrasting the rough and ready circum-
they went to a council, to have their guns,
kettles, and hatchets mended, and de-
sired I might order that done, for they
could not go home till they had that done.
stances under which artisans labored on the
frontier with the sophisticated practices of a
By 1752 Bumey was located at Pickawili-
James Geddy or James Anderson enriches and
vitalizes our understanding of the scope of
nay, the extreme westem British outpost,
where it is likely that the scope of his work
work by eighteenth-century craftsmen. Those
included the repair of damaged guns and pos-
of us who study the trade of gunsmithing in
sibly the manufacture of arms, since Dinwid-
depth have uncovered little material to tell us
how far west the English workmen operated
die later proposed his " acting as armorer."
Burney was also involved in the trade of goods
by the mid eighteenth century, or how much
including " stroud, duffils, powder, lead,
of the gun' s manufacture they undertook.
linen, paint and gartering."
In June 1752, Pickawilinay was attacked by
Bumey' s career is surprising in both respects.
Thomas Burney first appeared in the litera-
a party of " French and French Indians" sent
ture of the Ohio frontier when Christopher
from Detroit by the govemor of Canada. The
Gist encountered him at Muskingum during
remnants of the defeated Twightwee band,
his explorations on behalf of the Ohio Com-
who had occupied the fort, sent letters of
appeal to the governor of Virginia. Dinwiddie
described the encounter in a letter to the
pany of Virginia in 1750, identifying him as
one Thomas Bumey, a blacksmith who is
i settled there." Muskingum was a town of 100
continued, page 2)
1
�General pay Thomas Burney fifty pounds for
Thomas Burney, continued
his trouble in going to and retuming from the
Board of Trade in London:
The Twightwees have sent one Thomas
Twightwees."
Burney, express who brought me a belt of
In November 1754 Burney carried the following message to Governor Sharpe in Mary-
wampum, a scalp of one of the Indians
land:
that are at war with them and in the
interest of the French, with a calmute
Sir: The bearer hereof, Thos. Burney,
lived some years among the Twightwees
as a blacksmith, he may be of some
sic] pipe ( being an emblem of peace with
those they send it to), and two letters,
copies therof I here enclose
r
to your
service and [ I] believe he would go to the
Twightwees with an escort of some
Ind' s. He wanted a Co' n [ commission]
but I did not think it proper to give him
lordships; they are of an odd style, but are
copied literally as I received them. I dis -
patched Bumey back to them with a belt
of wampum.
one, but offered him 2s6d day, if he w' d,
When the fort fell, Bumey and a fellow
on occasion, work at his trade and be
trader, Andrew McBryer, were hidden by the
ready to go messages. I sent him to you to
Twightwees while the other white inhabitants
examine him, and if you find he can be of
surrendered along with goods inan attempt to
placate the " French Indians." Bumey and
McBryer made their escape to the lower
service, you may increase his pay to 3s
day or more if you see proper. I cannot
say much to his character, as he once
Shawnee town ( site of modem Portsmouth,
disappointed me in a message to the
Ohio)
William
Twightwees, he s' d it was by sickness
Trent, who had been sent by Dinwiddie with
but now promises all in his power for the
Success of the Expedition.
where
they encountered
goods promised the Twightwees at the Logs-
town conference. Trent persuaded Burney to
Bumey apparently found employment as a
accompany him and his party of Indians back
to Pickawilinay, where they found two French
flags flying at the abandoned fort. They re-
military scout. Washington mentioned in his
correspondence from Great Meadows, May
turned to the lower Shawnee town and held a
from Dinwiddie. Bumey' s saga comes to an
council on August 4, where the Indians re-
end with the disastrous campaign of Edward
affirmed their alliance to the British cause. By
August 30 Burney was in Carlisle, Pennsyl-
Braddock, in which Bumey was killed,
according to a petition for a pension by his
widow, Mary Bumey, before the House of
29, 1754, that Bumey brought him a letter
vania, at the house of Robert Callander, an
ernor of Pennsylvania describing the catas-
Burgesses April 12, 1756.
A 1979 archaeological
trophe of Pickawilinay. To his description of
vealed the waste products of an armorer' s shop
the battle, he added, " Mr: Bumey is now
near the traditional site of Pickawilinay. It is
the opinion of Stanley W. Baker, who was
Indian trader, who drafted a letter to the gov-
here, and is willing to be qualified not only to
this, but to sundry other matters which he can
discover conceming this affair."
By December of that year, Dinwiddie re-
investigation
re-
then an archaeologist for the Ohio Historical
Society, that they may be remains from
Bumey' s shop. His hypothesis is based on
layed news of the raid to the Board of Trade
several stylistically related tomahawk heads
affixing a' letter from the Twightwees which
stated that " this comes by our brother
recovered from the area, some of which bear
continued, page3)
Thomas Burney, who was with us in the last
unhappy battle we had with our enemies."
In June of the following year, 1753, Burney
again sought the aid of Govemor Dinwiddie
on behalf of the Indians at Logstown, who
were alarmed at the proximity of the French
and Indians. The document stated, " This let-
The Bowen Map
ter was copied by Edwin Shippen while
Thomas Bumey, its bearer, passed through
Lancaster County on his way to Williams-
This map, drawn by Emanuel Bowen, shows
burg."
territory claimed by the British. A later map by
Pikkavalinna" at the westem extreme of the
When the Virginia council met the follow-
Bowen hung in the parlor of the Governor' s
ing month, it was " ordered that the Receiver
Palace, according to Botetourt' s inventory.
2
�Thomas Burney, continued
O
taking too much for granted when analyzing a
the touch -mark " B." The majority of the ar-
culture separated from our own in time or
tifacts are locks, barrels, and mountings of
French trade fusils, natural enough since the
Miami were allied to the French from about
space. Too often we tend to assume subconsciously that human motivation is a constant,
1680 until the early 1740s. The most revealing
object is a section of broken boring bit of small
stances
diameter, which suggests that in 1752, at a fort
cultures may have different sets of assump-
at " the extent of the English Settlements,"
tions about reality, different value systems,
Thomas Bumey undertook the making of gun
and that the response to a set of circumstances
barrels, which is considered the most difficult
may vary considerably from culture to culture
technological operation in the entire manu-
and yet in each case be intemaily consistent.
The likelihood of our falling into the error of
that rational analysis of a given set of circumwill
produce
predictable
reactions.
Isaac opens our eyes to the fact that different
facture of a gun.
taking - granted" increases in direct proporfor-
tion to the degree to which the culture being
examined resembles our own. Hence we have
a tendency to overlook that which separates us
The Transformation
from our eighteenth -century Virginia forbears
in an effort to find that which unites us.
Clearly, much of what we are derives from
what they were, but the descent (or ascent) is
not always as direct or linear as it may appear.
of Virginia, 1740 - 1790
by Rhys Isaac
The important thing to do, then, is to attempt
to determine what was real for eighteenth -
A book review by Barney Bames
Rhys Isaac' s The Transformation of Virginia,
century Virginians by immersing ourselves in
1740 -1790 is an enormously intelligent, pro-
their value system to the extent we are able.
vocative examination of the forces and events
Do not allow superficial resemblance to blunt
that reshaped Virginia society and culture in
your sensitivity to what things really meant for
the mid -to late eighteenth century. It is not an
easy book to categorize or to evaluate because
them.
Another valuable lesson to be leamed from
Isaac' s method of investigation lies in his re-
Isaac' s reliance on an analytical methodology
drawn in part from cultural anthropology and
from theater makes it decidedly non -tradi-
fusal to accept as definitive what is apparently
tional from a historian' s perspective. His line
of reasoning, although highly personal in
prefers to probe beneath the surface for addi-
some ways, is consistently and cogently
Thus roadways do not simply follow objec-
true or real about an event or a situation. He
tional,
pursued throughout the course of the book' s
perhaps
more
significant,
insight.
350 pages. The reaction of historians to Isaac' s
tively determined paths; rather, in Isaac' s
view, they often define the lines of power and
study will be highly diverse, with the degree
authority in localities. The important point is
of acceptance it wins depending on the indi-
that stopping at the superficial " reality" of an
vidual' s willingness to abandon ( temporarily)
event without examining it for underlying
traditional criteria of historical scholarship for
meaning will often cause us to lose what is
potentially most informative in it about
the insights that can be gained from an unusual, highly imaginative approach to the evi-
eighteenth century society.
dence. I personally consider it to be a very
Much of the substance of Isaac' s analysis
deals directly with one of our present interpre-
substantial achievement.
The Transformation of Vitginia contains a
tive concems— community in eighteenth century Virginia. He neither focuses on the
great deal of substance for each of us, and,
although the task of extracting the best of its
community of Williamsburg specifically nor
insights will by no means be an easy one, our
on community in the residential sense of the
word. Instead he examines the concept of
community as it is transformed over time and
in relation to specific events. This process was
neither unique to Virginia nor limited to a
portion of the eighteenth century. In fact, he
efforts will be well rewarded. Isaac offers an
interpretive scheme that, both in orientation
and in substance, will, if carefully employed,
expand our consciousness and heighten our
sensitivity
as
interpreters
of eighteenth -
century Virginia.
is describing a limited, local manifestation of a
Take, for example, his waming against
continued, page4)
3
�Transformation, continued
Easter weekend will begin with a Retreat
process underway for centuries— one that be-
program on April 1 at 5: 15 P. M. followed by
the Capitol Evening at 7: 00, 8: 00, and 9: 00
P. M. On Saturday, April 2, the Easter Review
gan before America was even a gleam in the
eye of Europeans —and that continues today.
Community as a homogeneous, corporate
entity with a thoroughly integrated, univer-
will be held at 8: 30 A. M.;
a Junior Corps
parade at noon; a Magic Show at 5: 00 P. M. in
the Lodge Auditorium; and the eighteenth -
sally held value system and based on
hierarchical relationships has progressively
given way to community as a heterogeneous
collection of autonomous individuals engaging in self conscious, short-term associations
of mutual benefit and lacking in any all encompassing structure. This process has
century play, The Sham Doctor, at 8: 30 P. M.
The Rockefeller Concert will be held on
April 17 and April 18 at 8: 00 P. M. at Bruton
Parish Church, and as always will be a very
special evening of choral music with orchestral
accompaniment.
been characterized in many ways; for ex-
Check the " Visitor' s Companion" for de-
ample, as a move from the medieval to the
modern or from the religious to the secular.
tails, dates, and times to be sure that our
visitors, as well as employees, are aware of the
The transformation has had both positive and
negative consequences. We must balance the
many exciting spring programs.
liberation of the individual from arbitrary restraint, on the one hand,
against the pro-
foundly disturbing sense of isolation that
comes with the absence of unifying social
The King' s English
structures, on the other. The search for new
definitions or bases of community, both in the
eighteenth century and today, is eloquent
testimony of society' s need for some form of
organizing, stabilizing principle. As I read
Calumet — tobacco pipe with a bowl of clay
a
and a long reed stem carved and ornamented with feathers. Used among the
Isaac' s book, I was repeatedly struck by the
American Indians as a symbol of peace.
similarity ofthe quest then and now, and I sub-
Duffel, duffle — coarse woolen cloth having
a
mit that it is this element of his study that will
ultimately prove the most useful to you in
a thick nap.
your effort to link your interpretations with
Factor —
one who buys or sells for another.
the interests and concerns of our visitors.
Factory—an establishment for traders carrying on business in a foreign country. Also a
building or buildings with machinery and
Occurrences
apparatus for the manufacture of goods.
Fusil — light musket.
a
Gartering —
the material from which garters
The
new
production
of the
eighteenth -
are made.
century ballad opera, Flora or Hob in the Well,
Stroud — blanket manufactured for barter or
a
opened on March 19. If you didn' t see it on
sale in trading with the North American
opening night, be sure to take it in. Perform-
Indians; the material from which these
blankets were made.
ances will be held on March 26, April 16, April
30, May 14, May 28, and at other times
throughout the year.
An Evening of Military Life will return on
Wednesday evenings, and will be presented
throughout the spring. The first performance
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Department of Interpretive Education.
Editor. Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer. Lou Powers
will be on March 30. Also, the sounds of fifes,
drums, cannons, and muskets have returned
with the opening of the 1983 militia season.
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
Tact Columnist: Peggy Howells
Other retuming programs include Thomas and
Sally on May 6 and May 20; the Assembly at
Editorial
John
the Capitol on May 13 and May 27; Capitol
Board: Bill
Caramia,
Tramposch,
George
Collins,
Arthur
Barnes,
Harold
Gill,
Dennis O' Toole, Sumpter Priddy III, and Jane Strauss
1983 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
concerts on Sunday evenings; and Palace concerts on Thursday evenings.
4
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 4, number 2, March, 1983
Description
An account of the resource
Thomas Burney: Frontiersman in the Capital -- The Bowen Map -- The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790: A book review -- Occurrences -- The King’s English
-
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PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
ii: terpreter
I
MAY 1983
3
Crime and Punishment
in Colonial Virginia
John Freeman Lowe is a senior interpreter in the
What was benefit of clergy?
exhibition buildings. He has done extensive histori-
Benefit of clergy had its antecedents in the
cal research on crime and punishment and military
Middle Ages. Hugh F. Rankin, in his Crim-
history and has written a number of articles for
inal Trial Proceedings in the General Court of
periodicals on these topics.
Colonial Virginia, states that " originally,
Since the dawn of recorded history, civiliza-
this privilege had been based on the prem-
tions have had to contend with antisocial ele-
ise of protecting the better-educated En-
ments, and colonial Virginia was no excep-
glish clergy from the vengeance of the
tion. Once the colony was firmly established,
temporal courts."
Virginians adapted the legal precedents
brought from England to meet the needs of a
In colonial Virginia, benefit of clergy
could be invoked by any convicted felon
society emerging from a harsh frontier envi-
except those charged with treason, murder,
ronment.
rape, arson, burglary, horse stealing, or robbery. If the accused was able to read a certain passage from the Bible— usually the
fifty-first Psalm— benefit of clergy could
Over the years guests have asked numerous
0
questions conceming crime and punishment
in the colonial period. To answer them com-
pletely could easily fill several volumes. Since
be claimed in order to escape the death
the dictates of time and space preclude a
penalty. After 1732 it was expanded to in-
lengthy paper, I have listed and answered the
questions most often asked by guests.
What
What was the General Court?
available to the accused?
clude women, illiterates, and slaves.
other
legal
safeguards
were
From 1662 until the end of the colonial
The accused, if a white or free black, was
period, the General Court served as Virginia' s chief instrument of justice. It was
entitled to trial by jury, the right to face his
accusers, the right to have witnesses to
the only tribunal that could impose the
testify in his behalf, and the right of habeas
death penalty on free citizens. This meant
corpus. This last meant that the defendant
that accused felons had to be brought to
was protected from illegal imprisonment
Williamsburg to stand trial. The court sat
twice a year —in April and October —
and
had jurisdiction over civil disputes as well as
criminal cases. Each session lasted twentyfour days, excluding Sundays, or until the
Hang the Hair buyer!
docket was cleared. It also met in June and
December, when it was called the Court of
Oyer and Terminer ( which means to " hear
and decide "). This court heard criminal
Henry Hamilton, the British lieutenant gover-
cases only.
General" in an inflammatory piece of prop-
nor of Detroit, was called the " Hair - uyer
b
How many members served on the GenIn the eighteenth century the court con-
Indian expeditions against Kentucky frontiersmen. During the American Revolution,
sisted of twelve men, the same individuals
J)
aganda after he had organized a number of
eral Court?
George Rogers Clark succeeded in capturing
who served on the Virginia Council. Five
were needed for a quorum, with the gover-
Hamilton as part of his grand scheme to gain
control of the Northwest Territory. Clark' s
nor serving as chief justice.
continued, page2)
1
�Crime, continued
and prosecution.
Owing to the loss or destruction of so many
Legal counsel was also
court records over the years, it is impossible
permitted if the defendant could afford the
fees. If he couldn' t, he defended himself.
How were black slaves tried?
to say exactly how many people were ex-
Black slaves were denied many of the safe-
set of Virginia Gazettes for 1766 - 1775.
These show that 364 accused felons stood
ecuted in Virginia during the colonial
period. Fortunately, we have a complete
guards that were provided for free citizens.
They could be imprisoned without benefit
of habeas corpus. They did not appear be-
trial during that period, 81 of whom were
fore the General Court but were tried by
were known to have been excuted, or an
special courts of oyer and terminer in the
average of slightly more than 3 a year.
What other punishments were imposed by
condemned. Of those sentenced to die, 33
county where the crime allegedly occurred.
These courts received their commissions
the General Court?
Other forms of punishment were whipping
from the royal govemor and had the author-
ity to impose the death penalty. There were
up to thirty -nine lashes for men and
no juries, and slaves did not have the right
twenty-five for women) or branding, either
to appeal a decision.
with a hot or a cold iron —the cold iron was
used almost exclusively toward the end of
the colonial period. Convicted felons could
also be fined and sentenced to prison terms.
After 1732, if a slave was tried fora capital
offense, other slaves, mulattoes, and Indians were allowed to testify or give evidence.
This policy was expanded in 1748 to allow
The most extreme form of physical mutila-
free blacks to appear in any case involving
tion I have found to date was the punish-
another black. Slaves were also entitled to
ment administered to one Richard Brack in
some of the provisions of benefit of clergy,
1774 and reported in the Virginia Gazette.
provided they were not being tried for a
The
unfortunate
Brack,
convicted
for
forgery, was sentenced to " stand in the Pillory one Hour, his righrEar to be cut off the
capital crime.
Convicted slaves could be punished by
branding, whipping, or both. Condemned
slaves were usually executed by hanging,
second Tuesday in December next, and to
but there is one known instance of a slave
Were convicted felons sentenced to prison
being burned at the stake in 1746.
terms as they are today?
Prison sentences were imposed, but were
be imprisoned one whole Year."
What constituted a felony in colonial
quite rare by today' s standards. Between
1766 and 1775, for example, only nine con-
Virginia?
Any crime for which the penalty was the
loss of life or limb was a felony. These
victed felons were given prison terms, and
included murder, rape, assault, horse steal-
these ranged from one month to one year.
ing, counterfeiting, burglary, and arson.
Were women tried by the General Court?
Thirty women are known to have been tried
by the General Court between 1766 and
The accused could also be tried for slave
stealing, inciting slaves to revolt, forging
1775.
the receipts or stamps of tobacco inspectors,
What were some crimes for which women
and a third offense of hog stealing.
What was the chief method of execution in
could be tried?
Women, like their male counterparts, could
colonial Virginia?
The supreme penalty was death by hang-
be tried for felony and, if convicted, could
ing. The condemned felon was taken from
the public gaol, placed on a sled or cart, and
be sentenced to death. A number of female
indentured servants were sentenced to die
taken to the gallows on Capitol Landing
on the gallows for murdering infants bom
to them out of wedlock.
Road. The cart was led beneath the gallows
and a noose was placed about his neck.
Were women actually executed?
Based on existing evidence, three women
After allowing the criminal to make his
peace with God and to say his final words, a
are known to have been executed between
1766 and 1775.
command was given; the cart lurched for-
Were free blacks tried before the General
Court?
ward, and the condemned man stepped off
into eternity.
How may condemned felons actually died
There are two known instances of free
blacks who were tried before the General
on the gallows?
continued, page 5)
2
�Summary of Company of Colonial Performers Programs
Summer 1983
Mondays:
The Morning Gun is fired at the Magazine July 11 through August 22 at 9:00 A.M.
Fifes and Drums Parade on Duke of Gloucester Street July 4 through August 22
at NooN
Black Music Programs behind the Wythe House June 27 through August 22 at
5: 00 P. M. and 5: 30 P. M.
21 MusicalDiversion at the Capitol July 11 through August 22 at 8: 00 P. M.
Tuesdays:
Military Review on Market Square at 9: 00 A. M.
Eighteenth -century Dancing and TraditionalMusic presented by students in
the Palace Gardens July 5 through August 23 from 2: 00 P. M. until 4: 00 P. M.
An eighteenth -century play will be presented at the Williamsburg Lodge
Auditorium June 21 through August 23 at 8: 30 P. M.
Wednesdays:
The Morning Gun is fired at the Magazine July 6 through August 24 at 9: 00 A.M.
Fifes andDrums Parade on Duke of Gloucester StreetJuly 6 through August 24 at
NOON
Black Music Programs behind the Wythe House June 29 through August 24 at
5: 00 P. M. and 5: 30 P. M.
4 Capitol Evening June 15 through August 31 at 7: 30 P. M. and 8: 30 P. M.
Thursdays:
Military Review on Market Square through June 30 at 5: 15 P. M.
Militia Muster on Market Square July 7 through August 25 at 9: 00 A. M.
Eighteenth -century Dancing and TraditionalMusic presented by students in the
Palace Gardens July 7 through August 25 from 2: 00 P. M. until 4: 00 P. M.
African Traditions at 6: 30 P. M.
Fridays:
Reveille beaten by the Fifes and Drums at the Magazine July 8 through August 26
at 9: 00 A. M.
21 Musical Diversion at the Capitol July 1 through August 26 at 8: 00 P. M.
Saturdays:
The Morning Gun is fired at the Magazine July 9 through August 27 at 9: 00 A. M.
Fifes andDrums Parade on Duke of Gloucester Street at NooN
An eighteenth- century play will be presented at the Williamsburg Lodge
Auditorium at 8: 30 P. M.
Special Days
May 28- 30:
1983 Summit of Industrialized Nations
July 4:
The Independence Day Review at 10: 00 A. M.
Tatoo and Fireworks at 8: 30 P. M.
July 25:
The 207th anniversary of the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in
Williamsburg is celebrated with a Military Review at 9: 00 A. M.
3
�D
tool, one should study the visitor as he en-
Occurrences
counters a personality from the past. Our visitor ( that
much analyzed,
surveyed,
and
As we all begin preparing for summer, it is
sometimes elusive creature) is usually eager to
important to remember how many programs
and events are available for our visitors. Dur-
before. Living history characters compel the
reach back, to touch those who have gone
visitor to suspend his disbelief and, his atten-
ing July and August the streets will once again
come alive with music and other sounds. Be
tion captured, to cross a bridge spanning two
sure to seek out the actors who will portray
centuries through a door that opens on the
eighteenth century inhabitants of the town
past. This kind of "up- close" encounter with
and welcome the fifers and drummers who
flesh and -blood people from another time
will make their rounds to entertain our visitors
provides a remarkable connection with the
past, one that leaves a lasting impression. The
waiting in lines.
The Music Teacher' s Room students will
visitor leams that although circumstances of
perform in the Music Teacher' s Room between 2: 00 P. M. and 5: 30 P. M. Monday
birth and events in history can influence at-
through Saturday, giving an opportunity for
emotions remain the same.
our visitors to leam of the important role music
played in the education of young people two
hundred years ago. In addition, the fifers and
drummers will present programs in the Maga-
Landon Carter bemoans the attitude of his
son; Ann Blair wonders if she is ready to give
titudes and behavior, basic human needs and
up balls, barbecues, and her " dear variety of
gentlemanly acquaintances" to manage a
household as her older sister does; and Wil-
zine yard demonstrating the military arts
liam
daily, except Friday and Sunday.
Holt, storekeeper, ponders the peer
The Black Music and African Traditions pro-
pressure of the association supported by
grams will retum again this summer to help
our visitors understand more fully the contri-
merchants like himself. Christiana Campbell,
widowed after only a few years of marriage,
must bring up her daughters alone; scullery
butions black Americans have made to our
culture. Three plays will be presented in repertoire throughout the summer: The Sham
maid Jenny strives to overcome loneliness for
Doctor, The Male Coquette, and the ballad opera
grind of endless kitchen work; and midwife
Flora. These and other summer programs
Catherine Blaikley scoffs at the new ideas in
should make for an exciting season.
The enclosed " Summary of Company of
Colonial Performers Programs" will help you
medicine
changing her successful vocation. These uni-
become familiar with the special activities that
diaries
will occur regularly on different days of the
week this summer. The " Visitor' s Compan-
themselves) let us see behind the tangible
objects which remain to the hearts and minds
ion" will state prices if tickets are required.
of the very human beings they were.
her absent husband and survive the daily
and
worries
about their somehow
versal human concems ( often described in
and
letters
of historic
personages
We hope these pieces will help you help our
To breathe life into these residents of
visitors. There are so many details for them to
eighteenth century Williamsburg requires a
absorb and
recall that they may need re-
team effort. Members of the research depart-
minders of the variety of interesting and en-
ment and the Company of Colonial Per-
tertaining programs available while they are
formers join forces to select the characters who
here.
will best represent early Virginia society.
Craftsmen, planters, slaves, career women,
statesmen, housewives —all contribute im-
measurably to the accurate portrayal of the
microcosm of the colonial capital.
The Exchange
Once the characters are chosen, an inten-
sive training program ensues and no effort is
Mary Wiseman describes some of the living history
spared in making characters not only histori-
interpretation at Colonial Williamsburg.
cally accurate but living, breathing personalities, each with his or her own personal history
To fully understand theatrical living history
and attitudes.
or character interpretation as a vital teaching
continued, page 6)
4
�Crime, continued
burgh" was prefaced by Clark' s remark that
Court. A free black named Caesar Valen-
they should run the risque of their lives in
Even
at
Richmond
tine was hanged in 1759 after being con-
passing the frontier."
victed for an unspecified crime. In 1775
Hamilton described " the prepossession of the
James Bailey, a free black from Norfolk
County, was acquitted of housebreaking.
Were whites ever executed for murdering
people against us, and the curiosity to see how
blacks?
the Tetrarch."
In
1739
three
County named
white
men
from
such a set of Infemals carryed themselves who
had each been more bloodthirsty than Herod
To his credit, he highmind-
Essex
edly remarked that their treatment " was very
David White, Charles
excusable considering how we had been represented, and besides that they had suffered
very severely from the inroads of [ our]
Quinn, and John Cabidge were hanged for
murdering two black slaves. William Pittman, a slave owner from King George
County, died on the gallows in 1775 after
being convicted of murdering one of his
people."
slaves while in a drunken rage.
In his journal, Hamilton describes arriving
at Williamsburg at sunset June 16, 1779, and
waiting half an hour in front of the Palace to
In conclusion it can be said that colonial
hear
his
fate.
The
officer
in
charge
of
Hamilton and his fellow prisoners
Conducted us to the Common prison,
distant a small mile, our attendants in-
Virginians were determined to be govemed by
rule of law. Some of the court sentences may
appear to be overly harsh by our standards, but
this was, as Hugh F. Rankin has so aptly put
creasing every step. At the Jail we were
received by the Jailor, a character, how-
it, " justice in their [emphasis added] time."
ever beneath other peoples notice, which
soon called our attention... .
Hair-buyer, continued
The opening and shutting doors and
barriers, unbolting some cells, and giving
prestige soared when he was able to send
directions in an authoritative voice per-
Hamilton in irons to the gaol at Williamsburg.
When Clark, against heavy odds of troops
haps were designed to appall us poor
and distance, captured the towns of Kaskaskia
and Cahokia on the Mississippi in 1778,
Hamilton was compelled to move against him.
situation....
Devils, and bring us to a due sense of our
We traversed a small court
20 feet square, walled to the heighth of
30 feet...
He advanced to Vincennes, arriving Decem-
We had for our domicile a place, not ten
ber 17, 1778, where he was later defeated and
captured after Clark' s unexpected offensive,
mounted under incredible difficulties and car-
feet square by actual measurement, the
only light admitted was thro' the grating
of the door which opend into the court
above mentioned. The light and air were
ried off with bravado. After Hamilton capitu-
lated at Vincennes, he and a small party of his
nearly excluded for the bars of this
grating were from three to four inches
fellow officers were sent east as prisoners of
war. At Chesterfield Court House they re-
thick. In one comer of this snug mansion
ceived an order signed by Thomas Jefferson
was fixed a kind of Throne which had
that Hamilton and William La Mothe, Cap-
been of use to such miscreants as us for 60
tain of Volunteers at Detroit, were to be
taken in irons and layed in gaol at Wil-
years
past . . .
opposite the door and
nearly adjoining the throne was a little
Skuttle 5 or 6 inches wide, thro' which
our Victual was thrust to us. It is not
necessary to describe the furniture, as
such folk as were destined to be residents
liamsburgh."
The denigration of Hamilton seems quite
unwarranted, since the practice of employing
Indian allies was apparently commonplace on
both sides during the American Revolution, as
it had been during the previous colonial wars.
here had no occasion for superfluities.
Perhaps there will be an opportunity to use
Clark himself moderated the severity of his
this colorful account to enliven your interpre-
treatment of Hamilton after hearing the
tations of the
Public Gaol.
testimony of one Henry the Armorer, who had
been at Detroit and had witnessed Hamilton' s
Governor' s Palace and
the
And what happened to General Hamilton?
He was eventually paroled and was back in
England by June 1781. He died in 1796.
equitable treatment of prisoners.
Hamilton' s journey " by water to the Falls of
the Ohio and thence by land to Williams-
Tom Strohfeldt
5
�The interpreters who portray these people
youngsters —they are quick to spot anyone
who talks down to them. Your attitude toward
of the past paint the historic picture in broad
them will help establish the pattern of their
strokes and vivid colors. Costume, accent,
behavior.
Living History, continued
body attitude, choice of language, deport-
Wherever and whenever you can involve
ment, and manner of relating to physical sur-
the youngsters, you will have their attention!
roundings and other characters all contribute
How about suggesting behavior expected of
eighteenth century children? Describe how
they dressed, how their clothing restricted
their movements, and how children generally
to the effectiveness of the portrayal. Thus, an
encounter with a living history character can
be a very real opportunity for the visitor to
leam the story of our past in terms of human
acted. If possible, could you ask them to do
something — join you in a minuet step, or to
to
experience.
Just as actors bring history to life on the
vote" on a proposed bill at the Capitol? If
street, in the Governor' s Palace, and at the
active participation is not possible, their im-
Greenhow Store, each Colonial Williamsburg
aginations can be evoked.
interpreter makes the past come alive in a very
You will have abundant support this year in
special way. Anyone who has ever walked
your interpretive efforts for family groups.
Make use of special activities by recommending them to parents, by pointing out certain
areas that may be of greater interest to the
chilren. Help the families use brochures to
down Duke of Gloucester Street in colonial
dress, performed an eighteenth century craft,
driven a carriage, cooked in an eighteenth -
century kitchen, greeted a visitor with the
proper courtesy, bargained at a colonial fair
their greatest advantage. Steer them toward
booth, taken part in a militia muster, played
an instrument, or danced as the inhabitants of
living history experiences. Think from a
Williamsburg did two hundred years ago plays
world opens!
child' s perspective on occasion —a whole new
an important role in bringing this town vividly
to life.
The King' s English
Tact
Henry Hamilton used these words in his journal,
Before long school vacations will begin, which
which he kept from August 6, 1778 until he was
means that hundreds of children and parents
imprisoned in the publirgaol at Williamsburg and
deprived ofpen and ink.
will again descend upon us. I want to do my
part to insure a pleasant visit for families, but I
Bateau — light river boat.
a
Firkin — small cask for liquids, fish, butter,
a
and so forth, originally holding a quarterofa
need
Help!
Some parents bring their children because
they want to enrich their youngsters' sense of
history. Others, parents and children, may see
barrel.
Peltry—fur skins or pelts collectively.
Pirogue — canoe -like vessel, with or without
a
the visit as important but not particularly en-
sails.
Portmanteau — case or bag for carrying
a
lightening or pleasurable. You and I, as public
clothing and other necessaries when traveling.
contact personnel, have the capacity to contri-
Potations—drinks or drinking.
bute to the experiences of these family groups
in a variety of ways. Perhaps we can even turn
their indifference into interest.
First of all, one will scarcely be able to
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
excite youngsters about any aspect of history
unless
one
feels
and
shows
ment of Interpretive Education.
Editor: Barbara Beaman
enthusiasm.
Assistant Editorand Feature Writer: Lou Powers
Young inquiring minds are exciting to work
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
Tact Columnist: Peggy Howells
with and to challenge. Capture the children' s
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Arthur Barnes,
John Caramia, George Collins, Harold Gill,
interest and you' ve automatically engaged the
parents. Have you noticed that as you ask
Dennis O' Toole, and Jane Strauss
questions
of
the
children,
many
adults
1983 by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
respond? A word of caution: don' t patronize
6
0
�
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 4, number 3, May, 1983
Description
An account of the resource
Crime and Punishment in Colonial Virginia -- Hang the Hair-buyer! -- Summary of Company of Colonial Performers Programs and Special Days Summer 1983 -- Occurrences -- The Exchange -- Tact -- The King’s English
-
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c8da76a6b9a6d5128e425a08a3123345
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
re er
In er
JULY
N O. 4
VOL. 4
1983
Update on Peyton Randolph
Outbuildings Project
conservation. He describes recentfinds on the Pey-
revealed some substantial domestic refuse deposits from the period 1720 through 1765. We
ton Randolph site.
anticipate finding additional deposits associ-
As part of the Foundation' s overall effort to
enrich its interpretation ofeighteenth-century
ated with Peyton' s household as work progres-
family life and household domestic activity
house refurnishing project now being undertaken by the Department of Collections.
Marley Brown HI is the directorofexcavations and
ses. This evidence may prove valuable for the
within the Historic Area, a long term excavation project is now being conducted on the
These materials may also figure in future com-
back lot of the Peyton Randolph House. Its
parative studies of economic differences be-
main purpose is to provide basic evidence of
tween households in the capital based on the
quantitative analyses of probate inventories
the outbuildings, pathways, and gardens as-
sociated with the Randolph family' s tenure on
and archaeological remains.
the property from 1724 until 1783. This evi-
Recent field work, under the direction of
dence, in combination with information pro-
staff archaeologists Linda Derry and Andrew
vided by the Department of Architecture, will
Edwards, has been concentrated in the back
be used to develop building reconstruction
lot near the present windmill. Structure A, the
and landscape plans for the lot. At the same
time, the Peyton Randolph outbuildings' ex-
brick foundation uncovered near North England Street, was a wooden frame building, 16
cavation serves as a demonstration exhibit
by 20 feet with a wood floor and a comer
within the Historic Area, and is explained to
hearth. It appears to have been built after
our visitors by specially trained interpretive
personnel. The site is now open to the public
1720, probably by Sir John, and was removed
between 1755 and 1765 by his son, Peyton
seven days a week. -
Randolph. After the structure was removed,
Although the period during which Peyton
the open foundation remained and this area
Randolph' s household was ; in residence,
about 1755 to 1775, is of greatest interest, the
became a dump for household; and architectural debris.
continued, page 2)
project seeks to characterize the changing
configuration of the lot from 1714 to the present. When viewed from this perspective, pat-
The Merchant' s Exchange
terns apparent in the organization and use of
Relocated -
space on the Randolph lot may be compared
to the spatial development of other properties
within the Historic Area occupied by families
By the last decade of the colonial period,
whose
social position
merchants and wealthy planters gathered.riear
were either markedly different from, or similar to, the Randolphs. In this way, it will be
the Capitol to transact commercial and financial business quarterly during sessions of the
economic
means and
General Court and the Court of Oyer and
possible to measure the extent to which the
architectural character of outbuildings, their
Terminer. In November 1765 Lieutenant
arrangement within the yard, and principles
Govemor Francis Fauquierwrote of "that part
employed in landscape design varied accord-
of the Town which is call' d the Exchange tho'
an open Street, where all money business is
ing to the occupation, wealth, and education
of town residents during the eighteenth
transacted."
Evidence locating the exchange is scanty
century.
continued, page 2)
Excavation of the Randolph yard has also
1
�Peyton Randolph, continued
Forty feet east ofStructure A, another 16 by
20 -foot building was built about 1770, possibly during Peyton Randolph' s last years, and
survived into the early nineteenth century. It
of the newer section of the house. Because
Structure A dates to the first half of the eigh-
teenth century, and Structure C dates to the i
second half, this may indicate the entire lay - '.
out of the backyard was restructured when the
was constructed with recycled brick and only
house was remodeled sometime shortly after
the south wall, which faces the main house,
was made of English bond. The three remain-
Peyton inherited the property from his mother
in the late 1750s.
Artifact collections from the first season' s
ing walls were in random bond. Apparently,
lot outbuildings. The nearby landscaping also
work have been inventoried using a detailed
computer - ased system developed by the Ofb
fice of Excavation and Conservation. This
contained recycled materials, brickbats, and
system has made it possible to perform spatial
plaster chunks. The foundation for an earlier
a smokehouse. Footings for this building,
and functional analyses of artifacts in a much
more efficient manner than would have been
possible with more traditional methods. We
have completed an interim report describing
the first phase of the work, and it will be
available to interpretive staff in the very near
known as Structure D; were also constructed
future.
even prestigious town dwellers like the Ran dolphs skimped on the construction of back
10 by 10 -foot building remains under Structure C. Its size, the charcoal found in association with it, and the structure' s distance from
the main house suggest that it may have been
of recycled bricks.
As an experiment, brick samples from this
Merchants' Exchange, continued
and other buildings have been- sent to a lab-
and ambiguous. In the 1930s the area east of
oratory at the University of Utah for thermoluminescence (TL) dating. Good results from
the Capitol was designated the exchange. Recent research indicates that the area west of
this test would be very important since many
eighteenth century builders' trenches ( the
the Capitol is a more likely location. The
reasoning, accepted by the Program Planning
feature archaeologists use to determine the
construction date of a structure) were des -
and Review Committee, is as follows.
Fauquier's letter to the Board of Trade, ,
troyed by cross -trenching in the early days of
noted above, describes an incident which oc-
excavation work done at Colonial Williams-
curred on October 30 outside the coffeehouse
burg. Thermoluminescence, a technique that
has been used for some time, for dating
that overlooked the exchange. An article in
Royle' s Virginia Gazette, datelined October
31, also mentions the incident at the coffeehouse, but neither source locates the structure
or identifies its keeper. For background on
ceramics, measures the amount of light given
off by certain " trapped" electrons when the
sample is burned. These electrons accumu-
late at a constant rate since the original firing
of the brick and therefore may be used to
the
incident involving stamp distributor
measure time. The resulting date can be accurate to within 4 to 7 percent and will tell us
port, pp. 17 -20, and Rutherfoord Goodwin, 4
Brief and True Report Concerning Williamsburg
approximately when the brick was made —
in Virginia, pp. 50- 51 and 229 -233.
not, of course, when Structure D was erected.
The date will be useful in determining the
earliest point in which Structure D could have
feehouse— so called but offering tavem services— at this time? In June 1767 tavem
been built. It is also a good experiment simply
keeper Richard Charlton advertised that he
to find out whether or not this test is useful in
was operating the coffeehouse. Even though
eighteenth -century archaeology. A brick from
Charlton' s location is unknown, it could have
the foundation of Structure A was also sent for
been the building immediately west of the
Public Records Office ( where the frame
George Mercer, see the 1962 President's Re-
Where do other references locate the cof-
TL dating. This date may be more informa-
Armistead House stands), which was identified as a coffeehouse at various times between
tive as there is no evidence that the bricks
from " A" were used in a previous structure.
1769 and 1777. No references to the building
Two major walkways were also found dur-
reconstructed as Christiana Campbell' s Tav-
ing the last field season. One ran along the
em identify it as a coffeehouse —either when
Jane Vobe (ca. 1765 - 1771) or Christiana Camp-
north and east sides of Structure A and appar-
ently led to the side door of the older section
bell called a tavem or simply " Mrs. Vobe' s" or .,.
( 1772 –ca. 1780) operated it. Rather, it
was
of the Randolph home built during the second
decade of the eighteenth century. Another
continued, page 3)
serviced Structure C and led to the back door
2
�Merchants' Exchange, continued
Nonetheless the value and accessibility of
Mrs. Campbells."
Researchers have found a remarkable con-
estate inventories may lead some historians to
sistency in the way eighteenth century resi-
strict the usefulness of inventories are: ( 1) All
dents and others oriented themselves and de-
estates were not inventoried; ( 2) All inven-
scribed Williamsburg locations: "
or
tories are not equally accurate or detailed; ( 3)
above" was to the west and " down" or " be-
Some objects were deliberately excluded
low" was to the east. ( Most interpreters are
from even the most detailed inventories; ( 4)
familiar with the note in James Geddy's 1772
Objects are often described so cryptically that
age, style, condition, or positive identification
up"
ignore their limitations. Some factors that re-
advertisement that he hoped the reasonableness of his goods " will remove that Objection
are impossible to determine.
to his Shop' s being too high up Town. ") Con-
Although Virginia law required all estates to
sidering this, when the newspaper account
be inventoried by court- appointed agents
mentions Mercer " walking up streets as far as
called appraisers, some estates were either not
the Capitol in his way to the Govemour's" and
inventoried or the inventories were not re-
the crowd attending " him up as far as the
corded. These missing inventories and the
Coffee House,"
unknown reasons behind their absence introduce an element of error into even the most
it locates the place he came
from as east of the Capitol and the coffeehouse as west of the Capitol.
detailed statistical analysis. It could be that a
The absence of references to Campbell' s
large percentage of the missing inventories are
of people in a particular age, income, or occupational group leaving that group underrepre-
Tavem being called a coffeehouse, the fact
that the building immediately west of the
Public Records Office is occasionally called a
coffeehouse from the late 1760s through the
sented iitthe study. No matter how large the
sample, a statistical study is not accurate un-
1770s, and the logistics of Mercer's move-
less the sample,is selected at random from the
ments and
group being studied.
those of the crowd convince me
Although the court selected appraisers from
that in 1765 the coffeehouse was west of the
Capitol. And since Fauquier states that the
coffeehouse was " situated in that part of the
0
the conimunity who were generally familiar
with
Town which is call' d the Exchange," I feel
the tools and possessions of the de-
exchange west of the Capitol at the eastem
ceased, the detail and accuracy of the inventories vary considerably. Some show great
attention to detail and careful recording while
end of Duke of Gloucester Street.
others have mistakes varying from mathemati-
that the evidence is sufficient to relocate the
cal errors to the omission of entire rooms. It is
Pat Gibbs
fairly common to find inventories of tobacco
planters that show no tools for working the
fields. One inventory listed the goods in the
bedroom " over the parlor" but did not other-
The Exchange
wise mention the parlor. Whether omissions
of this type were deliberate or accidental is
hard to determine.
In the January 1981 Fresh Advices, Harold Gill
of the research department reported on the
Even the most detailed inventories do not
values and limitations of estate inventories as
list everything present on the site. Because
sources of information. I want to emphasize
inventories were of the personal property of
the deceased, they included only movable
items such as fumishings, tools, livestock, and
the limitations Mr. Gill mentioned and to
show examples of some of the pitfalls to avoid
so on. Real property such as land, buildings,
in interpreting estate inventories. i,;
The principal value of inventories lies in
built - fumiture (bookcases, cupboards, and
in
helping us link the objects of the eighteenth
so forth), and stationary equipment ( cider
century with the people who owned them.
presses, forges, etc.) were excluded. This dis-
Organized studies of a large number of in-
tinction between real property and personal
ventories from a particular time or region have
property limits what researchers can team
produced important information about the
from inventories. For example, a study to de-
distribution of goods and trends of ownership.
termine the number of beds in seventeenth-
Individual inventories can be combined with
century homes could not use inventories as a
archaeological
source because in that period beds were often
built in. continued, page 4)
evidence,
print
sources,
and
eyewitness descriptions to provide the basis
for fumishing a home or shop.
3
�Historic Area seemed without the usual vis-
Inventories, continued
itors. By the end of the second day comments
such as " I' m looking forward to crowds again"
Also excluded from the inventory was the
personal property claimed by other members
began to surface.
of the family. A widow could elect to claim her
Perhaps one of the side effects of the sum-
dower or one -third share of the estate before
mit is our realization of just how much we
depend upon our guests. We are well aware of
the financial aspects of their presence, but did
you not also become aware ofjust how people -
the inventory was taken. Individual objects
having special value or usefulness to a younger
person were sometimes given to children be-
fore the death of an elderly man. The absence
oriented our jobs and we are? Our crowds are
of firearms from the inventories of men, who
were required to own a gun for the militia, can
be seen as an example of this. Some elderly
once aga&;_with us, and now we see and hear
the presence we missed that weekend in May.
For their comfort are you aware of:
people gave away much of their estate and
Delightful and shady gardens where
even deeded over their land in exchange for
weary guests may rest for a few
maintenance in their old age.
minutes?
The inventory of Lord Botetourt is one of
The bus schedule and closest bus stop to
the best we have and is therefore a good exam-
your site?
ple of how-hard it is to figure out exactly what
The nearest rest rooms and cold drink
facilities in relation to your building or
is being described. " In the Hall and Passage
below" we find " ten large globe lamps."
It
took considerable detective work and a for-
site?
Those rest rooms with facilities for the
tuitous look at a trade card to decipher this
care of infants and small children?
entry. Other entries such as " five maps," or
20 prints," or " one old pine table" leave
even more to the imagination. (The Botetourt
Those rest rooms that provide facilities
inventory does not list values. Other inven-
Special events on any given day so that
for the handicapped?
guests have an opportunity to enjoy a
tories, called appraisements, include the values of individual items and the total value of
parade or special military review?
personal property in the estate. The fact that
an inventory is not appraised automatically
You undoubtedly can contribute other
helpful suggestions to this list. Each of these
tells us two things about the decedent: his
estate was considered financially sound, and
in his will he had requested that his estate not
be appraised. Both conditions had to be met
by itself is a small gesture of thoughtfulness,
before the document could omit values.)
cause it can be an invaluable aid to our guests'
but how greatly each can enhance our visitors'
comfort!
The Visitor's companion is aptly titled be-
Another problem with using inventories to
experience. First and foremost: You must be
dictate fumishings occurs when the estate
aware of the information it contains so that you
includes more than one site. Anthony Hay' s
can answer visitors' questions. For instance,
inventory included the property found in his
gardens open to the public are marked with a
house and the Raleigh Tavem, and we cannot
sign on the gate; most rest rooms provide at
be sure of what was where.
When looking at an inventory it is best to
least shelf space for the care of infants and
small children; rest rooms with facilities for
think of it as a list of some, but probably not
the handicapped are specially marked on the
all, of the personal property of the deceased.
More importantly it must be remembered that
an inventory does not give a complete picture
of a family' s wealth, life style, or fumishing
map. Show your guests how to use this publication for themselves. They will appreciate
the independence.
plan. Inventories must be used in conjunction
with other sources and common sense for their
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the
interpretation to be valid.
Department of Interpretive Education.
Gary Brumfield
Editor: Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
Tact Columnist: Peggy Howells
Tact
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Arthur Barnes,
John Caramia, George Collins, Harold Gill,
Dennis O' Toole, and Jane Strauss
Many of you worked over the Summit week-
1983 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
end and remarked about how strange the
4
D
�I
walkways
1982 - 83
A rchaeologica/
Excavations
ID
Foundations
in
Uncovered
the 1930s
0
Peyton
Randolph
House
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
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Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 4, number 4, July, 1983
Description
An account of the resource
Update on Peyton Randolph Outbuildings Project -- The Merchant’s Exchange Relocated -- The Exchange -- Tact
-
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8088565211460389bfc349d3788e6972
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
in
VOL. 4
r
NO. 5
r
r
SEPTEMB ER 1983
Core Curriculum Catalog Issue
for Historic Area Interpreters
Objectives of the Core Curriculum
The Core Curriculum is an in-service interpretive education program that is offered annually to
all Historic Area interpreters of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. It is but one portion of the
entire interpretive education program and is general and divisionwide in nature. Another component of the Department of Interpretive Education' s programs (although it is not the subject of this
catalog), is departmental in-service training. In contrast to the Core Curriculum, departmental
training is offered within an interpreter's specific department, and it endeavors to address
site -related topics ( for example, tavern update training, crafts interpretation technique training,
visitor aide training, etc.). All interpretive education programs, whether Core Curriculum or
departmental, are overseen by the members of the Department of Interpretive Education.
Presently Core Curriculum consists of two parts, Basic Courses and Advanced Courses. Each
part shares the following objectives:
1.
Tointerpreters.
provide concepts and historical information of a general, contextual nature for
2. To offer guidance in the organization and application of these concepts and contextual
information to specific interpretive situations.
3. To develop interpreters' skills in communications and in the use of historical source
materials of all kinds.
4. To identify and underscore those aspects of interpretation that will serve to strengthen
the sense of common purpose among interpreters from Colonial Williamsburg' s
various interpretive departments.
Basic Courses offer an introduction to the understanding and interpretation of colonial Virginia
society and culture. Those interpreters employed afterJanuary 1, 1980, are required to participate
in this two-year program. Interpreters whose employment antedates January 1, 1980, however,
may choose to enroll in the Basic Courses. The last year that this option will be offered is 1984. The
Basic Courses are:
Year one —Virginia Society in Profile
The Growth ofVirginia's PreindustrialEconomy
Fine Things /Plain Things: Virginia's Material Culture
Year two —Folkways: Everyday Behavior and Occasional Customs in Colonial Virginia
The Evolution of Government in Colonial Virginia
The Revolution in Virginia andIts Aftermath
Advanced Courses are available only to those interpreters hired before January 1, 1980.
Interpreters will indicate the " set" of two courses that is their first choice, second choice, and so
Qforth. The Advanced Course section of the Core Curriculum gives those interpreters who have
been here longer the opportunity to select courses that further their professional development.
continued, page2)
1
�Objectives, continued
Each year the Advanced Course offerings are identified by members of the Core Curriculum
Committee, which consists of interpreters, researchers, curators, and members of the Department
of Interpretive Education. For guidance in these decisions, the members of the Core Curriculum
Committe study the evaluations of the past year' s program, interpreter questionnaires and profiles
completed by all interpreters involved in the program), and consult department heads from the
various interpretive support departments such as archaeology, architecture, collections, and
research.
A third level of the Core Curriculum is now being developed and is expected to be implemented
in January 1985. This program will offer courses to those individuals who have participated in the
advanced programs and will provide still more opportunity for choice in their interpretive develop-
ment. Individual study courses, small workshops, and visits to other museums are but a few of the
options that may be available in this newest phase of our divisional in- service program.
Core Curriculum Committee: Bill Tramposch, chairman, Linda Baumgarten, Barbara Beaman,
Gary Brumfield, John Caramia, Kevin Kelly, and Jane Strauss.
Core Curriculum Catalog: Carol Williams, coordinator.
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Department of Interpretive Education.
Editor: Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer :: Lou Powers
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
Tact Columnist: Peggy Howells
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Arthur Barnes, John Caramia, George Collins, Harold Gill,
Dennis O' Toole, and Jane Strauss
1983 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
2
�The Partnership:
Teaching and Application in Historical Interpretation
The 1984 Core Curriculum is divided into six sessions:
Session One, lasting approximately four hours, will consist of two lectures that will help to
develop your skills in the use of historical source materials. Graham Hood will discuss what we can
learn from paintings and prints, and a member of our research staff will discuss historical
documents.
Sessions Two through Four are devoted to your content courses. If you are enrolled in Basic
Courses, each training day will last eight hours; if you are taking Advanced Courses, each day will
last seven hours. There is a difference in time because the Basic programs consist of three courses
each, but the Advanced program consists of two courses this year. Scheduling two three -hour
Advanced Courses per day enables us to offer more in -depth study.
Session Five, lasting approximately three hours, consists of ( ) a review of course content, (b)
a
a discussion of the ways in which the content can be applied, (c) a test, and ( d) preparation for the
Practicum.
Session Six, lasting approximately two hours, will be a discussion of the practicum period.
This discussion will be held three weeks after the fifth session.
As HAPO interpreters, you are a diverse group, and you bring special talents and interests to a
wide range of interpretive situations. The Core Curriculum is designed to provide you with ample
opportunity to share your ideas and skills with other interpreters.
0
Program Appraisal: Test / racticum /Evaluation
P
Tests and Assistance— The test will assist you and us in gauging your knowledge of the course
content. It will also help us to evaluate our program. If you take Basic Courses, you will
participate in a 11 -hour test developed by the faculty and given on a day following completion
of your three days of classes. Similarly, each of the two Advanced Courses will involve a
30- minute test given on a fourth day soon after completion of your course. The Core Curriculum
faculty and the Department of Intepretive Education will be glad to answer any questions you
may have about your courses, to provide tutors upon request, and to assist you in choosing future
courses.
Practicum—Your Core Curriculum studies will conclude with a practicum, a period of practical
application. This is an opportunity for you to apply one or more of the course themes to your
specific interpretive work situation. At the conclusion of the practicum period, you will
reconvene in small departmental groups to discuss your applications. Relevant faculty and
Department of Interpretive Education staff will also attend the practica.
Student Evaluation — usual, after completing your course work you will receive a student
As
evaluation form asking for your reflections on the Core Curriculum segment in which you
participated. This will help us to refine the program next year.
0
3
�0
How to Enroll: Basic and Advanced Courses
BASIC COURSES:COURSES: First -year courses (Basics I) are for interpreters hired afterJanuary 1, 1983.
Second -year courses ( Basics II) are for interpreters hired between January
1, 1980, and December 31, 1982, who took the first year of Basic
Courses in 1983.
ADVANCED COURSES: Advanced Courses are for interpreters hired as seven -month or
more employees beforeJanuary 1, 1980. ( Ifyou are eligible for the Advanced Courses, you may
elect to take either first - ear Basic or second -year Basic Courses in the 1984 Core Curriculum.
y
However, this is the last year that this option can be offered.)
Registration Form—Please fill out the registration form that relates to the courses you will
take —Basic or Advanced. Return the registration form and the interpreter profile to your master
teacher or interpretive education representative by Wednesday, October 5, 1983.
Interpretive Profile —
Each year the faculty needs to know about the interpreters in his or her
classes. Will you please complete the enclosed interpreter profile and return it with your
registration form.
Confirmation —
You will receive enrollment confirmation through your department during the
month of November.
Attendance —Participation in training is an integral part of your job. Attendance will be recorded
at each class meeting. As usual, all classes will be held regardless of weather conditions (unless,
of course, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation closes operations). With the permission of
your department head, one excused absence may be permitted for illness or an emergency.
4
�0
Course Descriptions
First - ear Basic Courses ( Basics I)
Y
Virginia Society in Profile
This course traces the evolution of Virginia society from its beginnings in the chaotic seventeenth
century to its mature form in the third quarter of the eighteenth century. The course will explore
how the changing demography of the region profoundly affected Virginia, and further, how that
society grew more hierarchical and closed by the end of the colonial period. Finally, the course will
examine the shape of Williamsburg' s urban society and compare it to that of rural Virginia. Kevin
Kelly.
The Growth of Virginia's Preindustrial Economy
This course provides an overview of the economy ofthe colonial Chesapeake by exploring the twin
processes of economic development and economic diversification. Through lectures and exercises
in the classroom and the Historic Area we shall study Virginia' s transformation from a tobacco dominated economy to one of mixed agriculture, modest manufacturing, and burgeoning internal
trade. Topics of study will include: economic cycles, credit, money, introduction of slavery, and
altemative markets. Peter Bergstrom.
Fine Things /Plain Things: Virginia's Material Culture
This course will take a close look at a number of artifacts that survive from colonial Virginia,
particularly those goods with close Williamsburg associations. Irs main objective is to show how
objects can give insights into colonial Virginia in ways that written records alone are usually unable
Ito do. Secondly, it focuses on those same objects as reflections of the economic, social, political,
land cultural history of the colony. Teaching Curator.
Second Year Basic Courses ( Basics II)
Folkways: Everyday Behavior and Occasional Customs in Colonial Virginia
The spiritual and mental worlds of eighteenth -century Virginians will be explored in this course.
Through presentation and analyses of dramatic vignettes, prints of the period, and documentary
and artifactual sources, participants will come to understand how various colonial Virginians
viewed themselves, their neighbors, their communities, and the natural and spiritual worlds of
which they were a part. Contrasts with eighteenth -century England and with contemporary
America will be made. Dennis O' Toole.
The Evolution of Government in Colonial Virginia
This course will consider the evolution of govemment in colonial Virginia from its settlement in
1607 to May 15, 1776. It will cover English policy and administration of Virginia as a royal colony
but will be concemed primarily with the development and processes of local and provincial
administration and govemment, including legislation, the judicial system, and the system of
representation in the House of Burgesses. John Hemphill.
The Revolution in Virginia and Its Aftermath
This course covers Virginia's role in the growing imperial crisis, 1763 - 1775; areas of intemal
tension; the role of Lord Dunmore; the outbreak of war in Virginia, 1775 - 1776; establishment of
republican institutions; the war renewed, 1779 - 1781; the Confederation period in Virginia; and
ratification of the federal constitution. John Selby.
5
�Advanced Courses 1984
Archaeology in Williamsburg and Carter's Grove
This course covers the history ofexcavations in these two areas and the results ofthat work in terms
of the most important properties and discoveries. Also included are an introduction to field
techniques and methods of laboratory analysis illustrated by examples from current excavations in
the Historic Area. The use of archaeological research within the context of economic and social
history is also described. Marley Brown III and Ivor Noel Hume.
Comparative Colonial Experience
This course will provide a context for understanding that part of the Anglo- American colonial
world which is represented here in the Chesapeake. Two majoraims will be to explore the regional
diversity of the Anglo- American colonial experience and to gain a sense of how each region
developed over time. Philip Morgan.
Crafts at Colonial Williamsburg: History, Process, and Products
After surveying the metalworking trades, this year's offering will focus on ironworking trades. It
will identify the tradesmen, explain the structure ofthe work force and business operation, present
the role of the trades in the community, and show the processes and products of the trades.
Participants will examine objects, account books, prints and paintings, and visitseveral sites where
the use of this information will be demonstrated and discussed. Gary Brumfield and Peter Ross.
Eighteenth -Century Thought
This course will examine the eighteenths -nature and knowledge, his relationship to God and will (Th
century concepts of men, reason, and nature. It the
explore eighteenth -century ideas of man'
universe, and his relationship to other men. Frank MacDonald.
Historic Trades in Colonial Virginia
-
The central theme that runs through the history of trades in colonial Virginia is the perpetual
shortage of skilled labor. This course will focus on that theme as well as such topics as apprenticeships and training, wages and prices, competition, economic opportunities, social position of
artisans, specialization and diversification, laws affecting artisans, and black craftsmen. Harold
Gill.
Period Clothing
After participating in this course, the interpreter will be able to identify textiles typically used for
eighteenth -century clothing, to use proper eighteenth -century terminology, and begin to differentiate among kinds of clothing wom for different activities. Also included will be a study of
some surviving period clothing and accessories as well as various other visual sources. Linda
Baumgarten.
Williamsburg's Public Buildings
This course examines the cultural traditions and practical needs that shaped these buildings
individually, and how they in turn functioned together as a group of highly visible community
symbols. By stressing the interrelationships between Williamsburg's public buildings, we will
identify new interpretive opportunities for each of them. Upon completing this course, partici-
pants will be better prepared to tie each of these buildings into a larger historical context. Mark R.
Wenger.
6
�Interpreter Profile 1984
Each year the faculty needs to know about the interpreters in his or her classes. Will you please
complete the enclosed interpreter profile and return it with your registration form.
Please print or type your name.
1.
Years of interpretive experience at CWF.
2.
Present position and department.
3.
Any other positions you have held with the Foundation.
4.
Other related work experience.
5.
Department in HAPO
Related educational background.
6.
In order to assist us in planning future Core Curriculum programs, departmental in- service
training, and articles for The Interpreter and Questions and Answers, will you please indicate
which areas of interpretive education at CWF are of particular interest to you. Please be
specific.
6)
�0
Q
i
iinnnnunmuun
1984
Core Curriculum Registration Form
The Core Curriculum is intended for interpreters in the following Historic Area departments:
Company of Colonial Performers, Crafts, Historic Area Stores, Historical Interpretation, and
Visitor Aides. Please register for either the Basic Courses or choose four sets of Advanced
Courses according to your order of preference. Return this form with the enclosed " Interpreter
Profile" to your master teacher or interpretive education representative by October 5, 1983.
O
�Basic Courses Registration
If you were hired after January 1, 1983, you will be scheduled by your department to take the first
set of Basic Courses in January or February, as shown below:
Basics I
Virginia Society in Profile
The Growth of Virginia' s Preindustrial Economy
Fine Things /Plain Things: Virginia's Material Culture
If you were hired after January 1, 1980, and you took the first year ofBasic Courses in 1983, you will
register for the second year of Basic Courses, as shown below:
Basics II
Folkways: Everyday Behavior and Occasional Customs in Colonial Virginia
The Evolution of Government in Colonial Virginia
The Revolution in Virginia and Its Aftermath
Please print or type your name.
Department in HAPO
I understand that my department will schedule specific dates for me to attend the Basic Courses for
which I qualify (please check below).
Basics I
Basics II
Signature
If you were hired as a seven -month or more employee before January 1, 1980, you are eligible to
choose between taking Advanced Courses or Basic Courses. This is the last year that you will be
given this option. Please indicate your preference by checking the box below. Note: Each
interpreter will take three Basic Courses or two Advanced Courses in 1984 —combinations of Basic
and Advanced Courses are not possible.
I choose to take Basic Courses rather than the Advanced Courses for which I am
eligible . (Complete the Basic course registration.)
Please retum this form to your master teacher or interpretive education representative by Wednes-
day, October5, 1983.
1)
�0
Advanced Courses Registration
If you are enrolling in Advanced Courses, indicate in the boxes your first four choices of sets in
order of priority by numbering 1- 4. Every effort will be made to place you in one of the Advanced
Sets you have selected. If over-registration occurs in any course, placement will be determined by
seniority within your department if your registration form is received by October 5, -1983.
Set A
Archaeology in Williamsburg and Carters Grove
Jan. 10- 19
Historic Trades in Colonial Virginia
Set B
O
Set C
Intro. Jan. 9)
Archaeology in Williamsburg and Carter's Grove
Period Clothing
Intro. Jan. 9)
Comparative Colonial Experience
Eighteenth -Century Thought
Set D
Archaeology in Williamsburg and Carter's Grove
Crafts at Colonial Williamsburg: History,
Jan. 10- 19
Jan. 16- 23
Intro. Jan. 9)
Jan. 24 - Feb. 2
Intro. Jan. 23)
Process, and Products
Set E
Archaeology in Williamsburg and Carter's Grove
Eighteenth -Century Thought
Jan. 24- Feb. 2
Intro. Jan. 23)
Set F
Eighteenth -Century Thought
Jan. 30 -Feb. 7
Historic Trades in Colonial Virginia
Set G
Eighteenth -Century Thought
Williamsburg' s Public Buildings
Set H
Crafts at Colonial Williamsburg:
History, Process, andProducts
Intro. Jan. 23)
Jan. 30 -Feb. 7
Intro. Jan. 23)
Feb. 6- 13
Intro. Jan. 23)
Historic Trades in Colonial Virginia
continued on reverse)
�Advanced Registration, continued
Set I
Crafts at Colonial Williamsburg: History,
Process, and Products
Feb. 20- 27
Intro. Feb. 13)
Period Clothing
Set J
Set K
Archaeology in Williamsburg and Career' s Grove
Williamsburg' s Public Buildings
Archaeology in Williamsburg andCarter's Grove
Comparative Colonial Experience
Please print or type your name.
Feb. 28 -Mar. 8
Intro. Feb. 27)
Feb. 28 -Mar. 8
Intro. Feb. 27)
Department in HAPO
Signature
Please return this form to your master teacher or interpretive education representative by
Wednesday, Octobers, 1983.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 4, number 5, September, 1983
Description
An account of the resource
Core Curriculum Catalog Issue for Historic Area Interpreters -- Objectives of the Core Curriculum -- The Partnership: Teaching and Application in Historical Interpretation -- Program Appraisal: Assessment/Practicum/Evaluation -- How to Enroll: Basic and Advanced Courses -- Course Descriptions -- Interpreter Profile Form 1984 -- 1984 Core Curriculum Registration Forms
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/e4021e6f626aad564b8fc3ad0f0e5300.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=SRdwv5SDZBzU9ou74z6galIVs1pDTv7X1VZJRvhcPnF4u7rdq3BAEgIri21aqJfEmwc2ufAXM3-EKGoDXmvp1F3e8jX-IsLK%7EREL4F-jm87bBgk9yIYiWhQy2BmQ2K2LeRmq1ImalWBXR7X62Oo6aTycpPrYaV8RGCXsH5r1o31FhbDf%7E9NOD7GbO2DLHmTh0C1eJUOd3garD977wK34zvIUoBE-CZ0QQpcax-Ijf-6jLtk8LmyuM4OSSBLfqDhfaKdcNCor1YdGPSHI4B8weLcDwpraFNmGQjTWbsh56N1AT0S-GV7E%7Epit9Tt9i-CaxkN3yUMAb2HeW0kciQfPPA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
37d1e8958bd616ff0df731c907df0712
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
interpreter
VOL. 4
NO. 6
NOVEMBER 1983
Interpretation:
Another View
Frank McKelvey is the curator ofmechanical arts
at the Hagley Museum in Wilmington, Delaware.
FM: Teaching history is what we do, but we
are teaching it through the use of artifacts —
not simply as a stage setting —but actively
using our artifacts as a springboard for inter-
When hespokeattheAASLHseminarin Williams -
butg lastfall we asked him to share his views on
interpretation with readers of The Interpreter.
pretation. We must be able to move beyond
the mere identification of an object into a
Barbara Beaman interviewed him.
BB: What do you think is necessary in order
discussion of a related interpretive theme.
Good period rooms should have three or four
to have effective interpretation in a museum?
FM: A well organized interpretation depart-
grabbers"
ment, I think, is very important because it
that
prompt
visitor
questions.
There might even be an artifact that the interpreter can handle. There' s a danger,
assures interpreters that there is a support organization that enables them to do their job
though, in slipping back to old patterns of
interpretation in which the guide simply
time off, parking spaces, schedules, and the
points out objects: that' s a certain kind of
like. Also there must be an obvious commit-
bowl, this was Aunt Harriet' s so- and -so. You
ment on the part of management to the idea
can use artifacts just for the sake of pointing
that interpretation is important. With this
them out as you move the visitor from room to
commitment, managers of interpretation and
room, or you can use them as vehicles for
training can go to curators or to a research
0
without having to worry about paychecks,
teaching history.
department and ask for certain types of infor-
continued, page 2)
mation in usable forms for their people, which
might not be the same forms used in a published article, for example. Cooperation
among all departments is vital— channels of
communication must be open.
Blacksmiths at the
The biggest key to effective interpretation,
of course, is the skilled interpreter. To be
effective, interpreters must realize that
James Anderson Site
they' re not trying to teach everything that can
Peter Ross, master blacksmith, discusses how the
be taught in certain exhibit areas but to provoke the visitor to want to team more. Cer-
move to the James Anderson sitewill affect interpre-
tainly interpreters need a good supply of
tation ofblacksmithing in Williamsburg.
factual information and techniques for delivering the message. But they must also under-
Blacksmith Shop will offer some potential for
Our upcoming move to the James Anderson
interpretation
Forge.
stand group dynamics, be willing to experiment
with different ways to transmit messages, be
able to " read"
not available at the
Deane
In a general sense, we will be talking more
visitor reaction, and recognize
visitor fatigue.
about how tradesmen fitted into the overall
BB: How can artifacts be used to best
community— not only physically, but also
economicallly and socially.
Q advantage?
continued, page 4)
1
�Interpretation, continued
may have been injured or killed in factories.
BB: For going beyond individual objects and
We really have nothing that' s delightful to sell
their owners to larger concepts.
in gift shops — our machine shop tums out
FM: Yes, and when I say " use," I don' t
gears. People don' t want to sand and refinish
mean you have to touch many of them.
BB: Production processes are somewhat like
artifacts because they have so much inherent
appeal for visitors. How do your interpreters
achieve the springboard effect of getting to
larger issues?
FM: We try to supply our interpreters with a
things after they visit us. So we have that to
overcome. We are able to take advantage of
people' s experiences at Williamsburg and
Sturbridge, though. You' ve laid the groundwork
for
us
to
interpret
the
nineteenth
century.
What we' re trying to do now is to divide the
broad background of historical information re-
museum into four thematic areas. Interpreters
lating to our site so that they can get to other
are familiar with all the themes we want to
aspects of the worker' s world of 1870 - 1880.
You can do that very precisely with labels in a
deal with, but only certain ones are brought up
in any one area. We hope the visitor will leave
formal exhibit, but live interpretation is the
with a sense of the whole.
BB: What can the individual interpreter do
very best way because the interpreter can adjust to the questions and interests of the
when he or she knows that there is a line
group.
outside of the building? (
This is not a problem
to be shared with visitors, but somehow the
Processes and artifacts serve another valu-
able function —they' re icebreakers. It's easier
interpretation must be effective yet expeditious.)
to develop rapport with strangers if you have
FM: I don' t know. I think I would begin to
find out by polling the interpreters.
BB: We' ve discussed the desirability of pro-
some object or process to focus on. Remember
how hard it was to answer a question in French
class when the teacher stared right at you? If
voking the visitor' s curiosity to learn more, to
the teacher was good, he or she concentrated
ask questions. That takes time. How can we
on something else —maybe a word on the
achieve that sort of interaction during heavy
blackboard —so that the pressure of inter-
visitation?
personal relationship was relieved. Processes
FM: Yes, it does take time. We can assume
give you the opportunity to release this ten-
that at each station there' s a certain amount of
information that should be imparted. The
sion, and they' re understandable.
danger is that the interpreter will take one
BB: At Hagley your black powder process
and your machine shop are fascinating —is it
look at the crowd and launch into a monologue
that only identifies the theme just to get the
first group out and the next group in. What
difficult to get people interested in a theme
about the worker' s world?
FM: No, it' s not too difficult, but even if
would happen if the interpreter explained
visitors do not relate to the larger theme, it's
where the visitor is, pointed out two or three
all right as long as they are having a good time
key features in the room that would interest
them to Hagley, they love us - 90 percent say
them, gave some information, and then just
waited for the visitor to fill the void? One
they had no idea how much was here, and they
person in a group usually will ask a question,
with what they are leaming. Once we get
the others will listen to the answer, all have a
sense of participation, and the rapid -fire
want to return. Hagley operates water turbines, a steam engine, a hydroelectric plant, a
monologue is avoided.
stone quarry, the machine shop, and black
powder processing equipment. These are
foreign to most people. We have a difficult
BB: What do you think interpretive education for the interpreter should include?
time orienting visitors to an industrial site, but
FM: I think interpreters should feel that
they are professionals —that fund -raising,
once they realize we are talking about people
public relations, even the collections, are a
through our artifacts, they understand. The
backup to what they do. The artifact may be
events in Williamsburg occurred a long time
ago and have acquired a sort of romance.
essential, but the interpreter' s transmission of
Hagley is not that far removed from a lot of
information justifies the artifact' s being there
in the first place. Why do people become
middle - lass people whose parents worked in
c
factories fifty and sixty hours a week, and who
interpreters? They have this desire to pass on ip
2
�to other generations the ideals or the under-
Interpreters must be allowed to do some of
they just look and move on. That can be discouraging until you realize that people don' t
smile when they' re thinking. Contemplation
is not a gleeful experience. So you can' t rely
on lack of enthusiasm as totally accurate feedback. A visitor who solemnly leaves one ex-
their own research. Then instead of saying
hibit may find something at another site that
that the curators told me to say this, they will
obviously intrigues him. We can' t expect vis-
be saying " I just read this in an 1834 almanac
itors to absorb all that there is to absorb in a
the other day." This generates enthusiasm.
large outdoor museum and stay attentive and
You have to be able to give this interpreter the
exuberant about all of it. We have to acknowl-
praise that is due —quite often the visitor
edge
won' t give praise. Something that I' m begin-
0
museum is a place where learning occurs
while one is standing up. Visitors can be un-
standings of our society, our history. They
also have a passion to continue leaming. If a
museum just gives interpreters a script and
tells them to do this, then they' ll lose them.
ning to find out is that you have to do something about weak interpreters because the
the
truth
in
the
observation that a
comfortable, tired, and somewhat disgruntled
other interpreters know who they are, and, if
they are allowed to continue, it' s an indication
to better interpreters that nobody cares. Improving weak performance helps the indi-
about being part of large groups in confined
spaces. You may not get a positive response,
vidual as well as the visitor, but it also lets
museum or back home.
but these same folks may relate what you' ve
done to something they see in another
everyone know that quality is important.
The second way to analyze effectiveness is
BB: We' ve read about " interpretive burnout" in museum journals. What does that
to get interpreters together to air problems
that they have identified from their own ex-
mean to you?
someone from the front office come down and
terpreter is losing the sensitivity necessary to
say this is how we' re going to solve the prob-
deal with visitors on a human, person- to -per-
O
perience. It works so much better than having
FM: Interpretive bumout means that the in-
lem. Interpreters are likely to come up with
son basis. To compensate for that, the inter-
workable and permanent solutions —solutions
preter begins to give information aimlessly in
that take in the realities of dealing with visitors because they are the ones who do that.
a rote manner. Visitors are bored and trapped.
BB: What do you want for the visitor?
FM:
I want to do is to provoke him. I
don' t want to tell him life was better then, or
worse. I don' t want to deal with value judgments, but I war t him to have an image to
which he can add other information, and I
Occurrences
want that image to be as historically accurate
as possible. The other thing that I want him to
learn is that history can be a lot of fun when it' s
dealt with in an interdisciplinary manner mixing political history with buildings, artifacts,
Once again the Christmas season is upon us
with
all
the
special
opportunities
and
pro-
grams it brings. Grand Illumination will be
held on Thursday, December 15 this year.
This traditional beginning to the Williamsburg Christmas season will include music, en-
animals, and other topics.
BB: How do you judge the effectiveness of
an interpretive program?
FM: There are two ways we can answer that
question. The first is feedback from the vis-
tertainment, and fireworks as well as the first
itor. Some visitors come with prior knowledge
many opportunities
and ready -made interest in your story. They
Christmas programs. The plays and ballad
lighting of the Historic Area.
Between the 15th and the 31st there are
will challenge you with perceptive and diver-
operas,
colonial
to see
games,
and
enjoy our
assemblies
at
the
sified questions. Others are willing to be made
interested. Although history has not been
Capitol, tavem nights, and special candlelight
their specialty, their questions are evidence
holiday experiences for all. Be sure to keep
openings at the Palace will provide excellent
that you' ve succeeded in " turning them on."
abreast of events through the Visitor's Com-
There are others who don' t ask, don' t smile-
panion and Christmas brochures.
3
�Anderson Site, continued
The location of the Anderson Forge is of
Another area of expanded interpretation
great significance in understanding the common mix of manufacturing, retail businesses,
and residences along Duke of Gloucester
focuses on the shop itself. The building is
Street. Anderson' s purchase of Lot 19 in 1770
for £ 600 was a substantial investment for a
chosen for reconstruction by Colonial Wil-
intended to represent a class of construction
used in the eighteenth century but not often
liamsburg. Extensive use of clapboard siding,
tradesman and implies something about his
dirt floors, coarse interior sheathing, and plain
fenestration will help give this building a very
choice of location.
In fact, Anderson was not unusual in his
choice of property. Research has provided the
different character from most structures in the
names of five other smiths, James Geddy I,
William Geddy, John Moody, John Draper,
Yard is currently preparing materials and will
and Hugh Orr, who purchased or rented lots
on Duke of Gloucester Street for their shops.
Another smith, James Bird, rented property
processes. All hardware, including nails, is
being produced at the Deane Forge. This in
itself will make a great difference in the ap-
on Market Square for his operations. All but
pearance
Bird, Orr, and James Geddy were working at
call attention to the hierarchy of building
their shops in 1776 when the war broke out.
types in town.
Historic Area. The staff at the Carpenters'
erect the shop using only eighteenth century
and
character of the structure and
Currently only the Geddy Foundry stands as
It is our hope that moving the blacksmith
witness to this integration of industry and
community. Further development of the
James Geddy site with gunsmithing and cutlery activities will reinforce this idea.
In a more detailed sense, we will be talking
about Anderson' s business. During the Revolutionary War, Anderson' s responsibilities as
operation to the Anderson property will help
public armorer expanded dramatically. We
into Duke of Gloucester Street and onto
Palace Green.
re- create more of the bustle of the eighteenth -
century town. The smoke, noise, and industrial refuse should provide a clearer picture of
the
prominence
of tradesmen
on
the
main
street —just as the Geddy family' s trash pile
did in the eighteenth century when it spread
get some idea of these activities by studying
the public store records. During the war the
public store was set up in much the same way
as our twentieth- century Colonial Williams-
By creating a different environment and
calling on a much greater store of historical
documentation, we hope to bring more life to
burg warehouse. Soldiers or civilians working
both the trade and the community of Williamsburg.
under government contracts could draw out
supplies and equipment necessary for their
activities. Acting as public armorer for the
commonwealth, Anderson had access to these
goods. We can trace some of his shop' s activities through his requisitions for iron, steel,
coal, tin, and so forth as well as for cloth for his
workmen' s clothing and bedding. We also
learn the names of the nine boys making nails
in the shop and a little about John Gregory, a
filecutter at work there too.
In addition to the records of Anderson' s
military- industrial expansion, records of his
civilian work for the same period also survive.
The lnterprrter is a bimonthly publication of the Department of Interpretive Education.
By studying his ledgers we leam much about
Editor: Barbara Beaman
his customers and his function in the civilian
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
community. This work ranged from making
keys, mending a box iron, altering a spring for
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
Tact Columnist: Peggy Howells
a chariot, and making an ax to cleaning a gun.
This provides us with some good comparisons
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Arthur Barnes,
between agricultural ironwork and
John Caramia, George Collins, Harold Gill,
Liza Gusler, Dennis O' Toole, and Jane Strauss
prein-
1983 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
dustrial manufacturing for the army.
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 4, number 6, November, 1983
Description
An account of the resource
Interpretation: Another View -- Blacksmiths at the James Anderson Site -- Occurrences
-
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PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
interpreter.
Sleepy Hollow Visits
Colonial Williamsburg
Williamsburg —
with its many houses, shops,
and
Renee Friedman is director of education and in-
activities
connected
as
one
whole —
Sleepy Hollow Restorations is three different
domestic -scale residences separated by
twelve miles of asphalt highway and by two
hundred years of history. The strong connecting link is the Hudson River. It flows by each
terpretation at Sleepy Hollow Restorations in New
York. She and most ofthe SHR interpreters visited
Colonial Williamsburg recently, and they share
their impressions with us.
People were shorter back then" must be
one, and each was sited where it is because of
the most common visitor comment at both
From there, the visit of Sleepy Hollow in-
the river: Sunnyside, Washington Irving' s
home between 1835 and 1859; Phillipsburg
Manor, Upper Mills, a trading and agricultural
center of pre -Revolutionary America; and Van
terpreters with CWF domestic crafts inter-
Cortlandt Manor, originally the main resi-
preters and members of the Department of
dence of the Dutch Van Cortlandt family who
Interpretive Education proceeded to lively
presided over some 86, 213 acres of land.
Colonial Williamsburg and Sleepy Hollow
Restorations. We established that right away.
discussions ranging from first person /third
As we toured Colonial Williamsburg, we
person presentations to training, interpreting
thought about four interpretive issues that we
slavery and crafts, and costuming.
at SHR have in common with CWF interpret-
Our training visits in March and November
consisted of a - variety of activities. Formal
ers. Following are selected responses from our
group to the four questions we asked our-
tours included an overview of Colonial Wil-
selves:
continued, page 3)
liamsburg, the Powell property, Bassett Hall,
and Carter' s Grove. Free time allowed indi-
vidual interpreters an opportunity to follow
Conceptualizing Community:
their own interests. Informal discussions took
place in the evenings. Feet were tired, but
Ways to Organize Information
heads were full of ideas, questions, and excited impressions.
John Caramia reviews his 1983 Cora Curriculum
Twenty- two of us came in March; twenty -
presentation that showed us how we can organize
one in November. That represents about 80
percent of the interpretive staff at SHR. We
course content around four basic components of
community life.
came for many reasons: We wanted to see
An interpreter has two very important roles,
how other interpreters do the same job we do.
those of creator and decision maker. All in-
We wanted to experience first person inter-
terpreters constantly make decisions in three
major areas — planning, implementation, and
pretation. We wanted to see fine craftsman-
evaluation. The aim of this creative process is
the development of effective, meaningful,
ship and hear it interpreted. We wanted to
concentrate on the craft of interpretation for
an extended period of time. We wanted to
and enjoyable interpretive interactions with
compare and contrast, to leam and to teach, to
experience and to participate. We wanted to
the many visitors who come here each year.
be on the visitor end of interpretation. And we
Each interpretation begins with planning,
which involves decisions conceming interpre-
wanted to begin a face -to -face relationship
tive goals and objectives and the selection and
with others who share our interpretive role.
organization of information needed to achieve
In contrast to the community of Colonial
those objectives. (
1
continued, page 2)
�Community, continued,
as limitations to the development of a com-
One of the most difficult tasks is the organization of the vast amount of information there
munity. What opportunities and limitations
did the natural environment at Middle Plantation present to those who were responsible for
is conceming Williamsburg, the specific sites
in town, and the crafts that have been reestablished. Knowledge is acquired and
the development of Williamsburg? People are
organized through the use of concepts. Con-
ment; they also act as agents of change. The
cepts am the categories into which we organize
types and rates of these changes are based
all experiences. Each concept consists of a
name or label, critical attributes or basic
upon a community' s values, perceptions, and
characteristics,
and
not only consumers of the natural environ-
technology. These developing cultural landscapes consist of a variety of buildings and
a structure or pattem of
relationships of these components. Concepts
open spaces arranged in distinctive pattems.
may be simple and primarily descriptive, such
Interior spaces also reflect distinctive pat-
gun," or broader,
terns. Associated with these patterns are
family,"
clusters of artifacts that define and give mean-
as " chair," " table," "
such as "
role," "
ax," "
producer," "
consumer," "
process." Concepts are essential be-
ing to a community as well as reflect the val-
cause they are pegboards on which to hang
ues,
information in order to make sense out of it.
community.
attitudes,
Sociocultural
and
perceptions
involves . the
of
the
relationships
They help in the retention of what has been
learned by providing a structure, acting as an
aid in summarizing what is known, and gener-
among the people living in a community.
ating questions that can be asked of new
areas — material base, social organization, and
knowledge. Concepts, as inventions of the
human mind, are developed from experiences
ideology. At the core is the material base, the
ways .a community provides its citizens with
the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, and
These relationships can be seen in three major
and become more complex and generalized as
other perceived
these experiences vary.
necessities,
as
well
as
the
The concepts we develop, use, and modify
maintenance of health. Methods are developed
are based upon our needs to know, understand, and organize the information we
for producing and distributing these goods
and services. A variety of social organizations
is part of each community. These include
such things as family and kinship, roles and
encounter. Community is one of the major
concepts of importance to us as interpreters.
Since part of our mission, as stated by the
status,
Board_of Trustees is " to interpret the com-
ment. The third major area, ideology, a guiding set of beliefs and values, provides motiva-
munity of eighteenth - entury Williamsburg,"
c
we should understand what a community is.
The concept of community helps us to under-
socialization and education, govern-
tion, a sense of purpose, and goals for the
community.
stand the component parts and the significant
Temporal involves the relationship of time
to a community. Time has many meanings
relationships among these components. As we
leam about and interpret different aspects of
eighteenth - entury Williamsburg, we can bec
and takes many forms. The most common and
widely used is linear, where events are ar-
gin
ranged chronologically. This helps to provide
to
see
their
relationships
to
the
total
a sequence and setting (distinctive periods in
a community' s history). We could look at the
chronological development of Williamsburg
community.
As part of the 1983 Core Curriculum, a con-
cept of community was presented. A community is composed of four interrelated and
or at distinctive periods, such as the first quar-
interdependent components —spatial, socio-
ter of the eighteenth century or 1763 - 1783.
cultural, temporal, and extralocal. Each of
Time can also be viewed from the perception
these components involves a set of relation-
of those living in the community. Each com-
ships between human beings living in associa-
munity allots segments of time for specific
tion
with
one
another
within
a
purposes
particular
and
gives
them
social
meanings.
Activities may take place periodically through-
environment.
Spatial involves the relationship between
out the year like Public Times in Williams-
human beings and their natural and modified
soils, vegetation, climate, and weather —
all of
burg. Seasonality affects certain activities:
the obtaining and eating of certain foods, for
example. Daily schedules in homes and businesses influence the way of life in a commun-
which provide numerous opportunities as well
ity. Cultural time can be viewed as yearly,
environment. The natural environment includes physical features, natural resources,
2
�seasonal, or daily, each of which gives mean-
absorbed in his work, the crafts are ends in
ing to a community. Within a community time
themselves; the craft processes also seem to be
sequences or cycles may be different for
families or individuals. Changes in the pat tems of family structures and household or-
of greatest interest to most visitors. However,
ganization am influenced by cultural time and
individual time. In tum, individual time or
life histories are affected by a person' s life
modem supplies or paraphemalia injected a
the historical context is generally included in the
interpretation. Occasionally the evidence of
somewhat jarring note."
How is Colonial Williamsburg put into its
cycle, family time, and cultural time.
historical context? Does it come across as a
separate entity or as part of history of the
Extralocal involves the relationships with
other communities, regions, and the world at
large.
These
networks
of
United States?
relationships
I got a strong [sense of the] continuity of life
and history on the walking town tour with Anne
Willis] and a very strong feeling of family life
with Jane [ Strauss]. I couldn' t help but feel a
provide a context in which to view the com-
munity. They may take many forms such as
political, economic, ideological, or social. As-
sociations may be based upon family, kinship,
or personal ties. Each of these provides links
great deal of the American Revolution took
place in New York State and we were never once
with the world outside a community.
mentioned. But then I never mention Virginia!"
The concept ofcommunity as outlined here
Actually seeing the excavations out at Carter' s
provides one way to organize the information
Grove was good. It left a lasting impression in
we leam about Williamsburg. It provides a
my mind of the realness of the history that took
means by which various aspects of a commun-
place there. More than anything else, this put
Williamsburg in its historical context for me."
ity can be related to the whole. Finally, it can
assist in
the
development of appropriate
How is slavery interpreted at Colonial
Williamsburg?
themes and planning for interpretation. For
example, the four components could be used
The hosts and craftspeople I saw mentioned
in planning an interpretation for a tavern
kitchen. Spatially, the specific organization
and
arrangement
of
artifacts
within
it [only] briefly, if at all. It sounds as if the role
playing done on the streets in the summer is the
the
most effective tool for handling this issue, and
kitchen could be interpreted. Socioculturally,
we weren' t able to see that."
the various roles of the kitchen staff could be
By implication, for the most part— a refer-
discussed. The effect of seasonality on menu
selection and the daily schedules of the
ence here, a straw mattress on a landing there,
kitchen operation are part of the temporal
Not much. In some cases, ' 1 should be
black' was the extent of discussion of the issue.
Where the slavery issue is handled with pride is
the liveried carriage drivers. They had definite
dash and dignity to their interpretation of slavery. One of them just mentioned the subject
while he was working his horses."
etc."
component. Finally, an interpretation dealing
with how and where the tavern owner obtains
the food, spices, and fuel needed to tun the
kitchen is concerned with the last component— extralocal.
For each site or area visited, identify the site,
its historical significance, and the interpreSleepy Hollow, continued
tive message that comes across. Compare
the actual significance with the interpretive
How are crafts used in interpretation? Are
message.
they ends in themselves or are they used as
I think the Governor's Palace was very successful in that the interpretive message coin-
means of explaining concepts?
I think the crafts program is one of the
cided with the historical message. The role play-
biggest attractions of Williamsburg. It was
ing made the business that went on there seem
seeing the craftsmen at work that brought Co-
very real. Also, the displays in the dining room
lonial Williamsburg to life for me. At the Boot
and Shoemaker's Shop I saw how shoes were
and ballroom helped me to understand what it
would have been like to actually live in the
made and I gained greater insight into eigh-
Palace."
teenth- century life. I think that just seeing the
craft being done provokes the tourist to ask
This is a difficult question to answer.... My
summary after reading all the quotes is that
questions about the life style."
some house interpreters and craftspeople are
lb the extent that a good craftsman is totally
continued, page 4)
3
�We can practice some new interpretive
Sleepy Hollow, continued
more successful than others in meshing the
historical significance and the interpretive
ideas. After all, we are presently engaged in
message."
most of your and your guests' opportunities.
Core
It is through discussion of issues such as
these that interpreters from different historic
Curriculum.
You • decide —make
the
Occurrences
sites can begin to address some of the basic
problems and challenges that affect all of us.
Many of our questions may not have ready
The first quarter of 1984 will provide some
answers, but at least we can begin to sort out
the essentials. Our interpretive training trip to
special experiences for our visitors. Beginning
Colonial Williamsburg provided us with the
February 3 through March 10, the Colonial
opportunity to begin these discussions.
Weekend will offer guests an exciting weekend at Colonial Williamsburg to include not
And now, we look forward to retum visits of
only the educational programs of the Historic
CWF interpreters so that we can continue
these discussions, and so that we can open our
Area but also dining and entertainment.
On February 5 the Antiques Forum will
doors and have the benefit of your profession-
begin. This year' s Forum will center around
al expertise.
Arts of the Early South, 1750 - 1810."
Washington' s Birthday Weekend will begin
on Friday, February 17, with a Retreat Cere-
mony by the Fifes and Drums at 4:30 P. M. On
Saturday, February 18, through Monday,
February 20, special " Washington in Williamsburg" escorted tours will be offered. On
Sunday, February 19, the Palace will be open
Tact
for special evening tours, and on Monday,
February 20, the militia, Virginia State Garri-
This time of year, I find myself constantly
son Regiment, and its field music will present
having to explain the reduction in operating
hours and alternate building openings.
a special review in honor of their commander
in chief.
Signed,
Canada Time will begin on March 10 and
Help!
Let your guests see how much can be accomplished. When the Historic Area is quiet-
continue for two weeks. Other special oppor-
er, visitors can enjoy an almost private experi-
century plays, which will be presented every
Saturday evening beginning February 4. On
ence,
and
one
that caters
tunities for our visitors are the eighteenth -
to their special
interests.
March 13 at 5: 15 P. M., Tuesday Militia Re-
Planning a visit is more important than ever
for guests who come during the slower seasons. You can help! Locate the buildings that
views will begin their weekly programs for the
season. Retreat programs will be held each
Friday at 5: 15 P. M. beginning March 23. The
Evening of Military Life" will begin on
Wednesday, March 21 at 7: 00 P. M.
are open within easy walking distance of one
another. The " Visitor' s Companion," with its
table of daily building openings, can be use-
The " Visitor' s Companion" is also the in-
ful. And be sure visitors realize that flags mark
terpreter' s companion. It can help you give
visitors the right times and locations for these
the
open
buildings.
Then
point out
the
and all our programs.
nearest bus stop so that your guests can ride to
the next area where several sites are open.
They may not be aware of how efficiently the
bus system can be used. On a cold and windy
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
day, your guests will thank you!
ment of Interpretive Education.
Editor: Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer. Lou Powers
This slower season allows us, the interpret-
ers, a great luxury— time, time to provide our
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
Tact Columnist: Peggy Howells
guests with additional amenities that are al-
Editorial Board; Bill Tramposch, Arthur Bames,
John Caramia, George Collins, Harold Gill,
Liza Gusler, Dennis O' Toole, and Jane Strauss
most impossible to give in busier months. We
can answer more questions, often in greater
detail. We can chat with some of our visitors
1984 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
without holding others up.
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 5, number 1, January, 1984
Description
An account of the resource
Sleepy Hollow Visits Colonial Williamsburg -- Conceptualizing Community: Ways To Organize Information -- Tact -- Occurrences
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/4d1fa6261ee85851a21027dc2be631ef.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=BtfybXB09R%7EncjQfKbwDqDf5NNyZidhfACeQRtG0X7xqgFIxPTjCUERXJkm1WHWnlRZ73Bf8jXi7qgolhuHdX3EYog4P8JPh-lLgnrIpZbNSdOxqV%7EUAv4TMT6ZQkPwXi52djA7y48Q055bBoMOD0KG50ZiF4PASAlJ5caMS9v7QWXzN1XU-dJHuo5BiuNAsXSjmOecHl4zKUmxrr5%7EWuiBh-d0klHBnHki2XXtZ%7ERIpZUpWOrca2WUVZNKAvKzR8pwCCHPx8o2Z%7EHZDhev3q8uNOx%7E97GH5Zs5z1uZmwoeyew9nfxDid4MSlbPRbj%7Ebaa2yUQtdbDbS78vCdTO5mA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
f205ee83153141aa8b9ce59c918f2f66
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
Interpreter,
Educating for Excellence
in Historic Interpretation
Bob Birney, vicepresident ofthe Division ofEducation, Preservation, and Research, talked to all
interpreters during this winter's Core Curriculum.
We askedhim ifwe couldprint his remarks.
It is my purpose in these remarks to offer
guidelines for achieving excellence in the task
of educating people to interpret historic sites
to the public. I offer these suggestions to
stimulate your own thinking about this ques-
programs. The military gives training. And as
Webster observes, you can be in training in
athletics.
I would submit that training is a useful word
because it points to a certain kind of educational situation. I think the key lies in the fact
that we have trainers and trainees. Oddly
enough,
not many of the trainers are so
identified. Those who train animals and athletes are called trainers. Most of the true train-
tion. A recent analysis of the service profile of
our interpreters shows a sizable proportion has
ers in our society are called something else —
been with us for three to four years, an even
larger proportion has been with us for more
than ten years, and the remainder occupying
the four- to ten -year middle range. Our in-
coaches, masters, supervisors, and, occasionally, teachers. ( However, I shall not address
teachers as trainers.) Instead I wish to come
back to the fact that most trainers have
terpretersmirror our adult visitors for age, sex,
education, and experience with Colonial Wil-
trainees.
Trainees are usually thought of as novices.
A novice is somebody who wants to leam,
liamsburg. Therefore, you are a most unusual
student body. Yet I know you would all agree
that your efforts to learn more to tell the public
knows a negligible amount of what is to be
learned, and, we hope, is willing to be trained.
Now at that point I think you would agree that
are unending, and there is nothing as tiresome
and boring for the interpreter and the visitor as
the largest training establishment in the world
an aging interpretation from yesteryear. Education for excellent interpretation requires
has probably always been the military. They
practically monopolize the word because
everyone understands that when you join the
constancy, attention, and, above all, enjoyment.
Not long ago I shared with the master
military you will be trained. If we look at the
teachers some of my observations about what I
military training situation, we immediately
thought best described their task of providing
begin to get a sense of what stands at the heart
first rate training for all of you. Bill has invited
of the idea of the training relationship be-
me to share these ideas with you.
tween the trainer and the trainee. The trainee, willingly or unwillingly, volunteer or
We call it the Department of Interpretive
Education. Education embraces a number of
draftee, understands that the situation re-
terms. I wish to consider just two of them —
training and study. Webster' s New Collegiate
quires above all obedience, attention, and a
Dictionary is obviously puzzled by the word
formance being sought by the trainer. Trainers seem to face two kinds of situations. One is
high level of motivation to attempt the per-
training and I quote " I. the act, process, or
method of one who trains. II. State of being
a selective situation where it is understood
trained." No help there. Let me try to extract
meaning for the word " training" from its uses.
that many are called but few will meet the
standards of training. Piloting aircraft, operat-
Children are trained. Novices seek training
continued, page 2)
1
�Educating, continued
ing sophisticated equipment, certain types of
medical work —
these are understood to be
golfers consulting their old pro, experienced
sufficiently demanding and important that a
very high level minimum performance is set,
examples.
and large numbers of people are processed
suggested a little earlier that good trainees,
through the training program in order to get a
first of all, are willing to undergo training.
few people who can do the job.
They value it. Secondly I would observe that
If we step back and ask what characterizes
the performance they are trying to bring their
trainees to, I am struck by what I will call its
convergent character. I mean by that that for
many of the tasks I have been describing,
there is one right way, or at best a very few
right ways to perform the task, and indeed
there is not a whole lot of latitude for variation
computer programmers and the representa-
tive
of
the
newest
equipment
are
all
What does it take to be a good trainee? I
good trainees concentrate very hard on what
they are being offered, and they inhibit and
restrain any tendencies they may have to raise
questions about the training itself. The best
trainees are people who willingly place them-
selves in the hands of the trainer. The poorest
trainees are those who persist in believing that
they can actually team the skill or the task
mechanics of a particular performance, meet
without help from a trainer and /or that they
can improve on what the trainer is doing.
When we describe trainee behavior in this
certain treatment requirements in a medical
way, there is a great temptation to speculate as
situation, and so forth.
to whether or not some personalities are born
in performance if the task is to operate an
exotic
piece
of
machinery,
execute
the
There is another side to training where the
trainees, others are bom trainers, and others
trainer is not told that his task is to produce an
are born otherwise. I have no intention of
pursuing that line of speculation except to
elite who can perform at a difficult level, but
rather his task is to see to it that a mass of
people acquire the basics. And so we distin-
comment that it is almost impossible to grow
up in this society without being a trainee sev-
guish between basic training and advanced
eral times in the course of your life, and that
training. Trainers who are expected to handle
being a successful trainee probably does in-
basic training are expected to get everyone in
their unit up to standard with only a few ex-
volve teaming certain habits of frustration tolerance, so that even if you don' t have faith in
the trainer you must still act like a good trainee
ceptions permitted. Driver training is an ex-
to maximize your benefits. Obviously it' s better to be a volunteer than a draftee. So is our
ample of this kind of thing where presumably
driver training schools are said to be excellent
if they can teach anybody the rudiments of
Department of Interpretive Education en-
good basic driving.
gaged in training?
Before addressing that question, I wish to
put a second term in front of you. That term is
How do we describe an excellent trainer?
Such instructors maintain the trainee' s moti-
study." Obviously if trainees train, we would
vation using a variety of techniques. They
have sophisticated analytic skills as they follow the trainee' s efforts. They usually follow a
expect students to study. The same dictionary
is able to do much more with this word. In-
sequence of instruction that permits progres-
stead of two definitions it offers seven. Mak-
sive building on what the trainee is doing well.
They know how to set goals the trainee can
reach in ascending order of difficulty. They
ing our way through these, I would suggest we
try to modulate the effort required so the
knowledge,"
are interested in the following " application of
the
mental faculties to the acquisition of
or "
a
careful
examination
or
trainee has a sustained sense of progress, even
analysis of a phenomenon, development, or
if it is partial and unintegrated for awhile.
question."
Somehow they combine patience with de-
activity or work of a student." And then there
mand for improvement.
Both these roles lead to a kind of sophistica-
are more specialized definitions.
tion over time and situations. Experienced
trainers and trainees meet for yet another
missing the mark although this first definition
round of training, quickly size each other up,
if you subject a particular phenomenon to a
adjust to each other, and get the job done.
long and careful analysis? Well, the answer
Opera singers and voice coaches, professional
perhaps best lies in the observation that the
Of course they can' t resist " the
Once again I would suggest that they are
points us in the right direction. What happens
2
�more one studies a field and the more one
there is a greater likelihood that study can be
learns about the field, the more interesting
self taught,
and
no
question
that
once
the questions become that can be put to the
mastered,
field. I said earlier that the implication of
education.
training is that you finally master one of the
several right ways of doing things. I believe
that the implication ofstudy is that if you carry
it on long enough you become a scholar, and
tion between being a trainee and being a student, but I honestly don' t think I' ve exaggerated it much. I do think there is an enorm-
scholars are people with a great breadth of
ous amount of confusion in our institutions of
comprehension and knowledge which they
succeed year by year in expanding. There-
higher learning about the balance between
the
arts
of study sustain
self -
Now I may have exaggerated this distinc-
these two rather distinct educational activi-
ties. I think that people who try desperately to
fore, if one initiates studies and becomes a
student, the implication is that there is no end
prepare themselves for a job are defining their
opportunities in trainee terms. They may be
doing themselves a great disservice if they' re
going to find themselves in jobs in which self instruction on the job is the way to success. At
any rate, we do have to ask what happens,
finally, on the job as a consequence of training
to it.
There is a second implication, too. And that
is that as one masters the techniques of study,
there is a progressive divergence of possibil-
ity, an opening up of creativity, if you will, a
capacity for seeing things from more and more
perspectives, of producing a wider and wider
range of questions and weaving the answers to
those questions into an ever larger under-
and study.
standing of the subject at hand. If we look at
effort never gets much beyond that of a good
educational situations and ask ourselves what
trainee is probably going to perform for our
visitors in fairly stereotyped ways. On the
Here, I think, the results are fairly clear.
For interpretation, at least, someone whose
we expect somebody to get out of his educational efforts, it makes a big difference
other hand, those who have combined their
whether we think he is a trainee or a student.
training with serious
Just as all of us have had the experience of
history of the colonial capital in all its many
forms should be people who are constantly
increasing what they can tell our visitors.
being trainees, many of us have been given
the opportunity to become students. Students,
too, have to be highly motivated. They, too,
efforts to
study the
If we turn and look at the way the Depart-
have to want to learn, but unlike the trainee,
ment of Interpretive Education has structured
the student is increasingly in charge of his own
what they now offer, we find that there is a
educational program. The student increasingly
generates his study for himself.
Core Curriculum devoted to basics, which it is
Earlier I shied away from calling a teacher a
cially true of the impressive amount of time
trainer. Obviously I hold a teacher should face
that constitutes preliminary interpretive education and other types of training before an
expected everyone will master. That' s espe-
students and not trainees. What do we expect
from a good teacher? First of all, one teaches
by personal example, whether intentionally or
individual is sent to an interpretive station for
not. Successful teachers are curious, probing,
the Core Curriculum, however, the depart-
analytical,
ment is increasingly offering a wide range of
electives so that those fields that are newly
researched and newly developed are available
to you for formal study. And finally, oppor-
the first time. Having made their way through
and always projecting a sense of
wanting to know more, of informing others so
as to set up for them important questions.
Teachers listen to students, reward inquiry,
and demand study. They challenge thought of
tunities are being offered for expanded range
poor quality, expose trivial questions, and,
of work stations, specialization, and, in the
above all, hold the student intellectually re-
long run, editorial comment and critique of
sponsible for personal utterance in speech and
various interpretations you may choose to try.
I can assure you that all of this effort ap-
writing. Somehow they combine compassion
with rigorous standards.
peared without any instruction from myself.
Not surprisingly there are fewer students
than trainees in the world, which is a pity
because study is much more personally rewarding than training. And oddly enough,
There is a natural order in creating educational programs that combines training and
study.
continued, page 4)
3
�Educating, continued
Where in our interpretive situations do we
require training? Obviously we require it in
communication
skills and
Occurrences
in interpersonal
skills in dealing with the public. These are
skills that can be learned even by the shyest
With the arrival of spring in Colonial Williams-
and most inhibited among us to say nothing of
those of us who don' t know when to keep
burg come many ofour evening program offerings for visitors. Eighteenth- century plays will
be performed on Saturday nights, and on
quiet. We certainly do have a large body of
valid information that we expect everyone to
March 21 the Evening of Military Life will
master. In that sense, it takes a sizable amount
begin its spring season. On March 25 the Sunday evening Capitol Concerts begin, and the
of training to get all of this material straight.
Palace Concerts will return Thursday even-
But, with that accomplished, one' s study is
ready to begin, and study follows along lines
ings beginning April 5.
The Fifes and Drums, Militia, and Virginia
State Garrison Regiment begin their regular
of personal interest and personal tempera-
ment. You never have to justify your interest
in some particular part of the story.
Study is flexible —study leads to comprehension —study means that even if you don' t
season of Review programs on Tuesday,
know the answer to the visitor' s question as
8: 30 A. M. for the Easter and Memorial Day
put, you can still respond to the question in a
holiday weekends. On May 15 the military
March 13, and Retreat programs on Friday,
March 23, at 5: 15 P. M. Special Review programs will be presented April 21 and May 28 at
way that is helpful to the inquirer despite the
fact that you can' t provide a definite answer.
units will begin the Prelude to Independence
with a special program at the Capitol and will
continue to observe this Independence cele-
Now because we are all here to provide this
experience to our visitors, I have been con-
bration with Salutes to States on Tuesdays
centrating on how training and study, which in
and Thursdays at 5: 15 P. M. until July 4.
my title I call education, serve the visitor. But
there is a marvelous payoff in all of this that
Other special events include Canada Time
from March 10 through March 25. The
Garden Symposium begins on April 8.
Remember that your employee pass admits
isn' t talked about very much. To the extent
that you serve the visitors well, the chief
beneficiary of that achievement is yourself.
you to all the evening programs. We hope you
There is simply nothing as satisfying as
take advantage of it. Check your copy of the
Visitor's Companion" and join our visitors in
achieving confidence, a breadth of under-
standing, achieving a command, if you will, of
a body of material. It' s a resource that you can
always use for your own pleasure and the plea-
evening entertainments and special programs.
sure of others. It leads to acquaintanceship
with a wide network of people who have in-
terests similar to yours and who are a resource
to you to help you grow, to edit your work, to
give you the critiques that have to come from
somebody else if you want to get better.
Earlier I referred to the unusual profile of our
interpretive group. Obviously we have a lot of
people for whom the most productive role of
the moment is trainee. But we also have a
great many people who long since became
students. If the Department of Interpretive
The Interpreter is a bimonthly publication of the Department of Interpretive Education.
Editor: Barbara Beaman
Education is going to do its job, it has to
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
provide for the education of you all. And so it
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
is for that reason that I think we are moving in
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Arthur Barnes,
John Caramia, George Collins, Harold Gill,
Liza Gulser, Dennis O' Toole, and Jane Strauss.
the right direction of the kind of combined
profile of instruction that' s being offered here
1984 by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
in these programs.
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 5, number 2, March, 1984
Description
An account of the resource
Educating for Excellence in Historic Interpretation -- Occurrences
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/b173d19ba7abd9da82103e0a04aa8106.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=rYUJ-u0S8RxmrsPnl%7ER7cdkoU2gyzDqMvZaq5V0OBqM0S5ZGjoiiuz0J1GpH6ShDbjGKc1-opSQ7pcNP72LMReatr86NYYWRlLpnfZoNm0s3ta%7EmrDYPyVx3asXvO5GID1tsBU5uOtm5Jc1RekIZKhecCCsqo%7EbkTJd6A5kodAlYtUj7Ge2768kXiZUg8jc5YURg7y26baoT6F50iVTh8QLuPa9QIBbCKGIKZKwWKw1zpzzrBTbdmzBcIGnJgb5TaqBkdTMx6P5YRvjzMQ09ybnmrRfq1jXMhShS36Zxp-4BjQ8DjqfidN5oY9rx0DY3SZ61faD0W521QHnzUoI6aA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
b70fa36f36ee532e291b0273aa3c0bf6
PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
interpreter
from mentioning the unmentionable and ag-
Colonial Humor
gressively criticizing the sacrosanct in the
public forum of the press.
Now Clients, Lawyers, haste away,
The Capitol Chimes begin to play;
Harold Gill and PeterDerks, professor ofpsychol-
ogy at the College of William and Mary, collaborated in writing this article that analyzes some
examples of eighteenth- century humor and gener-
But honest People I advise,
Except they are more rich than wise,
T' agree at home, and never go
alizesfrom them about colonial cuiture andsociety.
To spend their Money at the Law
The shortest distance between two people
is a laugh." Thus Victor Borge succinctly expresses an opinion held by most humorists and
Virginia Almanack
exploited by psychologists in the study of hu-
Some efforts show a little creativity in
1772
man nature. Our goal in this article is to examine some examples of colonial humor from
punning:
A grave old Country Blade coming before
a Judge, and taking his Oath on a cause, he
the Virginia Almanack and the Virginia Gazette
between 1732 and 1789 to see what they can
tell us about the colonists and see if we can
was bid to have Care what he swore, less he
went to the Devil: I fear not that, replied he,
by Way of Retort, for I have given him my
relate to them today.
eldest Son, and he ought to be content with
As an aid in this examination it may be
helpful to outline some general themes that
one out of a Family. How is that? says the
theorists use to characterize humor. Most evi-
Judge, pray explain yourself. Why, truly, I
dent in the discussions of some early philo-
have made him a Lawyer, and you know the
sophical and psychological theorists is the ag-
Devil was a Lawyer from the Beginning. A
gressive quality of much humor. There is frequently a " butt" of a joke who is " laughed at"
Lyar you mean, says the other. I know not,
or " put down." An equally important theme
replied he, what Distinction there may be
made at London; but I am sure, by sad Ex-
to many, such as Victor Borge, is the affiliation
perience, we in the Country know no Differ-
evident in some humor. Although it is not
ence between a Lawyer and a Lyar."
Virginia Almanack
discussed as often by philosophers and psychologists, "
laughing with" plays an im-
1762
continued, page 2)
portant role in understanding the emotional
side of humor.
The Free Women
Interacting with the emotional themes of
aggression
and
affiliation
are
intellectual,
of Petersburg
stylistic factors. Incongruity, of course, is at
the heart of humor. Max Eastman describes it
by Suzanne Lebsock
as a " derailment" of thought. Such sudden
chaos, nonsequitors, and slapstick can be very
A book review by Gail S. Terry
dimension from chaotic, however, is the " re-
Suzanne Lebsock has written an extremely
readable history of white and free black wom-
railment" of thought. The clever and witty
en who lived in Petersburg, Virginia, between
not only disrupt but create a new, previously
the American Revolution and the Civil War.
funny. At the other end of the intellectual
Using quantitative techniques and the sources
only dimly suspected relation. The quality of
and methods of social historians, local public
this new order differentiates intellectually
records —wills,
creative humor from the chaotic.
3)
accounts,
deeds,
censuses,
From our sample of• colonial humor the
and court minutes —she shows how Peters-
most common themes, then as now, are the
burg women fit into the larger community. At
aggressive and the chaotic. The chaos comes
the same time she draws upon private family
continued, page 2)
i
�Humor, continued
Indeed lawyers seem to bear the brunt and
be the butt of an inordinate amount of not very
good -natured humor. Other professionals,
such as doctors and prostitutes, receive less
Bond of Wedlock, to a brisk Widow of the
same Persuasion, as he was entering the
Sheets with her on the Wedding- Night, he
called out for the Lord to direct him; Nay,
attention, and even when the story is about
saith Tabitha, the Lord strengthen thee, and I
someone else, a lawyer may be introduced to
will direct thee."
Virginia4lmanack (Royle)
receive the hardest slap.
A Bawd being carried before a Justice, and
the chief Accusation against her was, she kept
a Bawdy- House, which she confidently denied: Housewife, says the Justice, you keep a
Bawdy- House, and I' ll maintain it. I thank
your Worship, says she, for your kind Promise
to me, for indeed I have a very great Need for
such Supporters,"
1762
Along with lawyers and sex, death received
some attention. On the one hand it could be
presented in its ironic truth.
Granville County, North Carolina, Feb-
ruary 19, 1773. Departed this Life, in the
fiftieth year of his Age, Thomas Low Thim-
ble, after a long Series of Drunkenness. It may
Virginia Almanack
with Truth be said, that no Man ever died less
1764
Walter Blair and Hamlin Hill point out in
regretted: The Sound of his last Trumpet
gave a general Joy to all his Friends, as well as
America' s Humor that American citizens of this
those who had the Misfortune to be of his
suspicious skep-
Acquaintance. Take Heed, ye Sons of Bac-
tics" and that this trait spilled over into their
chus, that when Death comes with his Sum-
humor. It may well be that lawyers gave them
mons you may not be catched napping; as, you
see, was the Case with Mr. Thimble."
Virginia Gazette (Purdie and Dixon)
period
were criticized
as "
just cause for suspicion and skepticism.
Another big topic in the colonies was, of
April 1,
course, sex.
1773
On the other hand it could be presented as
One was saying that Women would bear
one hoped it might be, by the best known
Malice longer than Men. Why so? said
another. I had a Scuffle, says he, with a Girl
once, and she remembered me for it nine
colonial humorist of them all.
The Body of B. Franklin Printer, ( Like
the Cover of an old Book Its Contents tom out
Months after."
Virginia Almanack ( Royle)
And script of its Lettering and Guilding) Lies
1762
here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not
be lost; For it will, ( as he believ' d) appear
once more, In a new and more elegant Edition
Revised and Corrected, By the Author"
Women, however, were not always butts in
the jocular battle of the sexes.
A gentleman riding out one morning early
in a place where he happened not to be ac-
Epitaph written by Benjamin Franklin
quainted coming up by the side of a young
woman who was carrying a pig in her arms, and
The colonists joked about the same things
1728
we do, and their styles had the same general
hearing it scream violently, addressed her,
characteristics.
Mark Twain' s observations
about English and American humor seem
relevant. " Americans are not Englishmen,"
thus, Why my dear, your child cries amazingly! The young woman readily taming
round and looking him in the face, said, with a
smile upon her countenance, I know it Sir, it
he wrote, " and American Humor is not En-
glish Humor; but both the American and his
always does when it sees its daddy."
Virginia Gazette, or WinchesterAdvertiser
humor had their origin in England, and have
undergone changes brought about by changed
conditions and environment." The roots of our
April 17, 1789
Furthermore, the ladies had morality on
skeptical, robust humor are in the colonies.
their side to aid in the put down.
Perhaps this realization can bring them a little
Henry IV, of France, asking a Lady which
closer to us.
Way to her Bedchamber, she replied briskly,
Through the Church, Sir.' "
Virginia Almanack (Royle)
Free Women, continued
1764
papers, letters, and diaries to show how the
Once all was proper, sexuality could be ex-
women themselves viewed their lives.
pressed in an open and good- natured way.
In 1786, Josiah Flagg, a visiting Yankee,
Humor in print was frequently earthy.
declared Petersburg " the most dirty place I
An elderly Quaker, being joined in the
2
�unevenly among their heirs. It also showed in
their ability to make independent judgments
ever saw." By 1860 the muddy frontier town
0 was Virginia's second largestone -half ofa whom
city with population of more than 18, 000,
about their own fitness to administer estates .. .
they were not as ego- invested as men in the
were black (and one -third of those blacks were
And in their efforts to
free). According to Lebsock, the most significant divisions among that population were
control of wealth....
class, color, and sex; and it is to the analysis of
and regard for other women surfaced again;
all three, but especially the last two, that she
the poor were mainly women and children,
most of whom cannot have ' deserved' their
give assistance to the poor, both personalism
devotes her book.
Lebsock sets out to answer two questions in
poverty."
But Petersburg is not Williamsburg, and
The Free Women of Petersburg: Status and
Culture in a Southern Town, 1784 -1860. First,
1784 is not 1750. What can interpreters learn
what was women' s status in late eighteenth -
from reading The Free Women of Petersburg?
They can learn a great deal of both a theoreti-
and early nineteenth -century Petersburg and
cal and a practical nature.
how did it change or remain constant over
some qualifications) that women' s status im-
The nineteenth century provides the link
between the eighteenth century that Colonial
Williamsburg interprets and the twentieth
century visitors inhabit. In order to under-
proved between the two wars as they experi-
stand how eighteenth- century and twentieth -
enced increasing autonomy, at least in the
century persons are alike and different, one
time? Second, did women act on the basis of a
set of shared attitudes and values that differed
from men' s? Ultimately, she concludes ( with
sense of freedom from dependence on men.
must know what happened in between. Many
Relatively speaking, fewer women were
of the aspects of women' s lives addressed in
Suzanne Lebsock' s book are those that the
married, more women found work for wages,
Foundation is most interested in presenting to
the visitor: Their family lives, their work,
and more married women acquired separate
estates, that is, property that their husbands
their legal status, and the relationships among
the three. For example, in her discussion of
could not touch." While the larger causes of
Othese changes lay outside the women them selves in the changing economic or political
scene, individual women sometimes had opportunities to make choices in determining
their own -destinies. When they made these
women' s work in nineteenth century Petersburg, Lebsock provides a compendium of
comparative information for the knowledgeable student of eighteenth- century women.
values that differed from that of men. An ex-
She explains how Petersburg residents
brought the farm to the city with gardens,
ample may help to illustrate the point. When
dairies, livestock, and smokehouses. She dis-
men disposed of their personal property by
will in antebellum Petersburg, they usually
divided k equally among all their children.
cusses the range of women' s occupations out-
When women made wills ( and by the 1840s
created by industrialization and manufactur-
and 1850s nearly half of the wills in Petersburg
ing. She identifies the segregated occupations
were written by women), they did not follow
the same procedure. They played favorites,
of white and free black women. She addresses
often using individual need as the criterion,
fully employed butside their own households
but sometimes making choices for which the
logic totally escapes the historian. Mary Bolling, one of the wealthiest women in Peters-
coped with both jobs and young children at
the same time. Lebsock also discusses equally
burg, left a will with no parallel among Peters-
the status of free black women (and its relation
burg fathers, singling out some individual
to laws governing free blacks in Virginia) and
children and grandchildren for special favor
and others for expressions of particular displeasure without a clue as to why. Lebsock
identifies this distinct female value system as
persistent personalism." She writes, " Wom-
the property rights of married women.
en, more than men, noticed and responded to
historical theories about the status of American women and how it changed over four
choices, they were often based on a system of
side the home and the impact upon them of
new
opportunities ( for
men
and
women)
the question of .
tides women who were gain-
fully and with the same factual accuracy both
The intepreter who reads The Free Women of
Petersburg, however, will gain more than a
wealth of comparative facts.
Lebsock pro-
vides a painless education in the important
0 the needs and merits of particular persons.
This showed in their tendency to reward fa-
centuries. She examines the introduction of
vorite slaves and to distribute their property
romantic love and the companionate marriage,
continued, page 4)
3
�Free Women, continued
We know more, we talk better,
the myth of the golden age, and the Civil
Eighteenth -century speak, right down to the
letter:
War - watershed theories. In each case she
as-
Please say baroque; Queen Anne' s a no -no
As for Tom Chippendale, he' s really rococo.
carefully tests the general theories against the
evidential realities that existed in Petersburg.
The results are often surprising and always
interesting.
The Free Women of Petersburg is an example
of local history at its very best. It is factually
accurate, well integrated, methodologically
Talk of petticoats, hoops, gowns, and stays
Never say " dress," but undress you may.
You may call him Richard, and you may call
him Dickie
But not Receiver General —he' s only Deputy!
sound, and eminently readable (as most of the
A smith can hammer bar iron, a cutler file his
sound methodology appears in the footnotes).
fleams,
Lebsock provides a bird' s -eye view of Peters-
But they'll never hammer cast iron; it' ll break,
burg' s women and at the same time manages
to keep the reader aware not only of the larger
community in which these women lived, but
also of the larger world into which Petersburg
fit. While
it seems.
Be liberal with hogsheads as you fill each one
No matter how it measures, a ton is not a tun.
the interpreter' s methods must
A word here of academic liberty
Our courses are nothing worth if the teacher
vary, his or her goal in interpreting Williams-
isn' t free.
burg is much the same —to help the visitor
Colonial
understand the immediate object of his in-
court
cases,
letterbooks —make
them demographic
terest while at the same time moving him into
the larger world of which it was a part.
You can have them either way— benign or
pomographic.
Events renowned, thoughts abound, jargon
that is hard
The Exchange
And don' t forget the wet hike up to the College yard. ;'
We went to the Court House, the Capitol to KD
Anne Schone and Anne Willis prepared a de-
see
licious eighteenth -century midday dinner at
Forgot the Goodwin Building —its order,
the Powell Waller Kitchen in March for the
permanence, and authority.
faculty members who taught Core Curriculum
classes this year. They were assisted in doing
some of the drudgery by other members of the
For all interpreters there were lessons to be
department of intepretative education. After
They listened and they wrote; these words
leamed
could not be spumed:
dinner Rex Ellis and Dylan Pritchett led a
Put your desk in order, sort and clean your
group of unskilled musicians from the same
department in polyrhythms as a background
closets
to readings by Rex and Bill Tramposch. We
They could torn out to be primary deposits!"
thought you might want to reminisce with the
We didn' t need to fight a war and start a
faculty about your courses.
brand- new nation
We were right, and they were right —just vile
communication.
What is the nature ofnature? Where is reality?
Corn Curriculum
Philosophers make us think, and if we think,
we be!
Barbara Beaman
These seeds of an idea we decided to sow
In the fertile soil of the PRO:
The wisdom from all courses we' ll present to
The Interpnter is a bimonthly publication of the Department
you
of Interpretive Education.
In a succinct, provocative— irreverent-- review.
Editor: Barbara Beaman
Assistant Editorand Feature Writer: Lou Powers
From Barbados to Plymouth, New York with
its Dutch
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Arthur Bames,
Jamaica, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and such
John Canmia, George Collins, Harold Gill,
We' ve analyzed our maps and read up a storm
Liza Cosier, Tennis O'Toole, and Jane Strauss
1984 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
To catalog our values and label each norm.
4
�O
Summary of Company of Colonial Performers Programs
Summer 1984
Summer is always a busy time for programs and interpretive opportunities for our visitors and
ourselves. The best way to see firsthand what is happening is by checking the " Visitor' s Companion" each week. Keep up to date and help our visitors realize what a wealth of programs is available
to them. Remember that your employee pass admits you to the programs as well.
Mondays:
Black Music Programs behind the Brush- Everard House at 5: 00 P. m.
and 5: 30 P. M. beginning June 18
Tuesdays:
Military Review on Market Square at 9: 00 A. m. beginning June 19
Eighteenth- century Plays at the Lodge Auditorium at 8: 30 P.M.
Wednesdays:
Fifes andDrums Parade on Duke ofGloucester Street at Norm' beginning July 11
Black Music Programs behind the Brush -Everard House at 5: 00 P. M.
and 5: 30 P. M. beginning June 20
TheAssembly at the Capitol at 8: 00 P. M., 8: 20 P.M., and 8:40 P.M.
beginning June 20
Thursdays:
flFridays:
Military Review on Market Square June 21 through June 28
Militia Muster on Market Square at 9:00 A. M. beginning July 5
Afro-American Heritage at the Lodge Auditorium at 8: 00 P. M. beginning June 21
Reveille at the Magazine at 9: 00 A.M. beginning June 22
Musical Diversions at the Capitol at 8: 00 P.M. beginning June 29
Saturdays:
Fifes and Drums Parade on Duke of Gloucester Street at NOON
Eighteenth -century Plays at the Lodge Auditorium at 8: 30 P. M.
Special Events
July 4:
July 8- 11:
July 25:
Independence Day Review at 10: 00 A. M.
Tatoo by the Fifes and Drums at 8: 30 p. m.
The Southern Governors' Conference
Reading ofthe Declaration ofIndependence at NOON
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 5, number 3, May, 1984
Description
An account of the resource
Colonial Humor -- The Free Women of Petersburg: A book review -- The Exchange -- Summary of Company of Colonial Performers Programs and Special Events Summer 1984
-
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PDF Text
Text
THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
in
VOL. 5
NO. 4
r
r
er
JULY 1984
What Products Can Teach
Kate Karsen, manager of the Craft House group,
andLiza Gusler, teaching curator, collaboratedon
continue to teach the public about colonial
thefollowing article about how our reproductions
strives to educate consumers about furniture
America. The new kit furniture program
made in eastem Virginia in the eighteenth
program aids in educating the visitor.
From the early days of restored Williams-
century. The kits have a two -fold educational
burg in the 1930s, visitors have been in-
purpose: to stress appropriate forms used in
terested in purchasing accurate reproductions
tidewater Virginia —such as a high post bed
of antique fumishings in the exhibition build-
complete with comice — and to teach correct
ings. Colonial Williamsburg realized that of-
period furniture construction. Purchasers of
fering for sale carefully made copies would
the kits will better understand the structural
soundness of dovetail case construction on a
extend the educational mission of the Foun-
dation in teaching the public about life in
chest of drawers, or the mortise and tenon
colonial Virginia.
joint on a chair and appreciate their superiority
to modem cabinetmaking methods.
continued, page 2)
The reproductions program began in this
way, and its home became the Craft House, a
place to purchase items and to learn about
them. Colonial Williamsburg sought manu-
9 facturers willing to cooperate in reproducing
original objects to exacting standards of au-
The Theme In Question
thenticity. The first licensed manufacturer
became Wedgwood, offering the " Queens ware Husk" pattern of earthenware, devel-
Interpreters sometimes ask, " What is it we' re
oped from sherds found during excavation of
teaching here at Colonial Williamsburg?
What am I supposed to say about Williams burg' s eighteenth century history, anyway ?"
the Raleigh Tavem lot. Ironically, modem
visitors were then able to purchase reproduc-
tions made by a firm which supplied goods to
The questions stem in part from a desire to
colonial Virginians. Josiah Wedgwood' s cream -
know whether and how one' s own interpreta-
colored earthenware was sold in Williamsburg
stores in the 1770s and appears frequently in
tion fits into some larger whole. It also recognizes, it seems to me, the fragmentary nature
period inventories and archaeological artifacts. Soon furniture, silver, and textiles were
of the visitor' s experience of Williamsburg.
being reproduced from originals in the collections, offering modern Americans an opportunity to re- create a historical atmosphere in
demonstrations; a hurried lunch; interpretations in a tavern, colonial home, and the
After a day of waiting in lines; several craft
Capitol; and an end -of - ay chorus of fifes,
d
drums, and musketry, the weary visitor,
when taking stock of it all, may well find that
he or she can' t make it all add up.
The educational planning we' ve been doing, among other things, offers an answer to
their homes.
Since then the educational aspects and au-
thenticity have continued to maintain high
quality standards. Product development
guidelines are strictly adhered to, and each
potential product must be approved by a re-
the " So what does it all mean ?" question.
view committee of historians, curators, crafts-
Over the next ten years, all interpreters and all
men,
and archaeologists. Information tags
relate historical background on each reproduc-
interpretations are invited to add something to
tion in an effort to educate consumers.
can, and European settlers of Virginia and the
the telling of how the original English, Afri-
New programs and products at Craft House
continued, page 2)
1
�Products, continued
The Craft House sales staff is well prepared
Other educational programs sponsored by
Craft House include classes in making period
to explain these kits to consumers. Frank
flower and fruit arrangements and exhibits
Cross, reproduction program director, and de-
and demonstrations in auxiliary Craft Houses
velopers from the Kittinger furniture manu-
in department stores. Illustrations in the Craft
facturers conducted a two -day " hands on"
House catalog show construction techniques
workshop for the staff. They demonstrated
on furniture and discuss appropriate hangings
for period -style windows and beds. Charts de-
the step -by - tep details of putting together
s
and finishing pieces of the new kits. Eigh-
scribe
eighteenth- century styles
and
terminology.
The Craft House hopes to extend the vis-
teenth- century design and construction
details were emphasized to show the correlation between the original and the exactness of
itor's experience at Colonial Williamsburg by
making it possible to take something of that
the reproduction kit.
One of the most important tasks performed
experience home with them and to obtain
by the Craft House staff is selling eighteenth-
good reproductions for their individual beauty
century reproductions for modem lifestyles.
and craftsmanship. The room displays at Craft
House are designed to show visitors the furniture, fabrics, accessories, and floor coverings
from the reproductions program as true to
eighteenth- century lifestyles as is practical.
Some products, such as the " William and
Mary" coverlet, have the same use today as
they did in the eighteenth century. Others
have been creatively adapted for use in today' s homes. For instance, a Dutch delft to-
This generates a relationship between what
bacco jar has been interpreted as a lamp for
today' s interiors. Some period forms may not
the visitor sees in our exhibition buildings and
what aspects of that style the visitor would like
be familiar to modern shoppers, so the Craft
House staff helps to educate consumers on
in his or her own home.
their original use. The `lipped finger bowl,"
constant desire to keep the eighteenth
Behind -the -scenes at Craft House there is a
for example, was used in the period for rinsing
century alive with fresh ideas for product use,
gift giving, or home furnishings. Soon, Craft
wine glasses between courses of a meal. Now
these crystal bowls may be used for flowers,
House at the Inn will be celebrating its fiftieth
nuts, candies, or ice. A pewter caster or muf-
anniversary, while Craft House at Merchants
flneer used two hundred years ago to serve
spices is used in the same manner on modernday tables. A silver sucket fork, however,
takes on multi use purposes today. Once used
Together, we hope to reach more visitors and
for syrupy desserts and sweetmeats that would
require both a fork and spoon, now it is a
on eighteenth- century life. With the help of
Square just celebrated its first anniversary.
continue the educational experience begun
by CWF interpreters shedding constant light
practical server for cocktail olives or relish. A
sales interpretation, displays, and product
information cards, visitors will take home a
modern hostess may set out an eighteenth century style symmetrical dessert table using
better understanding of the reproduction
program as a whole, as well as a reminder of
reproductions of saltglaze stoneware leaf or
their leaming experiences here. Many times
star shaped sweetmeat dishes. An adaptive
visitors purchase a reproduction, especially
use would be as an ashtray or individual candy
furniture, for posterity knowing it will be a
dish.
valued possession in their family in the future
Teaching exhibits at Craft House have
been an active part of visitor education. Exhibits featuring antique prototypes and the
and a constant reminder of our forefathers.
carefully crafted reproductions have given
viewers a chance ...
to view objects in Colo-
The Theme, continued
nial Williamsburg' s study collection and ap-
natives they pushed aside became, over the
preciate the authenticity of the copies. The
annual Antiques Forum has provided oppor-
This is the theme we call " Becoming Ameri-
decades, a distinctively American people.
tunities to use areas of Craft House as a
cans." We want it to infuse, to shape, to echo
somehow within all the interpretations a
person might encounter in the Historic Area
and at Carter' s Grove.
gallery for showing antique fumitures, silver,
textiles,
and
ceramics relating to
Forum
themes. Such installations have included
fumiture from colonial capitals, and, recently, southern furnishings relevant to the
Many persons— historians, foreign travelers, ,
home grown politicians —have been intrigued
topic " Arts of the Early South."
by this phenomenon of many people from
2
�many nations becoming, over a startlingly
ments and civic ideals we live by to this day.
short period of time, one people, one nation, E
And from this conflict arose claims to rights
0 Pluribus Unum, Americans. In an Americanbe
one defining attribute of being fact, it may to
and
to
opportunities
that still
confront
us
personally and in the public arena. Williamsburg clearly is a place where visitors will ask
wonder about where we come from, to try to
learn more about the lives our ancestors led
here and in the old homeland, and to ask
and interpreters can answer how and why, in
small, everyday particulars of community life
as well as in revolutionary events, the town' s
ourselves whether we and our contemporaries
have lived up to the democratic ideals and the
early residents became Americans— Britains
material promise of this new land.
and Africans and Europeans with a difference.
What then, is the American, this new
Now you are invited to start thinking this
man ?" One transplanted foreigner, J. Hector
way, to start asking these sons of comparative
St. John de Crevecoeur, asked this question in
and evolutionary questions about your inter-
1781, the year of Yorktown. This is the first
pretations. Others will join you in asking these
question to ask of an interpretation when
thematic sons of questions between now and
thinking about it from the perspective of our
the opening of Core Curriculum ' 85. The
winter courses will, as a matter of fact, help
theme " Becoming Americans."
this
question
requires
you
to
Answering
compare
you take this approach to interpretation.
the
American group, object, person, or custom
Can you say how and why the artifacts and
you are discussing with its contemporary,
processes, the practices, persons, and ideas
predecessor, or successor in America and in
that you
the homeland. Like this: " What are the
European antecedents of this Virginia built
resembled and came to differ from their Old
World antecedents? What was different, what
long rifle, and what is distinctively American
was American about them, and how did they
about it ?"
get that way? Give it a try.
regularly present and
interpret
Dennis O' Toole
The sequel to this question is " How did
this American person, practice, or thing
come to embody this distinctive balance of
the old and the new ?" This question leads
you
to
trace
change
and
to
explain
the
factors making for change. A specific example of this sort of " Becoming Americans"
question might be: " Why was Virginia' s established ghurch so swiftly and easily dises-
The Delicate Balance
Arthur ( Barney) Barnes, manager of character
interpretation, and Mary Wiseman, program presentation instructorfor C. C.P., discuss humor in
tablished after the War for Independence ?"
interpretation.
We suspect that you' ll find it comparatively
easy to ask, to answer, and to use both these
The use of humor in interpretation is much
sorts of questions and answers in your inter-
like the use of spices in cooking'. Incor-
pretations. Some very important chapters in
porated skillfully and with discrimination,
the still unfolding story of how we, all of us,
both can highlight, enliven, and enhance
became Americans were written at Martin' s
basic fare; both add zest and interest to the
essential, if at times bland substance that is
Hundred; at Middle Plantation; in the colo-
nial capital, Williamsburg; and at Carter's
Grove. A distinctive community, a novel
amalgam in economy and government,
the primary source of nourishment for body
and mind. Either can, however, ruin what it
emerged in Virginia as Indians and then En-
taste and sensitivity, and too heavy a: hand in
glish, African, British, and other European
peoples worked the land, raised families, in-
the application of either is a certain " receipt"
termingled, and traded and exchanged goods,
and too much in either case is a fine one;
languages, beliefs, and values.
experimentation
was supposed to enhance if used without
for disaster. The line between just enough
This is also one of those places where some
and
experience
are
ulti-
mately the surest guides to consistently suc-
of these gradually unfolding developments
were dramatically accelerated in the 1760s and
1770s. The quarrel with Britain' s parliament
and the crown forced many of these Anglo-
0
cessful results.
useful in developing presentations that incorporate humor effectively and appropriately,
and
in
and we offer them for your consideration.
obedience or rebellion lay their brightest fu-
They are here presented as a short check list
Afro -Virginians
to
decide
whether
We have found a few general guidelines
ture. In this struggle were forged the govern-
continued, i page 4)
3
�Balance, continued
of "do' s" and " don' ts." Do incorporate humor
the getting of a husband," is almost certain
to elicit a response, an amused one at that. It
if:
the anecdote or situation plays a positive,
provides you with the entree you need to dis-
complementary role in helping you reach
cuss the lives of women of the period.
Another example of the same thing is Ann
your ultimate interpretive objectives;
it accords to the people of the past their
Blair' s reflection on the social advantages of
essential humanity and dignity;
life in Williamsburg, with its balls, races, and
so forth: " these diversions has [ sic] greatfully
postponed my day of marital reckoning." Left
there, Ann may simply be seen as a frivolous
it has educational as well as entertainment value.
Do not incorporate humor if:
the anecdote or situation is an end unto
young lady. It does, however, offer you the
itself;
opportunity to discuss why marriage and its
it is a " cheap shot" taken at the expense
attendant responsibilities might not be over-
of the people of the past, with the pur-
pose of eliciting laughter at how odd,
whelmingly attractive to a lady of her position.
Urban life, at least in polite society, might
strange,
indeed seem preferable to plantation life with
their
or primitive colonists were in
beliefs,
customs,
practices,
its isolation and constant work.
or
On the other hand, similarities between
mores;
it has entertainment value but no inter-
then and now can often be as amusing as the
pretive purpose.
differences. The colonists poked a little fun at
mon sense applied to the interpretive situa-
themselves, and you can certainly use this to
your advantage. Landon Carter once said, " I
tion, and most of you probably run through
just such a check list as a matter of course
Jefferson said that " I lulled my audience into
Most of these guidelines are simply com-
was turned out of the House [ of Burgesses];"
sweet repose — like a minister who preaches
each time you interpret. Still there are times
when the urge to elicit a response from a
particularly
passive
group
overrides
overlong on some obscure text." Now there' s
a situation familiar to one and all.
your
One last observation: if you have decided
self monitoring systems. You need for them
to laugh — if only to assure yourself that they
that your humorous
are still breathing! You probably will not be
able to resist the impulse, so don' t try. But
longer and decide if it is also appropriate for
anecdote or situation
meets the above criteria, pause just an instant
the visitors to whom you are interpreting at
the moment. Certain things might be highly
yield intelligently; choose something that will
both_lighten the atmosphere and move you
effective with one type of individual but not
forward, interpretively speaking, at the same
really as effective with another. It is highly
time.
People find the differences between them-
unlikely that the multi- ethnic, multi -racial
mass of our visitors with their diverse backgrounds, interests, educational levels, and
selves and another society or culture fascinating and, at times, quite funny. Take advantage of this trait, remembering only that the
sensitivities always agree on what is humor-
differences are effective opportunities to lead
ous. When you do come across a universally
the visitor into an examination of eighteenth -
humorous piece, share it— they' re too few and
too far between for hoarding. Give some
century society. The effort is counterproductive if the message you convey is that they
thought
were freaks or oddballs because they had a
different set of values or practices.
subjects
as
caricatures
the
particular
characteristics
of
that day' s interpretation. Good luck and good
Most of the time the attitude that you have
humor.
towards the humor will determine the quality
of the audience' s response to it. If you treat
your
to
your audience when deciding on whether or
not you should use any specific bit of humor in
or stereotypes,
The lnterpreteris a bimonthly publication of the Depart-
then so will the audience. If, however, you
use the expressed differences as valuable insights into those lives that ultimately shaped
Assistant Editor and Feature Writer: Lou Powers
our own, then they will be both amused and
Production: Mary Jamerson and Nancy Milton
ment of Interpretive Education.
Editor. Barbara Beaman
Editorial Board: Bill Tramposch, Arthur Barnes,
John Caramia, George Collins, Harold Gill,
Liza Gusler, Dennis O' Toole, and Jane Strauss
enlightened.
For example, Mrs. Powell' s oft repeated
opinion, " A lady' s chief business in life is to
1984 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
conquer domestic economy" and, of course,
4
�Occurrences
Look for the following programs daily until August 25:
Mondays:
Black Music Programs at 5: 00 and 5: 30 P. M. behind the
Brush -Everard House
Junior Corps Parade at Noox
Musical Diversions, 8: 00 P. M. at the Capitol
Tuesdays:
Militia Review at 8: 30 A. M.
Wednesdays:
Junior Corps Parade at NooN
Eighteenth -century Plays, 8: 30 r.M. at the Lodge Auditorium
Black Music Programs at 5: 00 and 5: 30 P. M. behind the
Brush- Everard House
Assembly at the Capitol at 8: 00, 8: 20, and 8: 40 P. m.
Thursdays:
Militia Muster at 8: 30 A. M.
Fridays:
Reveille at 8:30 A. M.
Saturdays:
Junior Corps Parade at Noox
On Myne Own Time," 8: 00 r.M. at the Lodge Auditorium
Musical Diversions, 8: 00 P. M. at the Capitol
Eighteenth- century Plays, 8: 30 P. M. at the Lodge Auditorium
Special Events:
July 25:
September 1:
September 8 - 9:
Anniversary of The Reading ofthe Declaration of Independence in
Williamsburg at Noox
begins Senior Time in Williamsburg
The Colonial Fair and Publick Times
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter
Description
An account of the resource
<p><em>The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter</em> was a newsletter published July 1980-September 2009 by the education and research departments of Colonial Williamsburg and authored mainly by staff researchers and interpreters. Its purpose was to disseminate information germane to the current interpretive focus of the Historic Area uniformly across the various departments involved with historical interpretation. Some of the articles sprang from the need to impart new research or interpretive information to staff while others were inspired by employee questions or suggestions. In the earlier issues, standard sections include “The King’s English” which explained various words or terminology encountered in 18th century life, “Occurrences” which noted different programs and events of interest to employees and visitors, and “The Exchange” which was a guest column that offered the perspective and knowledge of non-research department employees on various subjects. Later issues had regular columns about historical subjects, archaeology, gardening, new books at the Foundation library, “Cook’s Corner” about foodways, “Interpreter’s Corner” concerning issues of interpretation, and a Q & A section. The number of issues published per year varied as did the length of the newsletter.</p>
<p>Several supplemental publications sprang from the Interpreter including <em>Fresh Advices, Questions & Answers</em>, and A<em> Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em>. Fresh Advices offered discussions of recent research conducted by the Foundation and opportunities for applying it in the Historic Area. It was published infrequently from 1981-1987. <em>Questions & Answers</em> began and ended as a column in the <em>Interpreter</em>, but also existed as a supplemental publication from 1980-1989. It functioned as a means to answer common interpreter questions to the research department about eighteenth-century history and culture, Williamsburg area history, and Colonial Williamsburg itself. The one-time 1990 publication <em>A Cultural Time Line & Glossary for Williamsburg in the Eighteenth Century</em> consisted of a oversize poster-sized timeline and a glossary booklet. The time line included notable events in the Age of Enlightenment in the categories of politics, philosophy and religion, education, science and technology, fine arts and architecture, and performing arts and literature. The glossary was an expansion on selected entries from the time line to give more information on people and events that directly or indirectly influenced the development of colonial Virginia society.</p>
<p>An index to the <em>Interpreter</em> and its supplemental publications may be found here: <a href="http://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library/_files/Interpreter.pdf">Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter Index, 1980-2009</a>.</p>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, volume 5, number 4, July, 1984
Description
An account of the resource
What Products Can Teach -- The Theme In Question -- The Delicate Balance -- Occurrences -- Special Events