To Black Watch or not to Black Watch?

[MacLowlife]

I think NPS is entirely different from Ren Faires, movies, etc. I believe the government collects enough money to be entirely and scrupulously accurate, even if they do not manage to get it into the hands of the folks who need it. I applaud that accuracy when it appears, whether or not the government is responsible.


I spent many years in college and continue in the Instituto Autodidattico to this day, but the best way to make sure crowd control is not an issue is to have a statue out front that says "you must be THIS historically accurate to come inside."

Intelligent and curious people will learn in all sorts of situations. However, I believe it was Dorothy Parker who first said You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think. And that goes double for her boyfriend.

[macwilkin]

My experiences in NPS were different than your description. The government does collect money, but those of us who were on the front lines of historical interpretation saw very little of it. In many cases, including my own, much of the kit was private purchase out of my GS-5 salary. Mind you, I didn't do it for the money -- I was serving my country and the men who fought and died at my park, hence why I am passionate about historical accuracy. I'm sorry you don't seem to understand that. Every year at our park, The Interpretation & Visitor Services Division had its budget cut, and fewer rangers in the field, but we did what we could to tell the story.

I could give a fig less if someone wants to play dress up at a ren faire or reenactment -- just don't make claims about historical accuracy when you have no intention of doing so.

T.

[Bugbear]

My experiences in NPS were different than your description. The government does collect money, but those of us who were on the front lines of historical interpretation saw very little of it. In many cases, including my own, much of the kit was private purchase out of my GS-5 salary. Mind you, I didn't do it for the money -- I was serving my country and the men who fought and died at my park, hence why I am passionate about historical accuracy. I'm sorry you don't seem to understand that. Every year at our park, The Interpretation & Visitor Services Division had its budget cut, and fewer rangers in the field, but we did what we could to tell the story.

I could give a fig less if someone wants to play dress up at a ren faire or reenactment -- just don't make claims about historical accuracy when you have no intention of doing so.

T.

I understand where you are coming from, now, Cajunscot.
I returned my earlier post with a few notes; lately, I keep getting my head handed to me every time I post and I was a bit worried.

I make folk art, some of which is Ren-Fair-ish, pseudo-ancient, never claiming it is historically accurate. I was looking at the Ren Fairs, and only the Ren Fairs, from that point of view. Over the last twenty or so years, I have seen very interesting crafts and art at the Ren Fairs that are not reenactment crafts, but had that Ren Fair flavor. I think claiming that Ren Fair events are historically accurate, when they are not, is bad for both the Ren Fair and for historical reenactment events, and I would prefer the two be kept separate. Not sure how that would be best done...

I very much hope that I am not coming across contentiously.

[MacLowlife]

I don't wish to be or sound contentious, either. I agree with most of what you have said CajunScot and I tried to observe that the government frequently doesn't spend the money where we think they should. I know similar stories of people who subsidized their work budgets out of their salaries. Thanks for doing that. I am sure others noticed, even if they didn't say so.

I just think that RenFaires don't merit consideration as places of accuracy, even if they ought to be. I don't have enough knowledge or experience to discuss military reenactors, other than very pleasant, very casual encounters. Thanks to all for the things I have learned from this thread.

humbly
m'll

[KEArnold]

I never figured my question would cause such a debate. Maybe I'll just wear blue jeans and a polo shirt from now on and toss the kilts in the trash.

[macwilkin]

I never figured my question would cause such a debate. Maybe I'll just wear blue jeans and a polo shirt from now on and toss the kilts in the trash.

No need to do that, apologies if we got off track. When discussing such things on an Internet forum, it's easy to do that.

T.

[BobsYourUncle]

Sorry to disagree, but please consider these two rules which I have found to be nearly universal in any form of costume, reenactment, or similar activity:

1) Sexy trumps accurate. Skanky probably trumps sexy, if you distinguish between the two.

2) Even the best of intentions may bump up against economic reality. While it may sound acceptable in theory to say "If you can't be entirely accurate, don't start," you are going to discourage and eliminate only the conscientious people. This leaves the ones who don't care and the ones who care so much they don't have time or resources (Umm, including personalities?) for anything else.

I do not wish to criticize anyone, but my experience is that the forgiving person is much better company than the exacting one. If we were mountain climbing, or maybe flying, I'd prefer to depend on the exacting one, but if we are talking about recre-bleeding-ation, if you please, I much prefer a little generosity of spirit in my companions. Especially if there is to be either alcohol or even partial nudity.

So, yes, please, let's have accuracy and specificity amongst the teachers and professionals, but for those who are going to be casting stones, I want a signed ( in appropriate-technology ink and lettering style, on either hide or contemporaneous paper) certificate verifying that the said stone conforms with all appropriate standards of size, shape, mineral content and any other criteria of availability. And I want it notarized.

As a lawyer, judge and dedicated amature historian, I take extreme exception to your suggestion that the casting stone certificate should be notarized. There is no actual evidence that the office of Notary existed in the time period.

[macwilkin]

I don't wish to be or sound contentious, either. I agree with most of what you have said CajunScot and I tried to observe that the government frequently doesn't spend the money where we think they should. I know similar stories of people who subsidized their work budgets out of their salaries. Thanks for doing that. I am sure others noticed, even if they didn't say so.

I just think that RenFaires don't merit consideration as places of accuracy, even if they ought to be. I don't have enough knowledge or experience to discuss military reenactors, other than very pleasant, very casual encounters. Thanks to all for the things I have learned from this thread.

humbly
m'll

And I'll offer my apology for being a bit thin-skinned last evening when I replied to your posts. Instead of "reading twice, reply once", I jumped right in with a hasty reply. In hindsight, I should have read your post again.

T.

[KEArnold]

I don't know when the Black Watch tartan was first woven, so I can't help you here, sorry.

As far as the kilt vs. great kilt thing, I have a very reliable suspicion that unless there are some Xmarks at the event no one will ever know the difference. I would go with what you got, unless of course you like the great kilt over the wee kilt.

As far as the reunion outfit. I would make sure that the tie is one of those pencil ties, since regular ties will look rather fat when worn so short. To go ever further, I would say that unless this is an extremely special reunion you might be dressing up a bit too much. Heck, your proposed outfit is good enough a for wedding, which isn't bad; there just isn't any reason to put on more than is appropriate unless you like the look. Heck, the kilt, hose, button-down shirt, black shoes, black sporran, black belt and tie are plenty for such an event. If your sgian dubh is unsharpened, then I would leave it at home, because it is then an ornament for weddings, funerals, and piping. If, however, your sgian dubh is nice and sharp, then I would totally wear it, because the real ones seem to look better than the unsharpened ones. At the very least, the fly plaid might be over the top, almost on the costume and superficiality side.

Keep it simple and sharp and no one will be distracted by anything other than your kilt and its pleats.

FINAL Outfit was this:

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/...2/DSC_0002.jpg

[Jordan]

That's a smart looking outfit. You mint want to invest in a pair of hose that have a larger turnover but overall a nice smart outfit.

Jordan