HUZZAH! RE-ENACTMENT THROUGH THE AGES

THROWBACK THURSDAY

BY: SERENA YPELAAR

When visiting historic sites, I’m always trying to visualize what they might have looked like centuries ago, back when the surrounding area was devoid of parking lots, gift shops, and camera-toting tourists. Many of my fondest museum memories involve military demonstrations or costumed interpretation, which led me to wonder: when and how did re-enactment first begin? Read on to learn how historical re-enactments evolved from an early form of showmanship to an interpretive tool to animate historic sites.

Historic interpreters at the Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Louisbourg highlights storytelling as an interpretive approach and immerses visitors in the 18th century French fort. Source.

Earliest Re-enactments

The origins of re-enactment date back to the Roman Empire, when re-enactment was a public spectacle involving the recreation of well-known battles. Just as contemporary gladiator films often depict hand-to-hand combat in a crowded amphitheatre, staged battles also served as public entertainment in Roman society. This tradition of dramatizing battles carried on into the medieval period, in which tournaments were fought with thematic elements from Ancient Rome. 

This lithograph by Edward Henry Corbould, titled The joust between the Lord of the Tournament and the Knight of the Red Rose, illustrates the Eglinton Tournament of  1839, a re-enactment of a medieval joust. Source.

Widespread Romanticism

By the 17^th century, these historical displays had become popular in England, specifically as military re-enactments. Both during and after the English Civil War in the 1640s, re-enactments sought to demonstrate recent battles such as the battle at Blackheath in 1645.

Alongside the recreation of high profile military conflicts, the 19^th century saw another shift as the Middle Ages were celebrated once more. In light of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, a fascination with the medieval era emerged and was perpetuated by shows that romanticized medieval jousts (not unlike the present-day dinner and tournament at Medieval Times). In this sense, nostalgia for centuries gone by informed a cultural phenomenon in Great Britain. But this longing for the glamour of the past did not completely eclipse the present, as the 1815 conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars inspired a public re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo at Astley’s Amphitheatre in 1824. 

An illustration of Astley's Amphitheatre in London, published c. 1808-1810 and held by the British Library.  Source.

Celebrating Military Efforts

While re-enactment had become prevalent in the United Kingdom and the United States by the late 19^th century, re-enactments now offered a way for military regiments to display specific, more recent conflicts, rather than reflect on the romanticism of past societies. In 1895, the Gloucester Engineer Volunteers re-enacted the famous British victory at Rorke’s Drift (1879).

American Civil War Re-enactment of the Battle of Chancellorsville in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Source.

Not all regimental performances were sentimental or self-congratulatory, however. The U.S. 7^th Cavalry Regiment re-enacted their defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn within a year of its occurrence, meaning that the re-enactors were the actual survivors of the battle. In this case, the re-enactment was photographed, and its purpose was more educational than spectacular.

Education and Commemoration

After the American Civil War, veterans demonstrated famous battles to educate people on the conflicts and to pay tribute to their fellow soldiers who had been killed. This tradition developed into commemorative events whereby re-enacting groups continued to stage significant battles for an audience – the 50^th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1913 was attended by 50,000 veterans, both Union and Confederate.

Also in the early 20^th century, re-enactments gained popularity in Russia, with demonstrations of conflicts such as the Siege of Sevastopol (1854 to 1855), re-enacted in 1906. Alongside educating audiences, the re-enactments were a means of forming national identity through military commemoration. They perform similar functions today, as re-enactment groups often partner with historic sites to commemorate military anniversaries. (I myself had the chance to attend the re-enactments of the Battle of Queenston Heights at Fort George in 2012, and the Battle of York at Fort York in 2013, both for the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.) 

Today, re-enactments commemorate significant historical battles, such as the Battle of Queenston Heights (1812) in Niagara, Ontario. (Photo courtesy of Serena Ypelaar)

Despite its origins as a form of visually impressive entertainment, re-enactment has transformed into a storytelling technique we recognize at historic sites and commemorative events today. I'm looking forward to seeing how re-enactment will continue to change in the future!

CLASS TRIP MUSEUM REVIEWS: NIAGARA EDITION

EXHIBITION MUSEUM REVIEWS

BY: MADELINE SMOLARZ

The annual MMSt class trip is something students always look forward to throughout the year. Washington, Montreal, and Ottawa have been significant past destinations, and the trip's itinerary generally involves a few days spent in one city visiting several museums and their employees, some of who are alumni of the program. The care and time that goes into planning them is extensive, and time in the host museums' galleries is supplemented by professional lectures, collections tours, and many more behind-the-scenes insights.

This year, Museum Studies Student Association (MUSSA) President Dylan Dammerman and Social Chair Leah Moncada - Musings' own fantastic Historic Kitchen contributor - have organized a selection of shorter trips to cities across southern Ontario that include 3 day-long trips and 1 two-day excursion. This article will shine the spotlight on the latter, which took place a week ago: the exciting overnight trip to the Niagara Falls region!

I'll be providing a short description of the three amazing museums we visited over 36 hours as well as recognizing each institution for something they do exceptionally well, rather than just focusing on their exhibitions. Let's just call it Musings' own version of the film industry's highly anticipated awards season happening right now.

St. Catherines Museum & Welland Canals Centre: Best Program - aMuse

The entrance to the St Catherines Museum during nicer weather than we experienced! Source.

Speakers: Kathleen Powell (Supervisor Historical of Services / Curator), Meredith Leonard (Visitor Services Coordinator)

Part of St. Catherines Museum's permanent exhibition space. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

After we were all revived with some delicious coffee from our very considerate hosts at the St. Catharines Museum, who knew we had left Toronto before sunrise, the MMSt contingent was broken into three small groups and taken through the Museum's extensive collections areas in stages while the others explored a temporary exhibition. We gained plenty of insight into the collecting practices and management challenges posed by the collection, such as dealing with the vibrations from the huge ships that pass through the canal next door in the summer. Everyone then assembled for an excellent presentation on the Museum's innovative aMuse program, which is a series of one-of-a-kind offsite pop-up events that brings the Museum into the city. Our visit concluded with a quick tour then free time within the permanent exhibition as well as the new World War I addition. Kathleen and Meredith were even able to share a few details about the changes they hope the Museum will undergo in the near future.

Niagara Falls History Museum: Best Response to the Local Situation of the Community

NFHM is comprised of a historic building (L) and new addition (R). Source.

 Speakers: Clark Bernat (Manager, Niagara Falls City Museums), Suzanne Moase (Curator)

Mr. Bernat's favourite interactive at NFHM - building a simple and a complex bridge. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

I was impressed by the Niagara Falls History Museum even before the formal presentations and tours began; the foyer of the complex joins the historic and new halves of the Museum and is flooded with natural light. We received a thoughtfully delivered introduction to the Museum and the other sites associated with it - find out more here - and then split into two groups that switched over midway through our visit. Suzanne led the collections side of the tour down into the basement while Clark took his groups through the airy temporary and permanent exhibition spaces located in the new building. Clark and Suzanne were clear that the Museum was not perfect, but agreed that it is a work in progress (as all museums are, really) and there are many things that they excel at. The local community is currently facing a series of social and economic challenges, and the Museum's staff  members not only recognize this, but they are actively working to meet the public's needs, provide people with resources, and partner with various initiatives to help improve the community overall.

Niagara Historical Society Museum: Best Use of Internal and External Resources

The exterior of the NHSM in summer, showing the original building (L) and later addition (R). Source.

Speakers: Tami Daoust (Acting Curator), Amy Klassen (Society Administrator / Acting Managing Director), Sarah Kaufman (Managing Director / Curator) Barbara Worthy (Freelance Producer / Writer / Actress)

The interior of the NHSM's original building. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

A good portion of our time at the Niagara Historical Society Museum was spent learning from the welcoming staff during detailed presentations about the Museum's history, current exhibitions, and recent large-scale traveling video project called "Flames of War," which we each received a copy of and thoroughly enjoyed watching on the bus ride back to Toronto. The Museum staff were honest when sharing details of their limited finances, so it was all the more impressive when they explained how they make their small operating budget stretch so far every year. They had many space, time, and money-saving tips to share with the group, which we were then able to witness in action during tours of the Museum's current exhibitions and it's collections holdings. If you're interested in the events surrounding the War of 1812 and World War I in the Niagara region, the NHSM is the destination for you.

Honourable Mention -- Fort George: Best Immersive Experience

Conservation Tips & Tricks contributor Nikita walking around the Fort. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

Although the Fort was not a site that we visited as an organized group, many of us were able to get in before it closed to thoroughly explore the open buildings, which included the Officer's Building and the original Powder Magazine, and some of us even joined in on a couple of tours run by very knowledgeable historical interpreters. There's nothing like following in the footsteps of the people who lived and worked there 200 years before... and the sun came out just as I arrived there, so the Fort gets bonus points for being incredibly beautiful.

MMSt students are happiest when on guided tours. Look at those smiles! Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

SUMMARY

In the end, all of the museums we were fortunate enough to visit are on the precipice of great change. It was fascinating to learn about how they are each moving forward in their own way and pushing museum practice beyond what has been done before to better serve their surrounding communities.

Thank you to all of our hosts. The trip would not have been such a success without your donation of time and expertise. We greatly appreciated your honesty, generosity, and hospitality. Your passion for museum work was infectious and we all look forward to crossing paths with you again some day.

Special thanks to Leah & Dylan for organizing the trip. The MMSt program is lucky to have you.