Living History Demonstrations
Developing Photographs in the Victorian Era
Collodion, Silver Nitrate, Grain Alcohol…. Family Photo? How DID they stage and develop photographs in the 19th century? Friend of Historic Richmond Town and Owner of Victorian Portrait Studio in Gettysburg, PA. Dave S. Wilson explains the process in this video. Follow him on Instagram: @VPSGettysburg
Getting Dressed in 1860 - For Women
What was it like getting dressed in 1860 for women? In this #Arts&CultureinQuarantine video, living historian Amanda Fross (@historic_adventuress) demonstrates the typical fashions of American women in the 1860s.
Layering is a theme in 19th century fashion. For women getting dressed begins with the chemise. A chemise is worn under the clothes as a slip and can also serve as night clothes. Stockings are worn either above or below the knees and can be tied with garters. Corsets serve as a foundation or support garment much in the way that a brassiere does today. Drawers are becoming more common in the mid part of the 19th century. Under petticoats are sometimes worn for modesty. Cage Crinolines give the outer garment the desired and fashionable shape. Over petticoats smooth and enhance the shape and structure given by the crinoline. The outer dress may be a work garment of cotton or wool, or a more fashionable silk or lawn for summer or evening wear.
Special thanks to @historic_adventuress for modeling these garments for Historic Richmond Town.
Getting Dressed in 1860 - For Men
Often we may think that Men’s fashion has remained pretty stagnant throughout the decades. How differently could dressing have been 100 years ago? Pants, shirt, shoes...done. Right? Although it may be easier to identify the differences in women’s fashion, even from decade to decade, men’s fashion has evolved immensely throughout the centuries. So, what was it like getting dressed in 1860?
Sew In time
In quarantine, there’s more time for household chores, reading, and indoor hobbies. One could even take up hand-sewing. This skill was necessary in 18th and 19th century life; people made and mended their own clothing with needle and thread.
In this video, Historic Richmond Town’s Digital Content Creator Sarah demonstrates the running stitch. This stitch is done by passing a needle and thread through both layers of fabric to be joined together. Education staff wear and present period clothing to inform our understanding of the lived experiences of real people in the past. These clothes are used heavily in the performance of demonstrations and educational programming--so like our historical counterparts, we often need to mend seams to keep our stock looking village-ready.
Bring Your Own Basket
Paper or Plastic? ...How about a wood basket? Portable, reusable, a necessity in everyday life. Long before plastic bags and plastic bag bans, early Americans used wood baskets to carry and contain goods.
In this video, Historical Interpreter Paul describes and demonstrates the process of basket making as interpreted at Historic Richmond Town. White oak wood baskets were made by the Lenape and other indigenous peoples for centuries. European colonists on the North American continent would adopt these process of weaving for their own use and trade.
On Staten Island in the 19th century, baskets were in high demand for use in oystering, one of the chief industries in the area. The Basket Maker’s House is one of the more than 40 buildings that make up Historic Richmond Town. The house was built in 1810, located on Richmond Avenue in New Springville. It was moved to Historic Richmond Town in 1965.
Back Tin Time
In the 19th century, many household items were made of tin. Using hand tools and machines to cut and shape this malleable metal, tinsmiths fashioned lanterns pots, pans, sconces, and many other goods. Tinsmithing is one of many trades and skills demonstrated at Historic Richmond Town.
In this video, using period tools and practice, Historical Interpreter Chris creates a scallop patty in the Tinsmith Shop at Historic Richmond Town. Circular baking tins with indentations, patty tins or patty pans were used to make small cakes and pies. To fashion the scallop patty, Chris cuts a circle out of a piece of tinplate with a pattern form and a pair of tinsnips. To make the indentations in the circle, a creasing swedge is used to strike the tin, bending it into the scalloped shape. Goods made in a tinshop were made with precision and attention to detail, but each piece was unique, reflecting the skill and style of the maker.
The Common Cup Cake is a simple recipe with just 4 ingredients:
1 cup of butter
2 cups of sugar
3 cups of flour
4 eggs
Combine butter & sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, mixing after each one. Add flour. Mix all ingredients well. Carlotta uses a fork, but you may use your modern mixer at home or your hands.
Add the mixture to a baking pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350-375 degrees. The tin reflector oven used here is a metal container with an open side, designed to capture the heat of an open flame. Reflector ovens were common in kitchens from the late 1700s (18th century) through the 1800s (19th century).
Check the cup cake after baking. Press your finger into the cake. If it bounces back after being pressed, the cake is done. Enjoy!
The Guyon-Lake-Tysen House was originally built near New Dorp Beach on an 80 acre farm. Joseph Guyon, a farmer of Huguenot descent, constructed the house in 1740. The home and property expanded through the years, passing through the Lake and Tysen families. In 1962, the house was moved to Historic Richmond Town for restoration.
We hope you enjoyed this baking demonstration of the Common Cup Cake at Historic Richmond Town. Stay tuned for more educational and interesting content from Historic Richmond Town’s Arts & Culture in Quarantine series.
Hearth Cooking with Carlotta
When we think of cupcakes today, we think of small cakes wrapped in paper with frosting and sprinkles. On early American farms and homesteads, the Common Cup Cake was made in a baking tray in a reflector oven, by a roaring fire. The ‘cup’ in the name came from the measure of the ingredients used, in cups. Historical Interpreter Carlotta brings this historical recipe to life in the Guyon-Lake-Tysen House at Historic Richmond Town.
At Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island, educators demonstrate hearth cooking and baking to help visitors understand the way Americans lived (and ate) in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This educational practice is known as ‘living history’, in which period costumes, tools, homes, and processes are used to illustrate the lived experiences of everyday people.