Going to a Civil War Civilian Symposium!

Today is a travelogue, and who doesn't like going on a road trip?  A couple of weeks ago we went to the Genteel Arts Symposium in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  It was my second time to attend, although a couple of years had passed since my first trip.  This time I was accompanied by my best friend - my husband.  Road trips are always better with congenial company!  Being mid-March, the weather was rainy most of the way.


Civilian conferences or symposiums (or whatever you wish to call them) are outstanding ways to increase your knowledge of your chosen time period.  When your hobby is reenacting, you may feel isolated at home. feeling like your friends and extended family lovingly deal with you and your "eccentricity."There, there, don't get Auntie going on that history stuff again.  You know how she gets!"  As a civilian reenactor, you don't even have the excuse of gunpowder to explain your fascination with living history. Have you ever explained your obsession with petticoats?   At a civilian symposium, you are among like-minded enthusiasts, and it feels wonderful!

Carolann Schmidt, Symposium organizer,
welcomes everyone to the Sociable.
The first two days are optional attendance and are scheduled with workshops.  We were unable to be in Harrisburg on Wednesday night, so we missed the first day's classes, but each attended two excellent ones on Friday.  We made it into Harrisburg in time to participate in the Sociable, a friendly gathering where participants may share talents such as singing or dramatic recitations in a congenial period fashion.  Ladies' wrappers and gentlemen's dressing gowns are optional attire; modern clothing is totally acceptable.  Those who do wear their period "undress" are encouraged to come up front so everyone can see.    John and I volunteered to play some period music on banjo and bones and penny whistle.  There are no photographs of us performing, so you'll have to imagine it.

Enjoying the entertainment















Here are only some of the wrappers and dressing gowns, It gives the Sociable the atmosphere of an elegant period slumber party.




The presentations started on Friday night and ran until mid day on Sunday.  This particular conference presents a dual track of presentations from which one can pick and choose.  Talks included ice harvesting, common education, ladies' fashion changes from year to year, mule breeding, Kentucky bourbon, and how to organize an event - and many more!  There is a great breadth of knowledge, all of it very professionally presented.  

One of the traditions of the Symposium is the "symposium fabric."  Each presenter is sent a length of fabric and instructed to make a garment to wear on Saturday.  Women receive one fabric, men, another.  On Saturday morning each models his or her completed garment and shows the image(s) that guided their creation.  The creativity is amazing and the take-away lesson is clear for all to see - even if you all have the same fabric, you can all look different!  


An optional ball was held Saturday night, and of course we opted to attend.  Period dance is one of our passions and we relish the chance to dance, since we usually are calling the dances in our area.





  Here we are on our way back from a delightful evening of dancing!


































Other features of the Symposium are the display of original garments, which collectors generously share with us.  Extant garments are one of the methods to determine what clothing actually looked like in this time period and are the best way to understand period construction details.


The Symposium also has a Marketplace of juried merchants.  Many of them sell over the internet, but how wonderful to have those temping good spread out in front of you!







 And shop we all did!  Books, jewelry, bonnets, caps, trim, fabric, period toys, carpet bags, shoes, shawls, patterns...the display was dazzling. One of the best things about high-quality civilian events is the knowledge that everything available for purchase is correct and that you won't ever have to worry or regret a purchase.


The most wonderful thing of all is reuniting old friends who live at a distance and meeting new people, many of whom are known only via the internet. I regret not having more time to photograph various friends, but I cherish this shot.

Exhausted, full to the brim with information and with much lighter wallets, we headed back home on Sunday afternoon.  We passed the time by telling each other about the presentations we attended and, of course, by singing.


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