Some reenactors do go to extremes, there is the story of the staff  
member at Plymouth, MA who decided not to bathe, Can't see getting  
trench foot as a good idea either, why would one want to be that  
authentic for WWI?

Others serve a very useful purpose. It would have been very difficult  
to do the movie Gettysburg without the reenactors. Imagine trying to  
outfit 15,000 people with period costumes today. I am also involved  
with a group who not only dress up (I just watch and work the  
bellows), but also do bloomery smelts and occasionally try my hand at  
smithing. The historic literature and archaeology leave much of how  
smelting worked unclear. Reenactors who also do experimental  
archaeology have added a lot to the knowledge base.

My favorite story is about a group in Arizona who did Indians and  
Cavalry. They mounted up and chased each other across the wilderness.  
One evening the chase led, inadvertantly, through the camp of two  
retired couples with an RV. As the story goes they were out in the  
middle of nowhere sitting around a fire when they heard lots of hoof  
beats. A band of "wild Indians" thundered through their camp.  
Whooping and hollering. The Indians rode off into the gloom. A few  
minutes later a small patrol of US Cavalry showed up. The Lieutenant  
in charge stopped, greeted the two couples and asked if they had seen  
a band of "hostiles". One of the retired pointed a shaking finger off  
in the direction the Indians had taken. The LT touched his hat and  
thanked them and led his patrol off in pursuit. The reenactors  
finding their pristine wilderness had been violated decided to make  
the best of it. Don't know if the two couples ever went camping again...

James Brothers
[log in to unmask]



On Sep 12, 2007, at 4:47, Ron May wrote:

>
> There is an organization out here in the Far Southwest called The   
> Westerners
> and there is a branch in Germany, so I have been told. I have seen   
> photos of
> those Germans dressed in Sioux Indian costumes and sitting by  
> their  tipis.
>
> Then again, there is a reenactor group here in the United States  
> that owns
> land and recreates the World War I battlefields with sandbagged  
> trenches full
> of  water, artificial rain, and live explosions and then the  
> soldiers wear the
> actual combat uniforms of the German, French or American armies and  
> spend
> days  down in those trenches shooting blanks at each other, blowing  
> whistles and
> sending communications.
>
> Who can say which nation is more crazy?
>
> Ron May
> Legacy 106, Inc.
>
>
>
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