The Blog of Colonial Williamsburg
Hats were more ubiquitous in the 18th century, but much like today, they were expressions of one’s job, or one’s (often self-styled) status, or just plain personality. I decided to take a trip through town with an eye to learning more about colonial headwear. I barely scratched the surface as I discovered more variety—and fewer strict rules—than I had imagined.
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I love writing things down. When I got the position of Apprentice Weaver a few months ago, I knew that I would need to document what I was learning, and the significance of it all. So I got a new diary and started taking notes and just jotting down ideas throughout the day and when I got home after work. Here are a few of those entries that paint a picture of the start of this new chapter in my life and career here with Colonial Williamsburg.
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It’s National Book Lovers Day, which means it’s time again to see what my colleagues are recommending. You remember books-those paper objects that people carried around before “reading devices.” Ignoring the darkening skies, I head down Duke of Gloucester Street with notebook in hand, ready to add to my reading list….
What can you learn from a kid? Plenty, if you happen to run across any of Colonial Williamsburg’s Junior Interpreters.
The JI’s, as they are commonly referred to, help the city come alive, especially during the summer, when their presence is most conspicuous. You’ll find them working in trade shops, demonstrating 18th-century dance, and playing games and interpreting daily life in sites like the Powell House and the Wythe House….
19. Nine… teen. That’s the ripe age Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, had reached when he landed on American shores in 1777 to lend his skills to the Revolutionary cause. He landed first near Georgetown, S.C. before heading north to present his credentials to the Congress.
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We tell a lot of very important stories, and I’m not just talking about those of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. The stories of slavery cover the entirety of the Historic Area and a new program developed by a group of Actor-Interpreters hopes to promote healing and understanding.
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We call them Sales Interpreters. Technically, our colleagues in Historic Area shops sell merchandise, but their role is anything but ordinary retail. You may find them demonstrating trap-ball on Duke of Gloucester Street, or answering a question about the city’s history, or having a little fun in character.
Such unconventional behavior is bound to make a person gruntled, that is, happy—anything but disgruntled.
We asked several colleagues to share a little bit of their experience working a sales floor in costume. Here, mostly in their own words, is what they had to say….
There’s so much to say about Martha Washington. Welcome to the second installment of the most frequently asked questions about America’s first First Lady. Yesterday we covered questions 10 down to 6. Here now are the top 5.
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Greetings! When last we spoke, I filled you in on Martha’s modes of travel—specifically riding sidesaddle. Since then, I have been out and about on the streets of Colonial Williamsburg speaking with guests from far and wide about Martha Washington’s younger years. …
“We get that this is a weird job,” says Nicole Brown, who portrays Hannah Powell on the streets of Williamsburg. She and her colleagues know all too well that speaking to someone who is “living” in the 18th century is outside the comfort zone for many people. Which is why I asked a group of our talented folks to tell me what advice they would offer guests who may be reluctant to engage the living part of this historic town….