Living History: What Is It & Why Is It Important?
Today, I am introducing a new series on History Imagined that surely gets to the heart of this blog and historical fiction in general, the desire to make the past come alive. While we authors create visions of the past with our words, other art forms offer representations to great effect as well. The ones on which I will focus fall under the general heading of living history.
So what is living history exactly? The topic is broader than one may have imagined.
[Living history is] an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is similar to, and sometimes incorporates, historical reenactment. Living history is an educational medium used by living history museums, historic sites, heritage interpreters, schools and historical reenactment groups to educate the public or their own members in particular areas of history, such as clothing styles, pastimes and handicrafts, or to simply convey a sense of the everyday life of a certain period in history.[1]

Governor’s Palace at Christmas
There are excellent living history museums in many parts of the world. One of the best, in my opinion, is located in Oslo, Norway, the subject of a previous post here. In the US, the quintessential living history museum is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, the keystone of the Colonial Triangle that includes Jamestown and Yorktown. Colonial Williamsburg is somewhat unique in that it was created from an actual town from which the residents and non-Colonial Era buildings were removed. Once one has passed through the entrance into the village of Colonial Williamsburg, one is transported back in time to the early 18th century when Williamsburg was the capital of Colonial Virginia. The actors are dressed in authentic period costumes and often speak in the style and manner of the era while making their presentations. Visiting Colonial Williamsburg is as close to time travel as we will get until the space/time continuum problem is solved.


Dr. Goodwin with FDR on his 1934 visit to Colonial Williamsburg
Virginia native, The Reverend Dr. W. A. R. Goodwin served Williamsburg’s Bruton Parish Church twice during his pastoral career with an intervening sojourn at the wealthy St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, N.Y. His time in Williamsburg as a seminarian and pastor generated his interest in the colonial portions of the city, but it was during his time as a religious studies professor at William and Mary that he took the first steps in making his restoration dream a reality. As with many such projects, Goodwin began small with one structure, the octagonal building originally known as the Powder Horn and now called the Magazine. From there, he persuaded other faculty members to become involved and together they saved the John Blair House from demolition to make way for an intended gas station. Through Dr. Goodwin’s efforts, Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and the Rockefeller family ultimately endowed the nonprofit Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which later received considerable financial support from others, most notably Reader’s Digest founders Lila and DeWitt Wallace, and Philadelphia publisher Walter Annenberg.
Gallery


Demonstration of traditional folk dancing.

Actor explaining the Public Goal to visitors.

Actor performing a Thomas Jefferson reenactment.

When I lived in FL, I participated in English Civil War re-enactments, dressed as a Cavalier with feather in my hat, aboard my white Andalusian stallion. Fun, fun, fun. I miss those days. Loved this post.
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So glad you enjoyed it, Linda! Later in the series, I will be interviewing an American Civil War re-enactor. I’m sure you’ll find much in common with him!
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I went to a school in Williamsburg in third grade, but my parents never got me to the restored buildings before the army abruptly moved us elsewhere. That’s why my beloved took me there on our honeymoon.
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It is a truly magical place! I would love to see it at Christmas. I understand it’s beautiful. I’m glad your good guy helped you fulfill a dream!
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Spent our honeymoon there, too. As we live in Richmond, we manage to get there from time to time. It is truly an amazing place, and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is dedicated to providing the most accurate interpretations of the area and its buildings. And yes, the Christmas season there is lovely–the Grand Illumination in December is marvelous!
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Love Virginia! I miss living in the Southeast! Would love to see CW at Christmas!
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I’ve spent many a holiday in Williamsburg, while I was living in the DC area. My brother, whose only historical involvement up to this point had been the rugged log cabin towns carved out of Ohio’s vast wilderness, told me Williamsburg was too civilized for him. Which in itself is a good history lesson, I guess.
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LOL, Becky! Your brother definitely had a different take on CW!
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I worked fifteen years at Old World Wisconsin as a costumed intrepreter and that helped me to write about experiences in the 19th century. I’ve been to Williamsburg many times and love the rich history there.
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Thank you for letting me know about Old World Wisconsin, Ilona! I have not traveled in the Midwest, so this will be on my list if I ever get to Wisconsin!
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We love Williamsburg and go every few years just to refresh our memories about the time period. They also have new and improved things to see and learn. Or maybe learn again 🙂
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I hope to get back there one day, C. & D.!
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This is so tempting! I’ve never been to Williamsburg, but it’s a favorite of a friend of mine and she loves to show me her pictures. Maybe I’ll get there one day!
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I promise you won’t be disappointed, Barbara!
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Always a pleasure to learn something new from you, Linda. Now Williamsburg, thanks to you, is on my bucket list.
Thank you,
Tema Merback
Writing as Belle Ami
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Thank you for stopping in, Tema!!
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I’ve been teaching history hands-on for a long time to elementary kids, creating activities based on research. And I”ve also worked on curriculum for national historical parks and historical organizations. Nothing like getting up in the day to put on petticoats.The Pacific NW has a number of fine places that provide living history: Fort Vancouver National Park in Vancouver WA and Fort Nisqually in Tacoma are great examples, Nisqually probably being the best in interpreting 1855 fur trade and the Hudson’s Bay’s Company in the state. I’ve been participating in English Encampment on San Juan Island for 20 years. Williamsburg and Jamestown are wonderful places, but there is great living history out here as well,
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Thank you so much for commenting, Janet! I love it when readers share new to me information. I have only been in the Pacific Northwest once. It was for a Labor Day weekend to see our Navy son off to his new assignment in Spain. I loved what I saw of Whidby Island and Seattle. I would love to return to see more of the national parks, etc. in both the US and Canada. It is a truly beautiful part of the world!
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As always, your blog is awesome. I’ve never been to Williamsburg, but I’ve always wanted to go. And after reading your blog and seeing the pictures, I definitely “must” go! Great job!
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Thanks, Hebby! CW is an unforgettable experience. Hope you get there some day! I certainly want to go back.
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I agree with your assessment of history taught as lists and names as being sub-par. History is supposed to be told as his-story (I prefer their story or our story or her story ;-))
Any who, I have never visited the living history museum in VA but i have been to a type of living history museum, or at least a step-sister type of museum in Glasgow. The People’s museum. Have you heard of it? The things I learned there have stuck with me.
Thanks for the blog 🙂
Kimberly Keyes
https://facebook.com/kimberly.keyes.romance
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Thank you for stopping by, Kimberly! While I have visited Scotland, I did not get to Glasgow. Thank you for mentioning the museum! I love hearing about new (to me) places! I hope to get back to the UK one day, so I’ll add the museum to my bucket list!
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