Interpretation, Music, Art &Material Culture meeting at the Spring 2018 Conference.  We had ten people attend.

Discussion included:

Topic 1: Photo policies at museums.  Auto museum says "No Professional Photography."  13 Rivers says buy a special pass, check in with admin.  We all seem to get a lot of fence jumpers and "amateurs" with really nice cameras.  One canny person recommends asking for a business card to catch the ones claiming they're just taking family photos.  Living History Farms has its professional photographer policy posted online.  Best noncompliance story featured a piano removed from its building to a field....

Topic 2: Would a 300 lb. Dakota dugout canoe be portaged?  Later consultation with Rich Williams: No.

Topic 3: Source for bison bladders?  Thompson's, Eichton's, groceries that carry bison meat, meat lockers that handle game?  Ask Pipestone National Monument, Dakota Foods source.

Topic 4: Doilies--the ones at my site are mostly out of period styles, so I am looking up and trying patterns from primary sources so we can have proper new ones.  Challenges include patterns with no hook or thread specifications, unfamiliar stitches, and that may not work as written.  Only one way to find out.....

Topic 5: Discussion of the many virtues of SR Harris, since both stores are near the conference: wide variety of fabrics including heavy and fine wools, silks, cottons; barrels of buttons; other findings.  Not as good for reproduction print fabrics.  Also complaint about JoAnn Fabrics' draconian measurement policy.  One person sewing epaulets and insignia on a WWI German officer's coat for tonight's dinner during discussion.

Topic 6: Music at sites: LHF contracts with a couple for it 1850 Wedding; 3 Rivers encourages interpreters to sing; Trudy H. has compiled patriotic songbooks and lists of appropriate songs for events at The Landing; Sue and Dawn warn about licensing problems etc. with live and recorded music.

Topic 7: Harold Longley has a travelling Cabinet of Curiosities based on what an 1860s naturalist would collect, and has extended its range of periods.  Once presented "Which one is real?" and got more votes for mermaid than platypus.  Not sure he has a platypus, but he does not have a Fiji Mermaid, being fact-based.

Yours in service,

Laura Poresky

Period Clothing Supervisor/Lead Millinery Interpreter/Collections Specialist-Textiles, Living History Farms