Williamsburg Update #3
Josh Rachita, Historical Interpreter
*Josh is interning for the summer at Colonial Williamsburg.*
June 6, 2021
Hello
all,
I had a really great week here at
Colonial Williamsburg. I started it by attending the Memorial Day Commemoration
on Palace Green which included a fife and drum which was very cool to listen to.
I saw some great performances this week which highlighted historic figures like
James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, General Marquis de Lafayette and Ann Wager. I
also got to visit with several other trades shops including the leather
workers, joiners, and book binders. This week in the forge I continued to talk
with guests and hone in on my spoons and nails. At the end, I’ve included a
picture of my most recent spoon that was based off of a historic one.
There are two main styles of
historic interpretation. There is first person, meaning that the interpreter
acts as if they were the character they are discussing. This style is great for
large audiences in a formal presentation setting. It is extremely difficult to
execute because of the vast amount of research needed to do so accurately and
professionally. The actors here at Colonial Williamsburg spend several years
studying and researching their character before they ever interpret for the public.
Actors rarely break the fourth wall, which sometimes makes audience interaction
difficult. For example, if you asked a young Sam Houston, who was sharing his
experience with General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812, about the Compromise
of 1850, he wouldn’t be able to give you a straight answer. Often times, for
education sake, interpreters will crack a smile and answer in a series of
hypothetical reasonings that often give the actual answer. When done well, this
style is an extremely impressive experience.
The second is called third person
interpretation. This is when the interpreter speaks in past tense and gives a
much more informal discussion on what we do know about a subject. I think this
is a much easier way to connect with a person one on one and we can be up front
about what exactly is known and what is an educated guess. You’ll often find in
this field that many answers start with “to the best of our knowledge…” because
a lot of things are unknown. I also find it helpful to relate what we are doing
to a modern example that guests are more familiar with. For example, I often
describe the process of refining wrought iron as very similar to how taffy is made.
It’s an example that many guests can relate to. This style still takes a large
amount of skill and research to be able to do well and is a great way to
connect with guests at a much more down to earth level.
Colonial Williamsburg utilizes both styles
in their effort to help educate their guests on Colonial American history. Even
in the blacksmith shop we use a bit of both. While one person is speaking with
the guests in third person, the other smiths are all doing real work that you
would see in the 18th century. All the tradespeople at CW are experts in that skill and continue to pass that knowledge along to promote the
preservation of historic trades.
***************************************************************
The
first picture is Journeyman, Aislinn Lewis, instructing me on whitesmithing a
spoon handle. The second is of me forming the mass that will become the dish of
the spoon. Both of these images were taken by Fred Blystone. The last two are
of my most recent spoon, which I am very proud of.
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