Friday, April 8, 2011

Historical reenactment , the whole "hardcore vs farb" debate

FARB!There are people out there who wear out dated clothes, they don obsolete even antique uniforms or fashion to recreate earlier times.  They spend a great deal of time trying to be accurate, getting the right accessories and to have the right "persona" for their "impression".  Historical reenactment can recreate the middle ages, the renaissance as well as the Victorian era and the American Civil War.  It covers many ages and many countries, but it always has an interest and reverence for the past.


Sometimes squabbles break out as to who is more correct to the era and egos can be inflated or bruised by a few comments.  Each and every reenactor spends time and money to make their impression as good as they can.  Sometimes even reeneactors lose touch with what they are doing.  I recently turned up a comment on line that really brought home what it is truly all about:

Cody Allen Dillman made this really excellent comment on Facebook Yesterday.
My 2 cents on the whole "hardcore vs farb*" debate, I imagine a group of Civil War veterans coming to a modern reenactment. They wouldn't go "This stitch is wrong" or "You're using the wrong cut jacket". They would come up with tears in their old weary eyes saying "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Thank you for remembering us and what we did." Feel free to disagree.

That my friend, sums it up as far as I am concerned.  Reenactment is a way to honor and remember the past.


*farb is a term of derision about less-than-correct or slipshod costumes, equipment or deportment in an impression.  It gets tossed around a lot.

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