Living History Exhibits - Form and meaning.

[Salvianus]

Salvete.

Following on from a post a while back, I was wondering what forms different groups' Living History Exhibit took?

We, Comitatus, normally have a tented encampment with civilians & kids, stalls set up displaying various crafts in action and even just sets of everyday objects & equipment to talk about or to see while many folk are away performing military displays.

I was particularly wondering what you would describe your LHE as portraying to the public - a vicus would consist of houses, a fort would have barracks, etc - do you pretend the tents are buildings or do you identify it as some kind of encampment - & would a campaign camp have families & crafts going on?

Many thanks in advance.

[Alexius]

Dear Salvianus,

Very interesting topic, indeed, and important too, because its whit the LHE we arrive at the common citizen, and this is one of the most important aims of a re-enactment group – bring the past culture to everybody!

In Lusitanis we divide the LHE in two areas: the Iberian and the roman.

Since we are a very new group (we have been create on the 2004 year ends…) we have developed (more) the military area – only now we are improve the civilian area.

When we do LHE we can display, on the ground, a few tents or a table (only…) – it depend the goal of the action…

Normally we display the objects in a close area and the public can see and only touch in a few replicas whit re-enactor supervision…

Our re-enactors do the demonstrations – fighting training, battle simulation or military marches, and, at the same time we have a “Guideâ€

[Salvianus]

In Lusitanis we divide the LHE in two areas: the Iberian and the roman.

This is an added dificulty - to portray two quite different groups at once!

[quote]we are constructing a kind of “portable fortâ€

[Crispvs]

In the R.M.R.S. we do two different things.

The soldiers have the 'military encampment' where we have two contaburnium tents and a camp fire (and normally an artillery piece). This are is fenced and the soldiers maintain a presence in it to talk to members of the public. Often members will play period games or practice skills such as mailmaking and leatherwork and answer the public's questions on these matters. The standards are positioned on a stand where they can remain upright and in view and a good deal of kits is visible to the public, including the inside of one tent, whose flaps are left open.

The civilian element of the group (except for one notable exception) do not operate a 'living history' display as such, but occupy a number of tents, normally arranged in a line, outside the military encampment. Each of these tents acts as a booth where a particular aspect of Roman or Romano-British life is displayed. Thus one tent contains a display of Roman writing and members of the public have the opportunity to try their hand at writing with a wooden pen or using a wax tablet and stylus. Another tent contains a display of food items which would have been available while another contains a display on religious practices and items. A long tent houses weaving and games and also gives the public the chance to try on armour and clothing. By far the most popular tent tends to be that of the surgeon, who is very well equipped with instruments and does a variety of informative talks. There is also a sales tent

The notable exception to the displays mounted by the civilian section is the thermapolium, which operates as a camp kitchen, cooking and serving up food to members of the society. Members of the public are free to watch but definately do not get to touch and at times are liable to be shooed away by the overheated cooks.
More on the thermapolium here: http://www.romanarmy.net/thermopolium.htm

I am not always the most popular person over at the thermapolium, given my habit of raiding it for hot coals and wine to put on the altar during the religious display. :twisted:


Crispvs

[Alexius]

Dear felows,

I have appreciated this experiences exchange – I think this is one of the re-enactment strategic future directions.

About the Crispus group description its very interesting is LHE, whit many people and material – I have found a very good ideas to improve our a little better, because we have not a very good developed LHE in several areas.

Our problem, at this time, is we have a few people for the ideas what we have…

And because of this, we have directed to the military area – we have very good full-fighting equipment (for the roman republic and early Empire and Iberian people) but we need developed more the civilian area.

Our “goalâ€

[Salvianus]

The soldiers have the 'military encampment' where ... the soldiers maintain a presence in it to talk to members of the public.

The civilian element of the group ... do not operate a 'living history' display as such, but occupy a number of tents, ... outside the military encampment. Each of these tents acts as a booth where a particular aspect of Roman or Romano-British life is displayed.

This sounds like an excellent arrangement - you must field a lot of members to maintain such a presence! I would suppose that thematic displays are far more edifying for the public than 'realistically' closed up tents with repetitious sets of domestic kit.

As a teacher, I believe good person to person communication is the key to getting across a good understanding & we too put a lot of effort into engaging the public in discussion of our civilian activities.

cheers

[Salvianus]

Alexius\\n[quote]

Our home page is not in English but I show this link to our “on-line newspaperâ€

[Alexius]

Dear Salvianus

Thanks for our home page good appreciation.

We have a several “internet expertsâ€