CrazyCholeBlack

Silkie that's brilliant!

^ celebration? I stopped sewing with one minute to spare, gave the little swab a hug, then went right back to the grind. < has two new, very large & angry blisters today. V working hard or hardly working?

Just like it says, information and resources on women of the period. We've all heard that there are "lots of good rolls for women besides playing the whore" but where to find out about these other rolls is all too often left out. I'd love to have a resource list of books, articles, artists etc for women playing women to find inspiration and information. So I'll start. I recently found a book in my local library called Colonial Women of Affairs, before 1776 by Elisabeth Anthony Dexter. It deals exclusively with women who ran businesses of all sorts prior to AWI. The majority of the information is taken from newspapers of the time, and the focus is sadly just outside GAoP, most 1740-1760 but there are rare nuggets as early as 1620. Despite the time flaw, I'm finding the sheer variety of jobs and businesses and the different manner with which the ladies came upon those jobs to be very interesting. Who else has a resource to share?

A man, with and without 'is clothes? I'm afraid ye'll 'ave ta be more specific Mistress Bright. I seem ta know more n me fair share o ladds wot 'ave trouble keeping dressed. Mayhaps or a pint we ken share notes.

I HATE politics. Country wide not so much but local & interpersonal politics I have no patience for.

Delight ye say sir? That waits to be seen now doesn't it?

There are a couple of pretty good books on the subject of old tools. The trick is finding the information that goes back far enough, since most tool collectors focus on the more recent "old". My personal favorites are A Museum of Early American Tools by Eric Sloan and Ancient Carpenters Tools by Henry Mercer. I specifically like these because of the line drawings which make it easier when out at the flea markets to find pieces that can work for a period impression. I look forward to seeing your tool collection!

why is it that after 7 hours of sewing its not my hands that hurt but my hip and knee?

And for me! I do believe that, after I am properly lubricated of course , I might have to contract you to teach me a few of these said dances. I have had a minor interest in them for some time but unfortunately the visual learner in me can not make heads nor tails of the written directions. Since, as I understand, you will be in attendance at RF2 come February, perhaps you could do me the pleasure of a lesson. What say you sir?

Mr. Foxe, I can honestly say you have rendered me not only speechless but a particularly bright shade of red!

How many times have you seen a crowd gather around someone making a stew over a fire vs. how many times does a crowd gather to watch a sword fight? When a scenario is written, who does it focus on, the ladies doing their daily chores or the men coming in to port to "pillage and plunder"? The simple truth is the re-enacting is a male focused, war oriented hobby and the reason so many woman want to put on men's clothes is because they want to be part of it rather than an after thought. Now, I'm going to use an example and I hope no one takes serious offense as this is just my personal observation. Can we look at the wonderful Lockehouse event as an example? How many pictures of the women and their activities from the event did we, the public who didn't get to attend, see vs. how many pictures were there of the men and their action? Honestly, as a new comer, I couldn't really tell you what the ladies were doing all that time but I can tell you all about the fight and the hangings that the men did. It's really enough to make me say, "Hey, give me some slops so I can *do* something at an event too". Anyway, hope I didn't burn any bridges but I think it's worthy of pointing out. I'm retreating back to stabbing myself, err, sewing now, just like a proper lady, :)

I'll get to finding a small slave boy then. Do you suppose one could be hired from the same place I would find some elves?

oh we get to throw the cheese at him! I knew there was a reason besides the lectures that I was going to this thing.

The Tradition of Female Transvestism in Early Modern Europe by Rudolf M. Dekker and Lotte C. van de Pol New York: St. Martin's Press I guess "book" would be a better choice of words. I've only read portions and reviews of it but the numbers involved and the date over lapping the GAoP is what makes me think of it. The woman I was thinking of comes from the Civil War (hence other better documented periods) and, if I recall correctly, became a man to serve and just didn't change back. It was something like 40 years later that she died and was reveled. Naturally not a fact I have written down and therefore can't remember fully.

I appreciate the input Bo and fully agree with Kass that the right clothes are highly functional. However, I'm specifically interested in any documented cases of not just woman wearing men's clothes but actually becoming men. In the article review I was reading they talked about some of the woman marrying other woman, serving in the army, running businesses etc. and I know in other periods that are better documented there are cases of woman who became men and were only found out to be woman upon their deaths. That's something even Bonney & Reed didn't achieve. (yes I know it's not sailor related but I have such a hard time not seeing all of the period at once)

*Gasp* bawdy lyrics, never sir. My thanks Black John. I thought there might be a thread around here that covered much of what I'm looking for but for the life of me could not think of what terms to search to adequately find it.

ahh, yes, quite a good picture they got of you too. I'm as much a stickler for percentage and giving the proper impression of men/woman ratio as the next guy. But see most of my point is that in my admittedly limited time "here", I can't think of a woman currently *doing* a historically correct portrayal of a woman dressed as a man during the GAoP. But I can point out tons doing the other side of the coin. So I get a little bothered by the cautions against doing it since no one *is* doing it yet. Eh, call it my hot button issue. I guess what made me think of it was this blurb I read recently about accounts of woman to men cross dressers in the Netherlands from 1550-1838. The number wasn't huge (only 119 documented cases) but it was enough to get me to thinking. Does anyone know the numbers for woman dressing as men outside of sailors in England? After all wasn't it either Reed or Bonney (sorry can't keep them straight) that was a man on land before she was a man at sea? And yes of course I'll be at your lecture Kass, like I'll have any place better to be?

Silkie alluded to this in another thread & I thought it might be worth it's own consideration. What songs & music do we *know* are documentable to the GAoP? A heavy focus on shanties is good, but I'm interested in hearing all period appropriate music. After all sailors weren't completely disconnected from the rest of the culture at the time. I've recently read some of that blue book, Sailors Songs & Sea Shanties (?). There is a lot of information however the arrangement makes it hard to find only the GAoP songs. I have also ordered a copy of Playford's English Dancing Master and have been listening to some of the little tunes from that. I believe it's the 7th edition that is closest to GAoP appropirate but could be mistaken. I know it was reprinted several times through the years. What do other's have to add to the list?

I'm commanding the Empress! Now how can I make that work for my sewing? "Kass, sew all these darn boning channels for me". Nope, nuthin! OK, I have a specific question/thought if you will. I'd love to hear perspective from those that have been doing this a lot longer. I seem to hear a lot about how woman re-enactors should be careful about the male/female ratio, be willing to play woman when that ratio is "too high" etc, but how many women are currently trying to historically accurately portray men during the GAoP? I know in other periods women in men's rolls is a big "issue", but is it for us or are people just being overly cautious? I have other thoughts but keep getting distracted in midsentence.

I SWEAR I have seen that first picture before. The fellow on the left is just too familiar.I'm now making myself nuts trying to track down where. I have this vague idea that it was from 1810? Something about a series of drawings of sailors at the time. There was another image where he was more central. Ring any bells to anyone with a decient memory?

Say! can we split this "women's stuff" off into a thread or its own and keep it going? For once I have not only an opinion, but can remember the facts to at least participate in the conversation (however briefly)! Great pictures Captain Sterling. Now what does that one fellow have hanging out of his glass?

oh oh, drinks on tha newcomer. Tis like christmas all or again! Welcome Bonney. I'll be havin a rum, but ina glass if ye please. No need ta get all stick on me account.

I humbly nominate Mistress Kass, Empress of the prickety stitch. For her tireless efforts in getting everyone not just dressed, but dressed in a historically correct manor, down to the littlest detail. For the time she takes to educate not only the new comers but the veterans as well. For her always being "just an e-mail away". But primarily for all her work at dispelling the "Ren. wench" stereotype and bringing the common woman in the GAoP to light. Thank you Kass, for giving every woman interested in pirate reenacting a wonderful example to follow.

My great grandmother turned 103 today. I can't even begin to wrap my brain around everything that she's seen in all that time. When I called to wish her a happy birthday she was just as bossy & cranky as ever. Even refused to turn up her hearing aide to talk to me . I can only hope to live as long and be half as stubborn!

Fabulous shoes Mr. MacAnselan! Quick, don't let my buckles see, they'll get jealous and start insisting on scalloped tongue shoes too.