The Great River Road runs on both sides of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. In its heyday, sugar cane plantations lined the waterway, and today this stretch of the river is known as Plantation Alley. One of the grandest of these plantations is Oak Alley. Oak Alley Plantation is located north of [...]
Winter seems the favorite time for Dickens Fairs and other Dickens-themed events. Who does not have the image of rosy-cheeked Dickens carolers, gathered in the soft glow of a gas lamp on a snowy evening while they sing lovely carols from long ago? If you are attending one of these events, and would like to [...]
Liberty Hall Museum is located on the campus of Kean University in Union, New Jersey. One of Union County's best kept secrets, it was built in 1772. It was the home of William Livingston, a signer of the Constitution and New Jersey's first elected governor. The grounds are made up of 23 acres of manicured [...]
Located in New Paltz, New York, Historic Huguenot Street is a history museum which combines academic and costumed interpretations to give visitors a whole history of New Paltz and Huguenot Street. Founded in 1677 by seven French Protestant families who fled the religious persecutions and wars of Europe, New Paltz’s history follows the greater American Narrative. With seven original stone houses, multiple historic structures, and a reproduction 1717 Church, HHS recreates American history, not by focusing on dates and names, but on the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the people who came before, starting with the earliest contact period, and ending with the industrial revolution and the turn of the 20th century. HHS employs a combination of interpretive methods to create a whole experience for the guest, including costumed actors who invoke the spirit of the past, the emotions and feeling of the people living in the moment of a historic event in American history. One of those moments is the turn of the 20th century, a time when the nation was reacting to the changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution. HHS uses the Deyo House, a two room 17th century colonial stone house that was renovated in 1894 and turned into a two story Victorian Estate, and an actress portraying the Deyo family’s house maid to recreate the emotions of a changing culture through the perspective a member of the lower class. For the Deyo family and their house maid, their inability to adapt to the changes in society resulted in serious fears for their livelihoods and their futures. In order to faithfully recreate this moment in time, attention to detail is a steadfast requirement. As the center of the guests’ attention, the actress herself needs to exist in the moment as well, and the first step in that process is her wardrobe. After extensive research, the Agatha Ensemble from Recollections was a perfect match in terms of quality and image. Recollections would like to thank our customer, Historic Huguenot Street, and Kristine Gogg for showing us how history comes to life in New Paltz, NY! Photos provided by Historic Huguenot Street. Interpreter in photos: Davida Haber. To find out more about Historic Huguenot Street, please visit historichuguenotstreet.org. […]
The “Henry Ford Holiday Nights” walk held at the Victorian-themed Greenfield Village, in Dearborn, Michigan, looks like a post-card perfect holiday scene from times gone by. Sheila Brown and her husband, Terry, love to participate while wearing costumes appropriate for the lovely Victorian setting. A while back, when Sheila was planning her costume for the [...]
This year Recollections will be one of the proud sponsors of the Slatington Ball, an event which happens only once every 25 years. The ball will take place on Friday, August 15th, at the Diamond Fire Company Social Hall. This year will be special because the ball will be the culmination of the 150th anniversary [...]
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque meaning "Beautiful Era" was a period that is conventionally dated as starting in 1890 and ending in 1914 when World War I began. The period was characterized by optimism, peace at home and in Europe, new technology and scientific discoveries. The peace and prosperity in Paris [...]
Historic Calvert Texas will be the site of a very special Victorian weekend on October 6-7, 2012, where guests will attend the 12th Annual Calvert Victorian Tea and Gala. Tea and dancing aren’t the only items on the agenda for the weekend though. Saturday morning will kick off the event with a parade [...]
The mountain air is crisp in the early October morning and we can see our own breath as we make our way into the historic train station in Durango, Colorado. Today we (about 200 Victorian-clad time travelers) will board a special run of the Durango and Silverton railroad as one of the events during the [...]