Introduction

Somewhere, deep in the hearts of many of us, is the desire to understand the people of another time period. For some people, reading about past times and past people is sufficient. For others, however, reading is not enough. We want to experience their lives- see what they saw-hear what they heard-feel what they felt. Although so far no one has invented a time machine that can take us back In time, there are ways to catch a glimpse of a past time, and reenacting Is one of those ways. If you are one of those who spent their childhood reading books about the Civil War, imaginingl ife in the bygone days of hoop skirts and fans, or watching Gone With The Wind a hundred times, Civil War reenacting maybe away for you to capture the experiences of the Civil War period.

This book cannot possibly tell you everything you need to know about reenacting. Much of your knowledge will come by attending events, reading more about the time period, and sharing with experienced reenactors. But belong a good Reenactor Is a state of mind -you must have an intense desire to come as close as possible to experiencing the joys and sorrows, the heartbreak and the glory, of people who lived through this most traumatic of all American experiences. If you have this desire to understand first hand what It was like to live during the Civil War, then reenacting may be the avocation for you.

The goal of this book is to provide you with the basic information so that you can decide if reenacting and living history are avocations you wish to pursue, and to list the first steps you will need to take as a beginning Reenactor. Another goal Is to help you avoid some common mistakes made by beginning reenactors (including the author, who has made many of these mistakes!).

We hope that you will join reenacting. and the thousands of people nation-wide who have found reenacting to be their own personal time machine, but we preface this invitation with one warning. Many people find reenacting to be addictive. You may find yourself scheduling your vacation time or even your work schedule around reenactments. You will find your house filling up with all manner of books and strange things that your family and friends find peculiar. You will almost certainly make the best friends of your life, and share a deep camaraderie born of the campfire and common experiences. You will see things that you have only read about, and you will see things you thought no one had seen for more than a century. And, perhaps, if you are lucky, for the briefest of moments, you will live in another time....

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE
Well, Hair It Is!

By Jon Isaacson

This article originally appeared in the June/July, 1995 issue of The Citizens' Companion ( Vol. II, No. 2 )

How many times have you been with a group of living history interpreters or reenactors and heard the expression "He's got the 'look'?" Generally, that means the individual gives the appearance of looking like he just stepped out of a period photograph and not a merchant's catalog or movie set. Quite often you can't really put a finger on what it is, but you know it's there. It could be the way he wears his clothes, his mannerisms, or even his speech, but whatever it is, many of us follow the previous statement with. "I sure wish I could have the 'look'."

All is not lost, for there are many things one can do to help achieve that "look" for yourself. These steps can he quite widespread and range from the rather simple to the quite difficult to achieve. However, there is one aspect of your impression that can be achieved with a minimum amount of effort, and which will greatly enhance your impression. Try this little experiment to see what your impression may be missing. Place several photos of unhatted men at an event in period dress next to photographs of 19th Century men and notice the hairstyles. When laid side by side, the differences become quite obvious. An overwhelming majority of the living history interpreters and reenactors today do not have their hair arranged in a period fashion. Perhaps subconsciously many realize their hair has not been properly arranged, but fail to do anything about when it becomes time to participate at an event. It should be at the forefront of our thought processes, for how often do we peruse period images, and one of the first things that catches our eye is the variety of hairstyles men used in the Civil War and ante-bellum periods?

Typically there are two problem areas modern interpreters have in relation to hairstyles One is the length, with the hair being too short or too long. The second problem is that the hair has not been properly treated. The first problem is somewhat a reflection upon the most current hairstyles of today. It can be difficult to be stylish in two centuries; however it is not impossible. Over the last few years, the most stylish hairstyles have been relatively short. Conversely hair of the ante-bellum and Civil War periods tended to be longer, particularly on the sides and front portions of the head. Short hair would tend to have been avoided if for no other reason than it was commonly associated with Vermin infestation. The easiest manner to rid the scalp of vermin during the early 1800s was to shave the head and allow the hair to grow back. Obviously this process could take several weeks or months to take place leaving one with short hair. Were one to be portraying a properly dressed gentleman of the period it would hardly be appropriate to have this malady afflicting oneself. While photos of shorter hair do exist, the amount is fractional when compared to other styles. With the intent to represent an average person with an average hairstyle, short hair should be avoided.

Next is the issue of long hair. All too often in the reenacting community we see menfolk with hair extending well below the collar and oft times midway down the back or further. These locks of hair are then braided, ponytailed, left flying in the breeze or arranged in a variety of other fashions. Unfortunately these hairdos (or hair-don'ts) are more appropriate for "1 Million Years B.C.," "Planet of the Apes" or "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" than they are for serious historical interpretation. Literally thousands of images exist from the period we portray, and the fact is, one would he hard pressed to see such lengthy locks on any of the men. The practice of growing long hair had gone out of style before the invention of Mr. Daguerre's camera or the outbreak of the Civil War. The only individuals who would still exhibit this length of hair would be the very elderly men who had worn it long when it had been fashionable (Edwin Ruffin being a classic example). To put modern perspective on this topic, is it considered fashionable today to wear a lime green leisure suit to your daughter's $20,000 wedding? It can be done, but fashionable it ain't.

Finally modern interpreters and reenactors do not put additives in their hair. These additives usually take the form of hair oils, Macassars, or pomatums and were used by almost all men during the mid 19th century. Observe the inevitable "wet look" in images. These are indicative of the use of these additives. This also accounts for the various "wings" "swirls" and "rolls" seen in men's hair. The hair oils will make one's hair greasy and unmanageable giving your hair a "tousled" look not unlike the hairstyle preferred by the great actor Edwin Forrest. The Macassars achieve much the same effect but included high doses of perfumes. These were supposedly imported from the Far East and were considered an exotic hair additive. (As a side note, in many historic homes you may see a small doily covering the back of the furniture called an antimacassar. These were placed on chairs &c. so that the greasy, perfumed hair of men would not stain the furniture.) Pomatums were much thicker in consistency and were combed into the hair to allow shaping. Pomatums were used to give the effects seen in most images where the hair has features ranging from large prominent waves at the forehead to sweeping "wings" on the sides. It is important to remember that even though a particular style may have been more common at a particular time, generally these styles are appropriate for the whole era.

Now that we know what is missing from men's hair, how can this be remedied? The first recommendation is to allow your hair to grow out until it is almost collar length, with the hair upon the forehead and the sides, from the temples to the back of the ears, as long as is practicable. A little common sense and experimentation will guide you as to the appropriate length. Find a photograph with a hair style you would like to emulate, apply your chosen hair additive, and attempt to shape your hair in that style. Remember, neatness was not always a factor, and stray hair(s) are sometimes quite desirable.

Included below are some receipts which have come from period sources for these hair additives. Many other receipts do exist but often include such products as spermaceti (a whale by-product) and since ingredients like that are definitely unobtainable, those receipts are not presented here. Most ingredients should be available at a local health food store which specializes in herbs &c., the rest being generally obtainable at a grocery store. Also important to remember is that in the early 1800s it was considered unhealthy to wash your hair more than once a week. Consequently, some these products may be slightly difficult to get out of your hair, and while they are not inherently harmful, consult your store representative for opinions on removal.

Hair Oil

1. Two teaspoons each of castor oil, ammonia and glycerin; add alcohol enough to cut the oil, and put in a four-ounce bottle half full of rain-water. Shake before using.

2 tsp. castor oil
2 tsp. ammonia
2 tsp. glycerin
3 tsp. alcohol
2 oz. Rainwater

Macassar

It is said to be compounded of the following ingredients: To three quarts of common oil, add half a pint of spirits of wine, three ounces of cinnamon powder, and two ounces of bergamot; heat the whole in a large pipkin. On removing from the fire, add three or four small pieces of alkanet root, and keep the vessel closely covered for several hours. When cool, it may be filtered through a funnel lined with filtering paper. Whether oils are used or not, the hair ought, night and morning, to be carefully and elaborately brushed. This is one of the best preservatives of its beauty.

3 qts. common oil
1/2 pt. spirits of wine
3 oz. cinnamon powder
2 oz. bergamot
3-4 pcs. alkanet root

Pomatums

1. Take one pound and a half of beef's marrow, an ounce and a half of cinnamon, storax, calamus, benzene, and Florentine orris root, each one ounce, and cloves and nutmegs, each one rachm. Put them in a jar, cover it, set in a pot of boiling water, simmer till the marrow is dissolved, and strain it while hot.

1/2 lb. beef marrow
7 1/2 oz. cinnamon
1 oz. storax
1 oz. calamus
1 oz. benzene
1 oz. florentine orris root
1 drachm cloves
1 drachm nutmeg

2. Take mutton suet one pound and a half, storax, calamus, benzene. orris root, cypress root, cinnamon, cloves and nutmegs each nine drachms, simmer and strain as above directed.

1 1/2 lb. mutton suet
9 drachms storax
9 drachms calamus
9 drachms benzene
9 drachms orris root
9 drachms cypress root
9 drachms cinnamon
9 drachms cloves
9 drachms nutmeg

3. Mutton suet, two pounds, white wax, half a pound, essence of bergamot and of lemon, each three quarters of an ounce, oil lavender and oil marjoram, of each two drachms. Simmer and strain as before directed. Pomatum, mixed with pearl white or magistery, is said to turn the hair black.

2 Ibs. mutton suet
1/2 lb. white wax
3/4 oz. essence of bergamot
3/4 oz. essence of lemon
2 drachms oil lavender
2 drachms oil marjoram

4. Get a quarter of a pound of hog's lard, and three-quarters of a tumblerful of olive oil, about a tablespoonful of castor oil, a dessert spoonful of eau-de-cologne, and a pennyworth of gum; the hog's lard and the oil should be warmed a little, till the hog's lard melts, then the rest may be put in. It should be allowed to cool before use.

1/4 lb. hog lard
3/4 tumbler olive oil
1 tsp. castor oil
1 tsp. cologne
pennyworth gum (arabic?)

Many may balk at the idea of preparing your hair in such a fashion, and consider it "unnecessary." Even the moderate authentic will agree that at least a "cosmetic" appearance needs to be maintained, and will tend to overlook certain things about a person's impression if it "looks right enough to get by." Why let that attitude stop with the coat, trousers, shoes, or hat? Should anything less be expected from your coiffure? As with any historical pursuit, the best manner to determine what is best for your hair style is to do your own research and look through period images, woodcuts, and paintings. By looking at these windows from the past you can gather ideas of what would be an appropriate length and style for your hair. Combine that with the proper additives, and you too can be well on the road to achieving "the look."