The Men at the Fair

In the past I have mostly photographed fair trade goods and camps.  This year I focused more on the fair goers.

THE SOLDIERS:

 British Junior Officer Interpreting Life in a Military Fort

 Soldier in a British Regiment from Scotland

This fellow’s regiment was camped just outside the fort, thus he is fully accoutered.

 French & Indian War Foote Soldier on a Pass

Notice that a soldier on a pass to go to town, or in this case a fair, would not have been allowed to wear his accouterments.  Only soldiers on duty would be so attired.  (FYI: This is Frank from my Civil War unit.  He got me started in the 18th century world & encouraged me to come to my first Trade Fair.)

A Foot Soldier from the French Garrison

N.B. These aren’t his usual shoes, they were back at camping drying out from previous days heavy rain.

 A Retired Soldier

This retired British soldier of foot now turns his hand to making shooting bags and powder horns.

THE NATIVE AMERICANS:

 A Seneca Man

A thoughtful Seneca husband buying candles for his wife.  Those English flies are such useful critters!  Their wax made into candles makes a lodge bright of an evening.

The Seneca’s Trade Tent

Native American bought Euro-American goods & Euro-Americans bought Native American goods.  It was a two way street in many many places.

 Another Native American out Shopping

N.B. I was only at the trade fair on Thursday.  The best day for attire is Saturday when everyone puts their best foot forward.

THE EURO-AMERICANS:

A Gentleman Arranging to Purchase a Chest

  Hunters from the Forks of the Ohio

  A Gentleman Meeting with a Master and His Journeyman

 Note the hat & Apron on the Tea Seller

 Another Tradesman Plying His Wares

A Hunter, A Farmer, The Master Craftsman and Another Craftsman Chatting

Mark Thomas in a Wool Hunting Frock & Workman’s Cap Trying to Stay Warm

  Another Master Craftsman in a Rifleman’s Frock and Tricorn Hat

This poor man is trying to copy a pattern and the wind isn’t letting him get the job done.

  Two Townsman Admiring a Sword

An Original 18th Century Sword – Note the Engraved Design

Fair Camps & Fort Barracks

I’ve posted various Fair Camp setups from the Ft. Fred Fair in previous year’s posts.  Most folks setup with a wedge or wall tent and a dining fly.  This year I thought I would focus on the minimalists of the fair – the folks camped under diamond flies and such like affairs..

 Two Diamond Flies Pitched Plow Point Style

Diamond flies are square pieces of canvas measuring anywhere from 7x7 to 14x14 feet in size.  They typically have reinforced corners with a tent peg style loop and a centered canvas reinforcement with a tent peg style loop or web ties.  The plow point pitch is the most popular around here.  Two adjacent sides of the diamond are staked down with the corner in the back set into the wind.  The free corner is then tied off to an upright pole which is itself held firm with guy lines.  A third rope is tied to the diamonds center and a second upright.  This gives one a bit more headroom under the diamond. 

 Another Double Diamond Setup

These two diamonds share a front upright and use a two pole rear set for each diamond.  The headroom created is easy to see in this photo.  Diamonds are easy to setup but don’t provide secure and dry sleeping in a wind driven rain. 

Double  Lean-to Camp

This lean-to setup uses 2 rectangles of canvas and 4 tied on triangular end pieces.  As you can see by the man inside, the headroom is fairly low.  There are also canvas pieces to tie into the openings between the lean-tos.  This gives good rain protection while also allowing ample ventilation in hot & clear weather.

  Another Double Lean-to

These folks hadn’t finished setting up yet.  It shows the basic lean-tos without any tie in sections.

 Lean-to with Square Dining Fly

This is a true Lean-to with sewn on sides.  The front section of the roof has been dropped down to act as a door for privacy.

Just for comparison, here’s a statelier dining area:

The Comforts of Home

Ft. Frederick State Park has been setting up the inside of one barracks with “rooms” from the fort’s garrisoned era.  This year they also has an officer to give a more personal side to life in a frontier fort.

 Junior Officers’ Mess with Interpreter

He was just finishing a presentation on enlisted soldier’s wives as I came in. 

 Military Stores

They’re expanded the military equipment in the quartermaster’s storeroom and made the contents of the various kegs and boxes easier to see. 

 Cannon Loading & Cleaning Tools

These are some of the equipment added since last year.

 The Laundry Room

The Laundry Room now has laundry as well as a baskets, washboards and small wash basins for spot scrubbing.

Wash Tubs Old & New

There does seem to be a deliberate effort to show things in an in-use state, including broken bits and things needing repair or replacement.

Barkertown – Missy Clark Proprietor

Missy Clark has been a Fort Frederick Trade Fair regular for longer than I have known her.  She was back again this year with a new trade tent and plenty of clothing for the commoners of the realm.

 Missy Clark of Barkertown

I got to the fair Wednesday afternoon and was able to help Missy, Chantal & Matt get everything unloaded & setup.  (Chantal & Matt regularly help Missy at events).   Mighty Mouse work is my specialty. 

Missy’s New Trade Tent

Missy carries both men’s and women’s attire.  The “legs” in the center of the photo are wearing country shoes.  These are a light weight soft soled leather shoe worn by women at their own home.

Missy and Her Barkertown Sign

Missy is wearing what a woman of modest means who earned her living as a traveling trader in the farm and frontier areas of the English colonies would wear.  Her wooden shoes are for the wet and muddy site conditions.  Klompen weren’t just used by the Dutch, they were common all over Europe.  If wet and muddy ground was common, so were wooden shoes.

 Chantal with the New Sign

Chantal made Missy her new trader sign.  This was the sign’s 1st public appearance.

 Missy’s Wares

Women’s short jackets, bed jackets (for lack of a better term), men’s work caps, breeches, slops and various socks for both sexes plus some notions were readily available.

 More Women’s Clothing

Women’s gowns, bodices, sleeved bodices, shifts and petticoats.

 Men’s Clothing

The men’s rack had shirts, hunting frocks, weskits, sleeved weskits and several styles of coats.  She carries socks for the lads too but no soled shoes for either men or women.

 Barkertown’s Tent once the Rain Stopped

The weather for this year’s trade fair wasn’t the best so most traders were limited goods outside their tents to a few easily moved items or things that wetting wouldn’t affect. 

 Missy’s Hand Organ - Front

Missy’s Hand Organ – Rear

This isn’t one of Missy’s trade goods, its a hand organ she built from a kit.  I just thought it was cool. 

(Missy has a new web site under development.  Watch for it.)

Trade Goods of Note

The Fort Frederick Trade Fair is, well, a Trade Fair.  So all kinds of 18th century goods can be found.  These are just a few of my favorites.

 Various Guns Long & Short

OK, some of these are 17th century designs, but they’re super anyway.  I rather favor the horse pistol on top.

Various Types of Gun Locks & a Gun Tool

Personally I think making my own gun from scratch is way too much work, but it does float some folks boat.

 Long Rifles and a Few Muskets

I rather like the Committee of Safety Musket, its 2nd from the bottom.

 Military Muskets of Various Kinds

The short stubby thing leaning against the rack is a granade launcher.  It’s a navel gun, the hook lets the user stabilize the thing using a ship’s rail. 

 Powder Flask

My persona wouldn’t own this and its not in the budget but I really really like this flask.

 Blanket Trader’s Array of Flasks & Powder Measures

I did buy 2 of the little turn screws with rammer puller holes from the lower left hand corner of this gents trade goods.

Redware

More things that pleasure the eye, empty the pocketbook and have no place given my persona.  Sigh.

 Art Portraying the 18th Century

The painting of a young Tomas Jefferson in the upper right corner really caught my eye.

 Trading on the Banks of the River

I liked the peaceful activity of this one.  FYI: I got permission from the artist to both photograph her work and put some of the photos in my blog. 

 Quill Work at Beaver River Trading

 More Excellent Quillwork at another Trader’s Tent

 Quillwork Pouch

I like this pouch enough that’s it’s almost worth changing my persona so I could use it. 

Beadwork Knife Sheathes

 

 More Excellent Beadwork

These are garters to hold up leggings or stockings.

 Camp Cook Box

OK, this isn’t a trade good, its a camp box made by its owner.  A modest size camp box that is likely to be duplicated by me and for me lodge.  Its about 8 projects down on the list so don’t hold your breath.

Gourds by Ver Sacrum – A New Trader at FFTF

I initially ran into Perry Riley as he was buying some candles & putting them into a market “basket” made from a gourd.  He said this fair was a new one for him & to please come take some photos of his site.   Which I did.

Perry Riley at his trade tent

Mr. Perry grows all the gourds he sells.  He also does all the research & decoration of his decorated gourds.

 Plain gourds for bird houses or other buyer projects

The area under the tent fly is full of mostly undecorated gourds in a wide variety of sizes.  These can be used as is or decorated by the new owner as they desire.

 Mr.  Perry’s Work

There is every kind and size you could want here.  Water gourds, food storage gourds, craft supply storage gourds, marketing gourds.  Each is carefully researched and then decorated by hand using traditional tools and techniques. 

 Storage gourds

The designs reflect a wide variety of cultures and eras.

 Lidded Gourds with Reinforced Openings

 Dry Goods Gourd with Horse

 Itty Bitty Gourds to Wear

 A Big Gourd for Food to Share

 Gourd with an Incised Design

For more information on these fine products see:   perryriley.com