Fantastic Animation

This is awesome! 'Nuf said.

Everything is Amazing!

It hit me the other day: I can't think of a better era to be alive in. Everything is amazing! This particular epiphany came to me while travelling between Québec city and Montréal the other day. There I was, working on my thesis, when BAM! My head snapped up and my synapses were pulsing: "Oh my God! Here I am, on a train, going 200 km/h, in Canada, researching through a library in freakin' France to read a 250 year old book I otherwise would not have physical access to unless I chose to cross the Atlantic... and as I'm writing, my fingers aren't sore from pushing a pencil nor do I have to freak over a temperamental typerwritter!" Boy, did we evolve from monks scribbling away, to Gutenberg's press, to sheer awesomeness! And yet everyone takes this for granted! ARG! People, listen to Louis C.K.:

And I don't care much for this cynicism:

Come on people, take five minutes to drool over your luck of having been that one spermatozoa to have conquered the odds and made it to 21st century Western civilization!

Reacting to Reenactors

Your average reenactor is not your average history buff. While other people will merely content themselves with reading up on the past, reenactors want to live it. In the past few years, I’ve been gently eased into the fun kooky world of reenacting. Though I steadfastly refuse to join any reenactment club on a permanent basis, I thoroughly enjoy speaking with them regularly. Don’t get me wrong, I love reenactors. But I keep reminding them that as a historian, I find my time better spent researching. After all, to do what they do, they need our help. Ironically, though, the reverse is not seen as the case by most historians and archaeologists. It is quite the paradox that despite needing public support, professionals in the field seem to distance themselves from reenactors, if not downright loathing them. True, I’ve met my share of compulsive-obsessive hobbyists that are so keen on authenticity that they end up oppressing their own peers (or obsessing over certain historians like crazed fans — trust me, these are most likely the reason most historians are turned off by reenactors). However, as a historian, I would like to reach out to my peers and say this: reenactors deserve much more credit than we normally give them. For example, if I was to be in a room next to a reenactor, a crowd would immediately mill around him, even if I’m the professional willing to answer its questions. In a way, a reenactor is a visual representative of the field. They’re easy to spot and their accoutrement breaks the ice between them and the general public. If you take time to talk to some reenactors, you quickly realize that even though they don’t have a degree in history or archaeology, they are just as obsessed with the past as we are. It’s not a matter of playing make-believe, as they are rather pejoratively known as doing. Rather, by emulating the past, they show it the ultimate sign of respect. These folks took the time to learn about the past and found the perfect way to apply their knowledge. Many amateur historians are created through this activity. And I’m not talking about medieval fairs where half of people are dressed as fairy tale creatures. These are fantasists. No, I’m talking about people who truly have a profound respect for history and will play according to its rules. Through reenacting, they find the perfect outlet to share their passion with people who, otherwise, never would have approached them or history to begin with.

Unfortunately, a lot of misconceptions about reenactors still exist. My favourite (worst) example is that of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Québec city. In 2009, a massive reenactment of the year-long siege of the city was supposed to take place. Thousands of reenactors from both Canada and the U.S. were supposed to converge onto the arena of one of the most decisive events in North American history. However, this event was never to be. Political pressure crushed the commemoration. To understand why, one must remember that ever since that mournful day of September 13th 1759 (and more specifically the official surrender of Canada at Montréal a year later), French Canadians have been under British rule and later included in the founding of Canada. Like Scotland in Great Britain or Catalonia in Spain, French Canadians (concretely the province of Québec, the only officially francophone province) have had an ambiguous relationship with English Canadians. French nationalism is strong and general knowledge of reenacting is weak. Hence, when it was proposed to recreate the events of 1759-1760, the general public was never made aware that this was more than a onetime event: no one was told what reenactment is. Therefore, the most radical factions of the independence movement mistook the event as a celebration of the war, instead of a commemoration. I distinctly remember having long polite arguments with nationalist friends and having to chip away at their preconceived notions of the event. Only after carefully laying out that reenactors were doing this out of love of history did they understand that this was not an “Anglo” plot to spit into the eye of the Francophone population of Canada. To this day, I maintain that, unfortunately, the Battlefield Park’s comity had blundered and grossly misrepresented the event, using imagery which led people to believe the 2009 planned reenactment was an attempt to whitewash history (such as the thousands of pamphlets representing the event with a smiling Montcalm and Wolfe amicably shaking hands as if nothing had happened, that neither had been victims of agonizing deaths). Luckily, reenactors understood the stakes involved and walked away politely. Ironically, none knew the history and the politics involved better than they did.

This brings me to my main argument in defense of reenactors. They are the vocal faction of the historical community at large. In many ways, they do a better job than most historians at communicating history to the general public. Had they let reenactors explain the situation to the public instead of the park's administrators, this fiasco would most probably have been avoided. I don't recall them asking historians for their opinion either. Suprisingly, many only spoke up after it was too late. Historians often get so wrapped up academic jargon and conferences among peers that they often lose touch with the wider general public. Reenactors are part of this public, and then some: they are the ambassadors of the public. Should we not be as diplomatic and share our knowledge with them as eagerly as they are to share theirs with the rest of the world? I’ve made many a wonderful discovery thanks to reenactors. If some historians scoff at their certain lack of rigor, they certainly can’t fault them for a lack of vigor. To the critics of reenactors, I answer this: I lay blame on historians and archaeologists who are scared to bridge the gap and offer their professional perspective to correct reenactors’ methods of research, writing, and interpretation. We complain constantly that history is not represented enough in society. I see reenactors as another tool to transmit it. Among concrete examples I offer the Open House at fort Saint-Joseph where archaeologists and reenactors share the spotlight each August during this public event. Both are enriched by each other’s presence, but none benefit as much as the public, now made aware of its past.

This is why I took the plunge to visit the yearly Living History Show in Kalamazoo in Michigan last March 17th and 18th. Sure enough, members of the Center for French Colonial Studies where there with me, mingling and mixing with the countless reenactors. We had a terrific time nerding out even beyond the show and back at my hotel room, watching Destination Nord’Ouest and drinking wine, all the while swapping knowledge.

And sure enough, I couldn’t resist buying a new wardrobe for this summer’s New France festival in Québec city. This leads me to recount a funny anecdote involving my reenacting friends. For years now, I’ve been patiently buying pieces of clothes to create my persona for the New France Festival. However, it seems that every time, I buy a piece that is slightly anachronistic or not typically French. Of course, I’m always informed of the fact days after I bought the item when presenting it proudly to my friends. I am regularly the butt of such comments as “Oh, your fleur-de-lys are misaligned and don’t match period patterns!” or “Your three-point hat is British, not French!”. As much as I can agree with them in the end, I am only human and a humble Seven Years War historian, not a fashion historian. As such, I keep reminding them that it could be much worst: I’ve seen true horrors at the New France Festival, such as a pseudo-native wearing a dream-catcher stapled to his back, or a guy decked out in full cardboard armor. And so, as much as I respect their knowledge, Andi’s in particular (oh yes Andi, I know you are reading this right now), whenever they nit-pick my honest efforts to reenact authentically, I shout out: “Cardboard armor!”

Then again, I smile as I think in the back of my mind how much I admire their knowledge and their passion. And most of all, I value their friendship.

Me (left) during my first reenactment back in 2007.  (God forbid I was wearing polyesther and had plastic buttons)

Photo credit: Rénald Lessard.

Unbeknownst to most, Jesuits love Triscuits...

Photo credit: Joseph Gagné

 Believe it or not, this is only one room at the Kalamazoo Living History Show!

Photo Credit: Joseph Gagné.

You're not "accurate" enough for Rick, here...

Photo credit: Joseph Gagné.

Get 'em while they're young!

Photo credit: Joseph Gagné

Ben Franklin on Beer

Fun fact, by the way: it seems Franklin never said the famous phrase "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." but rather said "Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy." (source)

A Purrrfect Read

Even my own kitty approves this book

Title: The Well-Read Cat (Originally titled: Des chats passant parmi les livres)

Author: Michèle Sacquin (Translated by Isabel Ollivier)

Publisher: Bibliothèque nationale de France and Officina Libraria

Published in: 2010, Paris

Pages: 207

As the corny yet inevitable title of this review states, I have just polished off a wonderful little book on cats through history. To be more precise, this book is a sampling of images of cats found in the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Anyone who has visited the famed library (or at least its massive website at gallica.bnf.fr) knows that many treasures are to be found there. It was only a matter of time before a cat lover, incidentally the library’s curator, decided to fish out its feline photographs and imagery. Alongside the panoply of paper cats (as the book calls them), we have the pleasure of reading various quotes on these whiskered critters by famous authors. The main text is a brief exploration of the history of the perception of cats in folklore and popular culture. Thanks to the extensive holdings at the BnF, the author is able to present cats not only in a European context, but a Middle-Eastern and Asian one as well. One page might contain the photograph of an Egyptian cat carved in a regal pose, while another will illustrate a turn-of-the-century French milk ad. Speaking of which, it is good to be reminded that the book was previously published in French before being translated in English and Italian (Gatti di Biblioteca). Rightly so: the allure of this four-legged house-pet reaches beyond geography, as pictures of Japanese pussies will attest to. The reader of this book will also appreciate this last cheeky allusion as the author does not shy away from more explicit symbolism and representations of cats. Indeed, she reminds us that for the longest time, cats were not only linked to witchcraft (in fact, regardless of colour until a few centuries ago), but were equally a symbol of female sexuality. Our only qualm with this book is the numerous mentions of other artwork not reproduced within these pages. Then again, we must remind ourselves that the objective of the book is to highlight only pieces found at the BnF. All in all, even though this book is a relatively short read (easily accomplished in less than an afternoon as I have done, sitting next to the lion statues at the Art Institute of Chicago where I picked up my copy), one can spend hours looking at these wonderful representation of cats through the ages. Do not miss this one, especially if you have a feline companion of your own!

A new meaning to Persian cat...

One seriously creepy medieval puss...

A fine feline if ever there was.

H.G. Wells Meets Bruce Wayne

Weirdness at the Art Institute of Chicago

 Have I ever mentioned I love Van Gogh? *Nerdgasm!*

Whenever I have time to kill in Chicago while waiting for the train, I always make it a point to visit at least one new landmark. This time, a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago was in order. Standing at its present location since 1893, the institute boasts some of the best art in the world, spanning continents and centuries. Sure enough, I kept an eye out for weirdness! Here are a few gems I found (and keep in mind, a full afternoon’s visit wasn’t enough to see even half of their exhibits!)

Peruvian Stewie Griffin?

Description: Jar with Anthropomorphic Figure. Paracas. Ocucaje area, Ica Valley, south coast, Peru. 650/150 B.C. Ceramic with resinous postfire paint.

Lay off the Doritos, Chihuahua.

Description: Figure of a Dog. Colima. Colima, Mexico. A.D. 1/200. Ceramic and Pigment.

Speaking of dogs... the 15th century contender for the World’s Ugliest Dog contest...

Description: Netherlandish. Emperor Heraclius Denied Entry into Jerusalem, 1460/80. Oil on Panel.

Monkey orchestra! Words fail to describe how awesome this is... now, if you give enough instruments to enough simians, will they play Beethoven?

Description: Monkey Band, c. 1765. Germany, Meissen. Moderled after Johann Joachim Kändler (German, 1706-1775) or Peter Reinicke (German, active mid-18th century). Made by Meissen Porcelain Manufactory (founded 1710). Hard-Paste porcelain, polychrome enamels, and gilding.

Our Lady of the Not Impressed....

Description: South German. Triptych of the Virgin and Child with Saints, 1505/15. Oil on Panel.

I also have half a dozen other pictures I’ve decided to submit to Ugly Rennaissance Babies instead. Hopefully we’ll see them there soon!

Art Institute of Chicago. Worth the visit alright!

Photos: Joseph Gagné 2012

Yar... Here Be Pillagers...

It might sound strange to take a moment to rant on a humour-oriented blog, but sometimes the motion is called for. Reality TV showed us before that it can be about more than duck-faced oompa loompas from New Jersey with the likes of this acclaimed French-Canadian series, Destination Nor'Ouest:

But then the very worst rears its ugly head with this moronic atrocity, American Digger:

Behold the stereotypical "Ugly American": a fat tub of lard giggling away with his shovel and fucking backhoe (my apologies to my American colleagues and friends. Or more like my sincerest sympathies). But enough ad hominim attacks, just read these few gems from this polished turd, "We live and breathe the history, we're not out to rape and pillage the ground" (with a wonderful shot of him flinging dirt left and right like a mad animal). "We're historians" to which he adds: "But instead of reading about history [i.e. getting an education] we want to touch [i.e. rape] it". 

Spike TV's website describes the show thus:

Spike TV travels around the country uncovering hidden treasure found in the backyards of everyday Americans in “American Digger.” This new unscripted original series follows former professional wrestler turned modern day relic hunter Ric Savage, as he and his team from American Savage target areas such as battlefields and historic sites in the hopes of striking it rich and capitalizing on unearthing and selling bits of American history. The only thing standing in their way are the homeowners themselves, who Savage must convince to allow them to dig up their property using state-of-the-art metal detectors and heavy-duty excavation equipment. What artifacts they find, they sell for a substantial profit, but not before negotiating a deal to divide the revenue with the property owners. The team from American Savage is comprised of recovery expert Rue Shumate, battlefield historian Bob Buttafuso, Ric’s wife Rita who manages the business and their 25-year old son Giuseppe, who provides tech support and is the “muscle” of the operation. Series premieres, Wednesday, March 21 @ 10:00 PM, ET/PT

Folks, that is not how archaeology is practiced. This is how archaeology is done: http://youtu.be/RK4imdXWkMQ (my apologies for not embedding: seems there's a limit to the amount of clips shown per post). What is the problem you might ask? Real archaeologist will carefully sift through soil to find anything and everything they can. They don't stop at coins and bullets, they look for shards of glass, nails, lead seals, animal bones, hell- even microscopic particles like pollen and seeds. Assembled together with the proper collecting and cataloging methods, all of these finds have the potential to unlock a complex and fascinating history behind the area you are working on. For example, you can determine people's diets and if they lived through times of plenty or famine. Thanks to minuscule traces like beads or leftover fabric, you can establish trade routes and patterns. Etc. Etc. Etc. I could go on writing a book on how the real beauty of archaeology and history goes beyond finding coins and bullets, but plenty of people have done that already, both in print and on TV.  If you're new to your interest of history and archaeology, there is plenty of fine introductory material out there.
And don't get me wrong: metal detecting enthusiasts can be important to archaeology. They happen to stumble across interesting finds all the time. After all, it was thanks to such a hobbyist that Fort Saint-Joseph  in Michigan was found despite professional surveys in the area since the early 1900's. However, any such enthusiasts of metal detecting should be likewise as responsible and report any finds to their local historical society to prevent further degradation of the site of interest. There is a difference between such authentic passionate amateur historians, the pros they befriend and help out, and this...

Oh, and did I forget to mention: a fucking backhoe???

What can you do to stop this show? Boycott it: don't watch it. Studios are very twitchy when it comes to ratings and will drop any new show like a rock if it doesn't show any promise of future audience augmentation. Also, you can write to Spike TV to express your disgust. Finally, spread the news: archaeology is cool! Grab a friend, spend a few hours in a museum, especially if he or she has never set foot in one. The more people  are aware of the stakes involved in such nefarious activities, the more likely they are to boot such pirates off their property. 

Further reading: 

• Petition: Stop Spike TV from looting our collective past!
• American Digger: Show notes
• 'Diggers,' 'American Digger' TV Shows Said To Promote Looting Of Archaeological Sites
• Archaeologists Protest 'Glamorization' of Looting on TV
• Detroit preservationists oppose 'American Diggers' TV show
• Cable show host pleased with relics found in St. Augustine, scoffs at critics
• Facebook group: People against Spike TV's "American Digger"