ext_24829 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
nirejseki.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
revolution_fr2008-06-26 05:33 pm
nirejseki.livejournal.com) wrote in revolution_fr2008-06-26 05:33 pm
Entry tags:
Reenactment Help!
I'm doing a reenactment of some scenes from the French Revolution with my friends in a few weeks, and I was wondering - does anyone have an English translation of Camille Desmoulins' Aux Armes speech on July 12? The "jump on a table, pull out a pistol or two, and get everyone to wear green" speech; I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. ^^
Also, I'm looking for Saint-Just's "Report on the Dantonists" (again, in English - alas, I speak no French).
Anything else you can get me in English, I'd be grateful. Preferably by Robespierre, Desmoulins, Danton, Saint-Just, Marat, etc. All is welcome; presume we know nothing. ^_^
We have a pretty willing group, so if there's anything you'd like to see people in costume performing in front of a camera in Central Park or wherever it ends up being - please, either give me a link or email me at riderriddle@yahoo.com
(Also, if anyone knows a lot about costumes of specific people and can link me to something that has really good images, that would be very helpful! It's the little details, like "What did stockings look like" and "What type of shoes?" and "What do the sleeves look like again?" that really get you...and if you can answer any of those questions, that helps. ^^)
Thanks a lot!
Also, I'm looking for Saint-Just's "Report on the Dantonists" (again, in English - alas, I speak no French).
Anything else you can get me in English, I'd be grateful. Preferably by Robespierre, Desmoulins, Danton, Saint-Just, Marat, etc. All is welcome; presume we know nothing. ^_^
We have a pretty willing group, so if there's anything you'd like to see people in costume performing in front of a camera in Central Park or wherever it ends up being - please, either give me a link or email me at riderriddle@yahoo.com
(Also, if anyone knows a lot about costumes of specific people and can link me to something that has really good images, that would be very helpful! It's the little details, like "What did stockings look like" and "What type of shoes?" and "What do the sleeves look like again?" that really get you...and if you can answer any of those questions, that helps. ^^)
Thanks a lot!
no subject
We have Robespierre, Saint-Just, Desmoulins, Danton, Marat, Verginaud, Tallien, and Louis Capet; I think I've covered everyone but I probably haven't. Depending on the various sewing abilities of people, we may or may not have one person be dressed as a girl so we could do the Marat-Corday scene...
In short, absolutely anything is useful! ^___^ A good proportion of the people involved are not FR fanatics, so it's up to about four of us to clothe everyone else...-_-;;
no subject
Robespierre
Circa 1790-1 (http://membres.lycos.fr/discours/robespierre_avant.jpg)
Circa 1793-4 (http://napoleonbonaparte.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/blog-portrait-robespierre.jpg)
(Dates are my guess there based on the cut of his coat)
Key things about dressing Robespierre: Always a wig, always breeches. Shoes instead of boots. Dress him up nicely, he was famous for dressing like it was still the ancien regime, after all. Give him a colored coat, blue seems to have been a favorite. Probably easiest to just go with plain white cravat and stockings for everyone. Give him a nice cravat that's not ridiculously froofy (but still a little froofy ;-)). Also, glasses if you want. Here's a pair of late 18th century spectacles. (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/19/113793977_ddea8c5ae6.jpg) I've seen stuff like that just by poking around old junkish sort of shops.
Saint-Just
Saint-Just (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Saint_Just.jpg)
Saint-Just (http://www.astrogeodata.it/2fc12580.jpg)
Something with those quality large lapels (http://www.chd.univ-rennes1.fr/Icono/Thiers/33ThiersHRFt0704StJust.jpg)
Dresses in more sober colors, but the main things for Saint-Just are 1) High cravat 2) High collar to go with said cravat and 3) If you can, make the guy wear some hoop earrings ;-). Go with breeches, no wig, shoes or boots.
Camille Desmoulins
Camille (http://www.nndb.com/people/480/000097189/desmoulins-1-sized.jpg)
Nothing particularly fancy dress-wise. Simple cravat. No wig, wear hair long. Boots or shoes. Breeches.
Danton
Best Danton clothing pic I could find (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Georges-Jacques_Danton.jpg)
Again, nothing really fancy. Wig, breeches, boots.
Marat
Marat (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Jean-paul_marat_1.jpg)
I bet kurotoshi could give you a better idea of what Marat wore. The general impression I got though was that he dressed badly on purpose. No cravat or an unwound one or some non-cravat type of neck wrapping. No wig. Ask kurotoshi.
Vergniaud
Vergniaud (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e4/Vergniaud.jpg)
A little nicer than Camille or Danton, but not Robespierre level. Breeches, shoes, wig, nicely done cravat.
Tallien
Without wig (http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/71099432.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=4FF206F6DF6174D8BF646DA79AC967CA284831B75F48EF45)
With wig (http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=26785&rendTypeId=4)
Clearly, with or without wig. Probably dressed along the same lines as Danton and Camille.
Louis XVI
All Kingly (http://www.nndb.com/people/230/000092951/louis-xvi-1.jpg)
For post-Revolution wear, I would give him a colored coat to make him stand out a bit, but obviously not super fancy. Nice cravat, always a wig, always breeches, always shoes.
If you end up doing Charlotte, here's (http://www.reprodart.com/kunst/joseph_nicolas_robert_fleury/portrait_charlotte_corday_176_hi.jpg) a nice image. Painted ex post facto, of course, but it's a good example of women's clothing of the time. Don't forget the fichue (the shawl).
no subject
Thank you again!
no subject
But as you said, you gotta go with what you've got. The people who absolutely need breeches are Robespierre and Louis XVI, I would say.
no subject
no subject
Breeches are kind of a pain cause while guys shorts could be long enough they need to be at least somewhat fitted! Check thrift stores, see if you can find any large sizes of the knee-length pants for girls that were really in last year, or to find cheap, more fitted pants that someone could cut off and hem at the knee. Appropriate colors are white, black, and beige/tan.
Shirts. Try thrift stores. I find they often have a generous collection of froofy white women's shirts from the 70s or 80s or god knows when. And they might even be large enough for guys to wear them. And some of them even have ready-made cravats attached! Not as important, since you should all be wearing coats over them, but if you can find something.
Waistcoats are an important piece of clothing that make the look, but are often neglected. It's too complicated to get very detailed here, but if you can find some sort of vest that isn't ridiculously colorful to wear over your shirt, it'll make it look better.
Coats are difficult because of course you're dealing with frock coats, not modern coats.
Back view (http://locutus.ucr.edu/~cathy/images/i-rd/rd14.jpeg)
Side view (http://www.manchestergalleries.org/our-other-venues/platt-hall-gallery-of-costume/the-collection/collection-themes/mcgweb/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=2359&size=237x350)
Try to find some knee-length coats. Take the front sides and fold them back and under (and sew it in place, not too hard, you can just baste it or even tack it) to give it the proper shape in the front. There is also a slit up the back, though it's hard to see in the back shot, that goes to about butt-level.
All you need for cravats are strips of foldable white cloth. Some thrift stores have "scarf boxes" where you might be able to find something appropriate. Or go to a fabric store and find a good material for cravats and get as small amount as they'll let you (probably can't get less than a yard) and then cut it into strips. I ran across some website once with ways to tie them... If I'll find it I'll link you, if not... Wind around and copy the portraits!
Boots should be knee high. You'd probably be able to get away with wearing some guys' dress shoes for shoes. Maybe stick buckles on em if you can ;-).
Good luck with wigs. Costume shop?
I am sorry this is so ridiculously long, but I hope it helps you come up with some reasonable clothing that's not too expensive. Thrift stores are nice. You're in NYC, so I'm sure you can find something! And good luck!
no subject
no subject
If that link works, it may have the costume patterns etc. It's a superb costumiers' website. These jpegs have patterns on - they're English and 1795 and, though French left-wing middle-class fashion borrowed heavily from sober English fashion, these seem to be going more French with the stripes etc. BUT it has a waistcoat pattern! May be useful, anyway. (Assuming these links work, too).
1795patternM.jpg1795patternF.jpg1795fashionpic.jpg
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
(Anonymous) 2008-06-28 06:32 am (UTC)(link)Saint-Just's clothes should look like he can get on a horse at any moment and command an army. ie: one can wear them in action, unlike Robespierre's. Robespierre horseback riding...I'm have trouble imagining it.
From paintings, I've noticed that often the breeches had a tricolor ribbon at the end (right before the socks/tights begin) For breeches and stockings, one can always just take tan colored pants, and tuck them into a pair on knee socks.
I've got some drawing/studies I've done of various Revolutionaries, and their clothes. (Costuming is a bit of a hobby) I'll post them to revolution_fr.
no subject