2005 Conference Review - Permission for the following article given through the courtesy of:

The Fourth Annual Midwest Civil War Civilian Conference:

Research, Education, and the Quest for Self-Improvement 

By Erin Caldwell

          From Friday, January 28, through Sunday, January 30, 2005 nearly fifty Civil War civilian reenactors and enthusiasts from five states converged upon the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake for a weekend filled with scholarly lectures, shopping for authentic reproduction and antique goods, and dazzling displays of original mid-nineteenth century artifacts. The 2005 conference marked the fourth consecutive year that Midwest Civil War Civilian Education Inc. has hosted the event.

The conference got off to a fashionable start on Friday evening with the welcoming reception, which provided attendees an opportunity to visit old friends and make new acquaintances. Nearly all of the conference participants attended this soiree in their finest period attire. Ladies donned crisply starched day dresses or lavish silk evening wear, and the gentlemen appeared in handsomely woven silk waistcoats, woolen paletots and frocks, or their finest military uniforms.

On Saturday, participants were treated to five highly informative and scholarly lectures by some of the nation’s experts on Civil War–era civilian life. The morning began with a lecture by Joan House-Shelley on caring for and preserving historic textiles. House-Shelly earned her degree in historic preservation from the University of Kentucky and is the new living history coordinator for the Perryville battlefield.

Marta Vincent’s presentation on parasol history, which can also be found with full color pictures in the March/April 2005 issue of Civil War Historian, followed. Vincent’s collection of original parasols dating from the early 1800s through the 1920s was truly a sight to behold, and she was more than generous when sharing her collection with conference participants.

The last seminar before a lunch and shopping break was titled “What the Gentlemen DO, When the Ladies Retire.” This talk, given by William “Doc” Syverson, relied on his family’s oral history and collection of letters and documents for evidence of gentlemen’s activities after supper.

After perusing historically accurate items for sale by vendors such as P. Palmer Dry Goods, Originals by Kay, Mrs. Vincent’s Parasol Emporium, and The Mantua Maker, participants returned to the conference room for a scholarly lecture on “The Horizontal Trade,” or prostitution, presented by Elizabeth Topping. Topping has been researching prostitution and other mid-Victorian women’s issues for nearly a decade. She has published a book on the subject titled, What’s a Poor Girl to Do? Prostitution in Mid-Nineteenth Century America. This presentation was filled with primary evidence such as articles from Civil War–era periodicals, carte d’visites, and letters from soldiers and civilians of the 1860s.

The last seminar on Saturday, which was co-presented by Sue Pfeiffer and Seth Magosky, informed conference attendees about ballroom etiquette and dance. Pfeiffer and Magosky began the presentation with a history of the significance of dancing in mid-nineteenth century America. Pfeiffer proceeded with ballroom etiquette for ladies, while Magosky discussed proper gentlemen’s behavior on the dance floor. The session ended with Pfeiffer taking on the role of dance mistress as she and Magosky taught participants several popular 1860s dances.

Conference organizers had a real treat in store for attendees on Saturday night. Organizers, speakers, and participants set up displays containing choice pieces from their private collections of original clothing, jewelry, china, and paper goods. Attendees spent two hours perusing 1860s antiques of impeccable quality. Women’s clothing on display ranged from simple cotton print wrappers to lavish silk dresses. Bonnets, children’s clothing, men’s attire, saddles and other horseback riding tack, jewelry, carte d-visites, fine china, ladies magazines, and paper dolls were just a few of the things that were on display for attendees to view and inspect. In addition to all of the eye-pleasing antiques on display, author Arnie Bernstein was in attendance for a book signing commemorating the publication of his book, The Hoofs and Guns of the Storm: Chicago’s Civil War Connections.

Kay Gnagey gave a very informative and well-documented presentation on Civil War–era dress sleeve variations on the final morning of the conference. Gnagey has an excellent eye for period fashion, and the knowledge she passed on to attendees will allow them to create virtually any appropriate sleeve style using a simple coat sleeve pattern as the basis.

The final speaker of the weekend was Kathy Yurkonis. She spoke about sidesaddle riding in the mid-nineteenth century, and even took the initiative to give her presentation while wearing an authentic reproduction riding habit. This lecture gave participants insight into which, why, where, what, and how ladies rode sidesaddle. Yurkonis is a sidesaddle rider herself, so she had plenty of personal experience to reinforce her meticulous research.

The Fourth Annual Midwest Civil War Civilian Conference was an event that enhanced the participants’ knowledge of mid-nineteenth century American life, and did so in a scholarly yet enjoyable way. The helpful, friendly environment encouraged questions and fostered the beginning of many new friendships. The organizers did a fantastic job of recruiting authoritative speakers and making each participant feel welcome. Plans for next year’s conference are already underway, and I, for one, am planning on being in attendance. I hope to see you there!

The Civil War Historian

View photos from this event.

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