Keep the Living in History:

Sharing Skills and Knowledge of the Past

Conference Registration & Program

2013 ALHFAM New England Regional hosted by Old Sturbridge Village March 2nd & 3rd Sturbridge, Massachusetts

ALHFAM
The Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums 1

Keep the Living in History: Sharing Skills and Knowledge of the Past
REGISTRATION FORM

2013 ALHFAM New England Regional hosted by Old Sturbridge Village March 2nd & 3rd Sturbridge, Massachusetts

Unfortunately we will not be able to accept walk-in registrations. All registrations much be postmarked by February 22, 2013 to avoid late fees. Please send this completed form with a check to: ALHFAM New England Regional Conference c/o Old Sturbridge Village 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road Sturbridge, MA 01566 Please make checks payable to Old Sturbridge Village Inc., with AHLFAM New England in the memo line. CONTACT & REGISTRATION Name Title Institution Address Phone Email No Sunday Lunch (Both included in conference fee) State Zip ALHFAM member Postmarked after Feb. 22 Saturday Dinner $85 $20 $35 ____ ____ ____ ____ Total ____

Non-ALHFAM member *$115

Do you plan to bring an item for the Silent Auction? Yes I will attend Saturday Lunch Dietary needs/restrictions

*Includes a one year membership to ALHFAM and all its benefits.

INCLUDED WORKSHOPS & TOURS Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please select a first and second choice for each time block and Collections Tour. All workshops and tours are included in the conference fee. Saturday 10:30-11:15 OSV Collections Tour Saturday 1:30-3:30 Turkey Butchering Spinning on the Great Wheel Blacksmithing Maple Sugaring Saturday 11:30-12:15 OSV Collections Tour Saturday 3:30-5:30 Blacksmithing Good Fences Make Good Neighbors They Ate That! Stitch and Old Fashioned Housewife

For additional information, please contact Ryan Beckman, 508-347-0342, rbeckman@osv.org

Keep the Living in History: Sharing Skills and Knowledge of the Past
Saturday, March 2, 2013
7:30am-4:00pm 9:00-10:00am Registration: Fuller Conference Center

2013 ALHFAM New England Regional hosted by Old Sturbridge Village

Conference At a Glance

Keynote Address: Fuller Conference Center Speaker: John Forti Curator of Historic Landscapes at Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, NH OSV Collections Tour Comfortable As Well As Becoming, or Keeping People Accurate, Working and Warm in 1876 TBD OSV Collections Tour Tourism and Travel: 101, or How to Get Your Share of the 4.6 Billion Lets Talk Turkey Lunch and Regional Business Meeting Turkey Butchering Spinning on the Great Wheel Blacksmithing Maple Sugaring Blacksmithing Good Fences Make Good Neighbors They Ate That! Stitch an Old Fashioned Housewife Optional Dinner with Cocktail Hour

10:30-11:15am

11:30am-12:15pm

12:15-1:30pm 1:30-3:30pm

3:30-5:30pm

6:30pm

Sunday, March 3, 2013

9:00-9:45am Give Your Garden a Break Layered Experience: Meeting a Range of Visitor Preferences Through History Programs Invincibles!!! Researching and Recreating the Volunteer Militia of Massachusetts, 1790-1840 Interpreting to Maximize Your Demonstration Using Art as Interactive Interpretation Peeking Into Other Peoples Mail and What You Might Learn There The Art and Mystery of Coopering Making a Portrait Come Alive: Creating Reproduction Clothing at Old Sturbridge Village Bringing Bees Back Lunch Conclusion of the 2013 Conference Conference attendees are welcome to enjoy a leisurely self-guided tour of Old Sturbridge Village from 1:00-4:00pm. Present your conference badge at the Visitor Center for complimentary admission. All sessions take place in the Fuller Conference Center, and all workshops take place in the Museum Education Building.

10:00-10:45am 10:00-11:30am 11:00-11:45am 12:00-1:00pm

The Organizations
The Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) shares practical knowledge and skills among those who make history relevant to contemporary lives. We draw strength from our diverse network of members, sharing experience, research, and passion for participatory learning. Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) is one of the countrys oldest and largest living history museums, depicting early New England life from 1790-1840 with historians in costume, antique buildings, water powered mills, and a working farm. Visitors can view antiques, meet heritage breed animals, and enjoy hands on crafts.

Meals
Complimentary coffee will be available during the conference in the Fuller Conference Center. Lunches are also included. Please be sure to specify any dietary needs (allergies, vegetarian, etc.) on the conference registration form. Saturdays optional dinner will be provided by Old Sturbridge Villages Oliver Wight Tavern. Other Sturbridge Eating Establishments: Enricos Brick Oven Pizzeria and Pub 500 Main St. (Rt. 20), Sturbridge MA 508-347-1740 Kaizen (Sushi and Japanese Cuisine) 479 Main St. (Rt. 20), Sturbridge MA 508-347-1088 The Thai Place 371 Main St. (Right outside OSV), Sturbridge MA 508-347-2999 The Duck (American cuisine) 502 Main Street (Rt.20), Sturbridge MA 508-347-2321

Transportation
Transportation to Old Sturbridge Village, nearby hotels, restaurants, and any other off-site locations is the responsibility of conference attendees. The town of Sturbridge provides no public transportation. All conference sessions, workshops, and tours take place at Old Sturbridge Village.

Registration
Conference registration will be located in the OSV Fuller Conference Center on Saturday, March 2, from 8:00am-4:00pm.

Lodging
The Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA, conveniently located less than a mile from OSV, will provide a discounted rate for conference attendees. Rooms will be available at $79 per night (plus tax) for either a single or double occupancy room. To make your reservation, visit their website www.sturbridgehosthotel.com or call 508-3477393. Specify that you would like the Friends & Family Discount to receive the conference rate. The Super 8 lodging in Sturbridge, MA, is also less than a mile from OSV and has offered a discounted rate. Rooms will be available at $59 per night (plus tax) for either a single or double occupancy room. To make your reservation, call 508-347-9000 and specify that you are attending the conference at OSV.

Silent Auction
A fund raising silent auction will be held on Saturday, March 2, in the Fuller Conference Center to help sponsor fellowships to attend ALHFAMs Annual Conference. Please consider supporting the auction by donating auction items. Donations will be accepted at the conference registration until noon on Saturday. The auction will be available for viewing and bidding at noon, and it will close at 6:00pm. Payments may be made by cash or check only.

Keep the Living in History: Sharing Skills and Knowledge of the Past
2013 ALHFAM New England Regional

Conference Program

Saturday, March 2
10:30-11:15 Concurrent 45 Minute Sessions and Tours

Tourism and Travel: 101, or, How to Get Your Share of the 4.6 Billion
Katrina White, Travel Trade Manager at the Rhode Island Tourism Division This workshop investigates the basics of tourism and travelwhat a tour operator is, what a receptive operator is, and how to package with other properties. Basic and low cost marketing ideas will be shared, as well as plans that can be implemented immediately for speedy results. Other topics include the importance of product development based on targeted markets.

OSV Collections Tour

Rebecca Beall, Collections Manager at Old Sturbridge Village An intimate look at OSVs 1790-1840 collections in storage. A rare treat! Sign-up on registration form, only up to 10 people each, two tours on Saturday.

Comfortable As Well As Becoming, or Keeping People Accurate, Working and Warm in 1876
Rebecca Donohue, Costume Manager and Roll Playing Foreman at Mystic Seaport The New England coast is chilly in the winter, whether youre in 2013 or 1876. In this session, you will investigate the practicality of the knitted items from Mystic Seaports period costume shop, and learn about their origins, productions, and use on museum grounds. From fascinators, to hug-metights, to three fingered mittens, these garments represent living history at its coziest. Additional session TBD

Lets Talk Turkey

Kathleen Wall, Colonial Foodways Culinarian at Plimoth Plantation Interpreting Thanksgiving from local sources and resources will be discussed in this workshop. Methods will be examined to find your Thanksgiving in your specific museum location and time period to make the most of this unique educational experience for your organization.

1:30-3:30 Concurrent 2 Hour Workshops

Turkey Butchering
Victoria Belisle, Lead Interpreter of Freeman Farmhouse and Sewing at Old Sturbridge Village Learn the step-by-step basics of the slaughter and butchering of fowl, 1830s New England style. Participants will be expected to help pluck and take the innards out of a heritage turkey.

11:30-12:15 Concurrent 45 Minute Sessions and Tours

OSV Collections Tour

Rebecca Beall, Collections Manager at Old Sturbridge Village An intimate look at OSVs 1790-1840 collections in storage. A rare treat! Sign-up on registration form, only up to 10 people each, two tours on Saturday.

Spinning on the Great Wheel

Kathleen Crippen, Historian, Proprietor of The Wool Merchants Daughter The Great, or Walking Wheel, is ubiquitous to historic sites, but how many actually spin on them? Wool yarns were historically produced on this style of wheel. This workshop will cover parts of the wheel, the proper way to stand and the place of the drive band, and types of wool and their preparation. Participants will have an opportunity for hands-on spinning. Spinning on a Great Wheel makes for an impressive demonstration as it is seldom seen. It is not a difficult skill to learn and one that should be learned, practiced, and preserved by passing it along to others.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Rhys Simmons, Coordinator of Agriculture and Mens Crafts at Old Sturbridge Village As 19th century farmers were keenly aware, reliable fences are particularly important when animals are involved. This hands-on workshop will lead the group through the process of making traditional post and rail fences. There will be opportunities to explore the practical advantages of making your own fences, as well as a few drawbacks. We will be learning to using augers, axes, beetles, adzes, and wedges, so be ready for work. But as they say, many hands make light work!

They Ate That!

Sandie Tarbox, Historic Foodways Culinarian Learn how to make (and appreciate!) tongue pie, cods head and bladder surprise. Not your average hearth cooking, this workshop will explore some unexpected and often shunned foods. You might be surprised at just how good tongue can taste with apples and raisins, and cods head with sweet and savory herbs mixed with lobster and shrimp. Add a succulent bladder stuffed with fowl, and you have cuisine extraordinaire!

Blacksmithing
Tim Dauphanais, Master Blacksmith, Historical Interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village Introduction to blacksmithing. Learn about the basics in working with iron in this workshop. Participants will learn about proper heating of iron and hammer work at the forge.

Maple Sugaring
Justin Kennick, Lead Interpreter of Agricultural at Old Sturbridge Village Explore the history of maple sugaring in New England through hands-on learning. From tapping trees, to making spiles and troughs, there are many hands-on opportunities in the interpretation of Maple Sugaring. This workshop will guide its participants through each step and discuss the interpretive values of each.

Stitch an Old Fashioned Housewife

Susan Jerome, Historical Interpreter at Mystic Seaport, Collections Manager of Historic Textiles and Costume Collection at University of Rhode Island Make a convenient sewing kit to use at home, give as a gift, or slip inside a traveling work bag. Made from printed cottons, painted silks, or embroidered velvets, these small sewing kits were meant to hold needles, pins, small scissors, and a few skeins of cotton thread or silk floss. Each case can be sewn from a small piece of fabric with wool felt or flannel interiors, inspired by sewing kits and needle cases researched in public and private collections, and primary resources such as Petersons Magazine.

3:30-5:30 Concurrent 2 Hour Workshops

Blacksmithing
Tim Daupanais, Master Blacksmith and Historical Interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village Introduction to blacksmithing. Learn about the basics in working with iron in this workshop. Participants will learn about proper heating of iron and hammer work at the forge.

Sunday, March 3
9:00-9:45 Concurrent 45 Minute Sessions

Invincibles!!! Researching and Recreating the Volunteer Militia of Massachusetts, 1790-1840

Derek Heidemann, Lead Interpreter of Hands on Crafts at Old Sturbridge Village The early nineteenth century is widely regarded as one of the most drastic and diverse periods of change in American history and the volunteer militia is a glowing example of such transformation. This presentation will look at the growth of volunteer militia companies in Central Massachusetts in the midst of such change, with a special focus on the recreation of the Oxford Light Infantry as an interpretive tool.

Give Your Garden a Break

Tom Morehouse, Master Gardener, Volunteer at Old Sturbridge Village Gardenslike the rest of uscould use a break sometimes. Over the last several years, OSVs kitchen garden at the Freeman Farmhouse was showing its age. Problems in the garden were increasing while production was decreasing. After a year of research, in 2012 we implemented a garden renewal plan using period techniques as well as modern methods. This session covers the why and how, plus the advantages and disadvantages of giving your garden a break.

10:00-10:45 Concurrent 45 Minute Sessions

Layered Experience: Meeting a Range of Visitor Preferences Through History Programs

Amanda Lopez, Director of Museum Education and Interpretation at Historic Deerfield Visitors to museums such as Historic Deerfield may have specific research needs, but there are many guests interested in a more general museum experience. Historic Deerfield has tried to layer a variety of approaches for sharing skills and knowledge of the past, successfully meeting the needs of a wide spectrum of visitors. During this session the various activities that Historic Deerfield has implemented to meet the needs of different audiences will be described, emphasizing how visitors take advantage of living history activities to compose their living history experience.

Interpreting to Maximize Your Demonstration

Lauren McCormack, Manager of Bicentennial Programs at the USS Constitution Museum A panel of interpreters of various crafts, including artisanal, domestic, and cooking, will offer suggestions of some tried and true ways of maximizing the effectiveness of your demonstrations by employing simple interpretive techniques. The panel leader will also present the latest research about living history demonstrations. We hope audience members will participate in the discussion by contributing best practices from their sites.

Using Art as Interactive Interpretation

Victoria Belisle, Lead Interpreter of the Freeman Farm, Sewing and Decorative Arts at Old Sturbdridge Village This session focuses on bringing interactive fine and decorative arts programs to your site while tailoring them to your time period, locale and staff skill set. Victoria will outline the various programs offered at OSV, including cutting silhouettes, painting botanical watercolors and the creation of historic 19th century Valentines.

10:00 -11:30 Concurrent 90 Minute Sessions

11:00-11:45 Concurrent 45 Minute Sessions

The Art and Mystery of Coopering

Tom Kelleher, Curator of Mechanical Arts at Old Sturbridge Village Though one cannot learn to make watertight wooden containers in 90 minutes, one can see all the steps and tools involved in the process. Questions will be answered about this ancient, once ubiquitous, and now all but dead trade throughout the demonstration.

Bringing Bees Back

Susan Ashman, Bee Keeper and Historical Interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village Why are bees so important? Why would an educational institutional decide to keep bees? What are the first steps required to set up a hive? These questions and more will be brought to life in this session. OSV developed a new bee keeping program in 2012, and four new beekeepers overcame the challenges and inquiry of keeping bees during the first year, including feeding, swarming, shaking, extracting, etc. The information and experiences gained during this transformative year will be discussed, as well as the programs aim of increasing educational opportunities at the museum.

Peeking Into Other Peoples Mail and What You Might Learn There
Ron Kley & Jane Radcliffe, Museum Research Associates Personal letters and diaries can be very revealing of individual responses to major historical events and trends, while shedding light on personal aspirations, anxieties, and priorities. Through highly specific examples, this session will be emphasizing the use of such primary source material for education and interpretation which may either reinforce or refute more official pronouncements.

Making a Portrait Come Alive: Creating Reproduction Clothing at Old Sturbridge Village
Jean Contino, Coordinator of Households and Womens Crafts at Old Sturbridge Village Take a closer look at how some of the reproduction clothing at OSV is made, from concept to construction. Learn about a recent project undertaken by Village historians to bring the clothing from an iconic portrait in OSVs collections to life.

New England ALHFAM REGIONAL CONFERENCE FELLOWSHIP

Need financial assistance to attend the 2013 Regional Conference? Why not apply for the New England ALHFAM Fellowship!
Eligible candidates must meet ALL of the following qualifications: you or your institution are a member of ALHFAM you have not received a fellowship to an ALHFAM conference in the last five years Fellowships for the 2013 ALHFAM New England Regional conference at Old Sturbridge Village will cover conference registration (early-bird member rate) and the Saturday dinner. Recipients are encouraged to present a paper at the conference, or submit an article for publication in the ALHFAM Bulletin within one year of receiving the fellowship. Submit a cover letter stating the following (limit of two pages): Your membership status (individual or institutional) Why you wish to attend the conference An explanation of your financial need How you intend to contribute to ALHFAM Past contributions to ALHFAM, if applicable Whether you are a college student pursuing a degree in a field served by ALHFAM

Applications will be rated based on the following criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Potential for future contribution to ALHFAM Participation in living history, museum, or other work relating to ALHFAMs mission Rationale for attending the conference. Financial need Presentation of application Presenter at the conference.

Deadline: Feb 9th, 2013. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Applicants being awarded fellowships will be notified by Feb 11th, 2013. Applications must be either mailed or e-mailed (strongly preferred) to the New England Regional Representative: Rhys Simmons 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd. Sturbridge Ma 01566 rsimmons@osv.org