Displays

[Hoffman Grink]

While we all seem to be receptive to somewhat "controversial" and thought provoking ideas - Let me run another by you.

We have now been at this hobby for around three decades - In that time we seem to have established a pattern when it comes to displaying. Is it enough I ask?

Let's examine what we do in general and without (if possible) blowing nay trumpets or pointing any fingers - see if we can find any improvements or come up with innovations to better the standard and content of displays for both public and participant alike.

Part 1 - The Old Days.
The first displays seem to have been a show and tell affair. A display often consisted of some ex army tentage in front of which was placed groundsheets/zeltbahns. On these were placed rows of kit and/or weapons. The costumed re-enactors manned the display and talked to the public about the contents of the groundsheets. Very often public were invited to hold and touch artefaacts. Many photos were taken and it was novel and exciting.

Part 2 - The Old Days plus some.
Another type of display was the battle display where a trench or a hole was dug, a machine gun or similar placed in it and often camouflaged. This could be situated near to the show and tell display or seperate. It gave the public an insight into how men and equipment looked "in combat". Wonderful photographic opportunities and a brilliant recruiting tool.

Part 3 - Old Days Battles.
These were truly magnificent affairs. At certain shows, a flat field was often roped off. Camo nets were draped over upturned tables or pallets and drums. Pyrotechnics of various kinds were incorporated - often detonated using a car battery or a nail board. The two protagonist nationalities came on to the field, ran about a lot, shouted a lot, fired loads of blanks, occasionally died (either very badly or so well it was bad!) and in the end the Hun was rounded up with hand on heads and either paraded around or - often - shot! The crowds loved it. It made the papers and it added vibrancy, excitement and noise to both the hobby and the shows attended. The spontaneity of this was unbelievable as people often just turned up, picked a side and battled. The battle was worked out often mintues in advance and half the fun was guessing where the pyro was and getting as close as possibel to it.

Part 4 - Times Move On.
As the hobby grew and more people came into it, the level of display as well as the size, grew. Sometimes whole frontages were dug up and re-enactors spent the day posing behind rifles, spotting scopes, Mgs and a host of other weaponry. Vehicles became more and more frequent and the venerable OT810 made an appearance doubling for the unicorn's horn that is the SdKfz251. On Allied Displays, jeeps gave way to M1 Halftracks and both sides became entrenched in a battle to build the biggest escarpments. Post war 9x9s made a brief foray into the world of tentage because they were green and made of canvas but the old British ridge tent held sway. Zeltbahns, never popular, began to be erected - very occasionally you could see them in straight lines but often they were dotted here and there in an attempt to grab territory from other marauding groups.
It was during this developmental stage that groups started to make efforts in recreating the look seen in newsreel and still photos. and then a groundbreaking development took place.

Part 5 - The Photo Shoot.
No one is quite sure where it started and although many can lay claim to it - The photo shoot produced some stunning images (we won't dwell on the dismal ones) which in turn brought about an attention to detail hitherto unseen. Displays tended not to have much show and tell element any more - indeed it was frowned upon in many quarters. The trenches got deeper and more elaborate. Re-enactors read books and actually had the JCB dig stellungs with lips and corners and schutzenlochen became L shaped....... Mini Bunkers were constructed and roofed over. Stoves were dug iinto the sides of slit trenches and some lunatics even slept in their positions! Displays began to look like the set of Cross of Iron and the bar had been raised once again.

Part 6 - The Joint Display
In the early 00's a once rare phenomenon became more prevalent. Now and then a couple of groups would combine - somewhat uneasily in cases, to provide a joint display and thereby make their resources spin further. Not always successful but they laid the foundations. Now, as we near the end of the 00's, shows see two three and sometimes even four groups combining to put on huge, themed displays which are very professional and full of detail and interest. This trend seems to be growing and it has even been seen that groups of opposing nationalities can combine to put on a frontline display with a no man's land inbetween.

Part 7 - New Age Battles.
At the turn of the Century, battles became proper theatrical affairs in the main. Much planning went into them, often months in advance. Budgets were made available and effects became bigger and, after research, more realistic. Vehicles were incorporated and sometimes as many as 2 or 300 people took to the field to put on a spectacle for large crowds. The flat field was replaced occasionally witha woodland backdrop or trenches. haystacks could be placed strategically to provide cover and even artillery and aircraft took part. With this came added risk, but the popular culture was such that risk was acknowledged and factored out where possible. No longer was it turn up and play - Groups were selected and attended rehearsals and/or breifings where notes were handed out, diagrams studied and scripts discussed. This made the Public battle a Public performance and to a large extent cut out the freelance "battler" who was simply out for a good blat of a weekend.

Part 8 - Today and the Future

So - over to my comrades. What are you doing? What do you feel have been the improvements and advancements? What do you miss about the old days? What would you like to do/see brought in?
With positions being dug to exact wartime specs by some groups, with two and three grousp at a time combining to give a proper company strength in some cases, with displays becoming more history and less hollywood - What do you think the effect will be?

Is it what we want and need? or is it another passing phase?

[Tychsen]

Whatever approach at the end of the day what is the aim ?
Reenactors do get satisfaction out of "getting things right" , looking accurate and acting true to the period being represented.
History , the process by which information is given to the public - a mixture of all described seems to be what takes place.
As one who does not subscribe to battles , I wonder what part they actually play apart from fun for the folks involved and entertainment for the public .
The prisoner execution thing is IMO "past its sell by date" , if what we do is supposed to be a presentation of history this is the bit which is hardest to get right and most prone to go wrong.

Arms stall type displays are easy to do but you will find that the youngsters asking questions sometimes know as much or more than some of the guys in uniform - in terms of information do we really give enough or push ourselves - how much preparation do folks put in to brush up and inform themselves.

Yesterday I listened to a lady describing how she had seen a group of reenactors at a major show in the UK putting on a winter themed display - which had ben well thoughtout down to "atrificial snow" which looked "right" - she was much impressed by the effort , dedication and detail which was being presented - this was a combination of many of the elements decribed becoming type cast in what is done is the greatest handicap , perhaps a thread to share new ideas might be a way forward - this thread could become that thread.
( Something we seem to be rather poor at doing).

[Hoffman Grink]

That is indeed what this thread is for.

[Ziegelstein]

I think that working together - cohesiveness if you like - is THE MOST important part of the display side of re-enacting. Private battles are fine, but by letting the public see what we do, we guarantee our place in the promotion of history and by the enduring credibility that creates, ensure that governments listen to and support us. WE are responsible for the preservation of our social heritage. I feel that there are many in our hobby that don't realise how special re-enactment/living history is. After all, for WWI re-enactors there are now precious few... possibly only one veteran of WWI left. We have taken on their mantle and preserve their memory. Not just the survivors but those who died. With WWII, most of the vets are in their 80's and 90's, so again it is important that what we portray is responsible and as accurate as possible. Thankfully we have moved away from the image of re-enacting the "evil Nazis" and are successfully educating people in general about the lot of the ordinary soldier. I do not portray SS, but I find most of the questions I answer involve dispelling the ridiculous propaganda spread about who the SS really were.

I think it should also be mentioned that often you don't need massed groups to provide a coherent display - a couple of people with a piece of curios equipment may be enough.

As far as working with other groups are concerned, our group is more than happy to work with almost any Axis group as the darker side pretty well always work tofether better. Much better than the Allied groups. In fact I would venture to say that Axis groups are way ahead in the non-Hollywood portrayal of WWII history, and long may it continue.

[cartoss]

Food for thoought indeed....
Having to do a serious and unplanned evaluation for 2010, not least of which, whether to continue, having just lost Roddy horse. My thoughts are look at showing the usual rather than the unusual. Perhaps concentrate on the mundane, not the spectactular, the reality for millions rather than the small percentage.
That said I have a cunning plan.....
Dont know if it is:
a. Workable
b. Worth doing
c. Farb/walt

[gasmask]

We do the old days, if thats what you want to call it, and it works very well for a group such as ourselfs who do not have Vehicles or huge amount of heavy equipment or even large amounts of transportable props.

A zelt on the ground and you as the display still works.

[Wiganer]

Our grup do mostly what we call "show and tell", the public like it, they get a chance to talk to us and see what we do, look at our equipment etc.

We are only a small group (some times just 2 members attending) with limited funds (both personal and group) so we cannot afford large display items, vehicles or have funds for transport, storage etc, we have a jeep, equipment and members with enthusism, it works for us and we enjoy talking / interacting with the public.

mark

[Crazy Feldgendarme]

What happened to the big friendly Roddy ?, whatever happens mate you will find another outlet for your reenacting perhaps with sadness that you no longer have Roddy but maybe something that brings back the good memories.

Dave

[DAS MEDIC]

i have just recieved a pm from jamie regarding our friend roddy, it seems he became ill but did not suffer, i know jamie and the rest of us thought the world of that big old soft guy, he was a true gentle-man of re enacting and will be missed by many of us, it would be hard to replace any friend such as him.
our thoughts are with jamie and his family as a loss so big is hard to come to terms with, i have many happy memories of him, i rode a few times on his cart and fed him the odd apple,carrot and digestive biscuit .and listened to him snoring.
i am sure he his grazing pastures new and greener.

[Crazy Feldgendarme]

Jamie sorry i just had to ask mate, hope i didnt upset you to much, Roddy was a real friendly lad and i loved seeing him, my Grandad used to work horses like him i vividly remember.
Sorry mate.



Dave

[Reich Crispies]

I think we all loved the lad. A real larger than life charachter in re-enacting.
At times like this its difficult to know what to say Jamie.

Thoughts go out to you chief

[Peiper]

Some good ideas Herr Grink!

Regards Peiper.

[stefan]

Having just done Detling and walked around the site looking at all the multi period stuff
its still a bit of all the above ,tents camp etc to form a back drop with a bit of show and tell
display at the front ,normally with some eager member ready to answer questions about
it all stood at the front

as most shows only give you a 10x10m pitch roped off with the obligatory blue rope
its hard to see how you can do any more with it

and as I am lead to believe other periods normally get a fee for this the formula
works for them :shock

[wolfsangel]

Personally I would like to see a comms/second line command post sort of display that actually tied in the other groups displays with connected field phones and food being sent around sort of style. More the boring logistical stuff which is required to keep an army on the march than the 'glamour' of wielding MG42s and MP40s around.

This is in part a realisation that I am not perhaps the athletic spring chicken I once was, and as such I would prefer to steer myself away from the elite/skinny fit chaps that you see in propoganda footage running about.

So I guess to answer Pauls original question, I prefer the newer approach to displays which seem to lean towards protraying living history.

Also I am always keen to promote and encourage inter-group coordination because I think (amongst other reasons) it helps keep everyone interested in their hobby and helps stimulate fresh ideas, it worked really well I thought at Spanhoe for the Market garden event, and has been in evidence at other shows too.

[Darkattitude]

It all depends on various factors, budget, size of pitch, number of bodies, is there vehicle movements required etc etc.

I see some very interesting displays where imagination has been utilised rather than cash and the desired effect has been achieved with very little effort. For our part it's more about logistics than entertainment, when you've got quite a few bodies on you pitch you have to work out how you're going to feed them etc. If we went to a show and it was cancelled then we could happily survive for the durations with what we bring, food, water, shelter, toilets, showers fire-wood etc. I was very surprised at the amount of people who sat down and viewed the WW2 training films in the big tent though, relatively cheap and easy to do but very entertaining for the public. We've got major plans for next years Victory Show and we'll probably need to get down a week early to achieve it.

I think you need to decide what you can feasibly do and just try and do your best whether it's a diorama that looks great, a show and tell that educates, or a bit of theatre that recreates a moment in history.

I personally think that groups are getting better so there's hope for us yet!