Museum Quality Replicas for display or re-enactment

"Please note the vast majority of my reproduction items are hand made to commission to meet the demands of individual customer's. As such I tend not to keep a catalogue of mass produced items for sale "off the shelf", but with smaller or cast items I may produce a few extras which I may, from time to time, have for sale at shows."

I enjoy tackling new projects in new materials, as it is often an opportunity to learn new skills, but, having made one of a particular item, producing more is usually a little easier as much of the research is already done, and I've practiced the techniques used in its construction. Indeed with cast metal reproductions it is often relatively easy once a mould has been made to produce many identical castings at a fairly minimal cost and I am increasingly being asked to produce moulds and copies of genuine period metal work already owned by clients. Obviously with hand stitched clothing or leather goods along with carved wood or bone there is less of an opportunity for this kind of time saving in their construction.

Take a look through the work shown in the gallery. This only shows a limited amount of my work but indicates the variety of work I can undertake.

View the gallery of sample commissions.

Living History Re-enactment

I became involved with historical re-enactment through an interest in period crafts and through making replicas for the museum services I was once employed by as an archaeological conservator. Through my professional training I have a good theoretical knowledge of the traditional working techniques of a wide variety of materials, much of this I have tried to put into practice by working in materials as far ranging as stone and glass, leather and textiles, horn and bone, wood and metal. As far as is possible I strive to hand make all of my own costume, tools and equipment for re-enactment using authentic materials and techniques. This covering costume, cutlery and other eating, drinking and cooking utensils, along with larger equipment, replica tools and even some simple furniture. I do intend, however, to concentrate on those areas that relate most closely to my other main interest of model making, ie. sticking to smaller more deocrative items and combining this with an interest in metal casting.

As a historical re-enactor it is necessary to pick a role and a period to portray. I simply wanted to try as many traditional crafts as I could. Though I have a love of the pre-Roman period, my favourite period of history is that generally refered to as the 'Dark Ages'. However, for various reasons the first group I ended up joining was an early Stuart Living History (Non-military) Group, affiliated to the country's largest re-enactment society; The Sealed Knot who re-enact the period of the English Civil War(s). Of course membership of one particular society does not prevent you from being involved with others and I have recently joined a local viking re-enactmnent group (The Wirhalh Skip Felag - part of Regia Anglorum) and I have also been making the occasional pieces for museums or re-enactors dealing in other periods of history.

Association with larger national societies has it's advantages and disadvantges as each group has it's own character strengths and weaknesses, but there is no denying that involvement with a large number of other re-enactors is a great means of exchanging ideas and learning skills from those more experienced than yourself. The Groups I belong to include a large array of different crafts-people among their members but as is often the case among hobbyists the crafts practiced tended to be those that require a minimum of large or specialist equipment. The 17th century was the height of the English pewter industry and so there was a strong argument for a 17th century group needing a pewter worker. This tied in nicely with an established interest in casting pewter I had formed through my model making and so I decided to take on this role, perhaps without fully apprecaiting the amount of large heavy "stuff" this would end up requiring. Similarly I have been drawn to the role of 9th-11th century jeweller as this again enables me to use my experience dealing with metal work but on a smaller scale whilst offering a little more diversity than being tied to one materail.

A living history show.

Both groups to which I belong can count professional re-enactors and historical interpreteurs among their members along with many more enthusiastic and knowledgeable hobbyists. Throughout the summer (and to a lesser extent the colder months) we are hired either as part of our respective larger national socities, as little local groups, or even as individual re-enactors (where a ceratin person's skills are relevant to a particular show being organised) to attend events at Country Houses, Castles, Museums, Craft fairs or schools around the country. We set up camp in our 'authentic' period tents, in which we will live for the duration of the event, whilst we demonstrate or explain about different aspects of day to day life, trades and crafts during our period of interst; At big events we may manage more than a hundred re-enactors on the 'Living History' site creating the feel of a bustling little village. The visiting public are free to wander among us and ask questions whilst watching the various demonstrations or talks taking place, or just enjoy the spectacle of listening to period music and watching the occasional scripted (or improvised) encounters which take place between some of the "characters" to be found among us. The battle re-enactors within both socities are often the most numerous and their short yet energetic displays form a natural compliment to the more peaceful social side of our portrayal of everyday life in the past.

As implied one of the reasons most re-enactment groups are short of metal workers is the amount of large, heavy and expensive equipment needed. Though I am slowly acquiring the basic essentials, I am still a long way from making or obtaining replicas of all the tools and equipment I need for demonstrating the larger aspsects of period metal work and casting. Researching all that is needed is a large and ongoing project in its own right. Even if I had all this equipment there is then the problem of transporting it all to, and setting it all up for, a weekend display at campsites around the country. An open field or manicured lawn, along with a tent is no substitute for a stone, brick or even timber framed workshop. Nevertheless, I, along with our wheel-wright, spinners, weavers, moniers, bodgers, surgeons, musicians, cordwainers, painting mechanics, dyers and their like, all manage to carry large amounts of equipment around the country (roof-racks, trailers and Transit vans are commonplace possessions among members of most re-enactment socities). Limitations such as these restrict what we are all able to do but with a good knowledge of our chosen subjects and a little imagination we can use the many props we do have at our disposal to bring to life forgotten crafts. If you're dedicated there is little you can't do, or won't carry up and down this country's motorways.

So why do we do it? Well, many re-enactment socities are registered as eductaional charities, and we do spend a lot of time educating the public about everyday life in the past. With everybody from little school children to their parents and grand-parents coming away from shows having learnt something. Whether that be serious academic historical fact, amusing anecdotes about life during a particular period of history, or tricks of the trade from our variety of skilled craft workers. However, I don't suppose any of us would try to claim we do it purely for philanthropic reasons. Although it is normal for a show's promoter to pay the relevant group or society a small fee to cover expenses, no individual gets paid a wage for what they do, quite simply we do it because it's fun! We enjoy what we do; Our work with the public is just part of it, there's also a great social life that goes with re-enactment, making friends from all walks of life. Whilst at the same time it can be incredibly calming and relaxing to slow life down to an easier pace whilst visiting some of this countries most beautiful historic propereties and their grounds. What's more by living on site under canvas we often get behind the scenes tours getting to see places the ordinary public wouldn't and we get to see these at their most peaceful, at times of the day when nobody else is around.

Replicas

Costume, furniture, tools, cooking equipment, even the recipes and ingredients for the food we eat. It all needs to be researched to be of the correct style for our chosen period. Some people may be able to afford genuine period antiques for some parts of their display, but by and large we all use replicas. These can range from interesting curios found at car boot sales which can be easily adapted to suit our period, through to specially crafted one off replicas. Quality and standards can vary enormously both to suit the wallet or the time available to produce them, though I have chosen to associate myself with two groups that pride themselves on the extent and quality of their research so as to ensure authenticity in all things we make and use. A fact that has lead to many connections with museums and often sees us working along side some of the countrys leading academics on the subjects we cover. Making your own reproductions is undoubtedly the best way of ensuring you get exactly what you want, but many people feel they haven't the time or the skills needed. At some point we all have to buy goods from other re-enactors, although bartering and exchange of goods and skills is a cheap way of acquiring what you want through swapping for what you have made yourself. The ink was barely dry on my enrolment form when I was first approached by a member of the Group I had just joined, wanting me to make him a certain replica. Time was tight with other commitments and so I had to delay taking up the commission, but since what they wanted was not available from anywhere else they were happy to wait.

So it was that I was encouraged not to concentrate solely on producing miniatures for sale to model making enthusiasts but to use my skills and professional experience to take on the occasional commission for individuals or institutions that wanted historic replicas producing. I like the variety of work so if you want something unusual you can't find elsewhere, maybe I could make it for you?