Pattern Categorization of Male U.S. Civil War Reenactor Images

Abstract

In the United States, hobby organizations participate in the public reenactment of historical events. The most popular is Civil War reenacting, which can be viewed as a manifestation of the unresolved nature of that war. Interpretation of reenacting has high potential for exploring American sensibilities and analysis of dress authenticity serves as a central focus for interpreting reenactor culture. To understand dress authenticity, field images of reenactor impressions photographed by the author at a national reenactment were evaluated with methods of visual anthropology and DeLong’s system of visual analysis to establish pattern categorizations. The research also identified basic perceptual cues used to sort images along a continuum of dress authenticity. The final stages of the research involved appraising photographic imagery for meaning of dress in an effort to understand the cultural underpinnings of the movement.