Open Forum

Calling all House Museums and Historic Sites! 

What do your Docents, Tour Guides, or Historic Interpreters wear if they are communicating with the public NOT as a character? Has anyone made the transition from "costume" or historically accurate attire to modern garb, and if so, what was the reason and how did the public respond? 

I am currently encouraging our site to consider dropping the 'costume' for our docents, which is an inaccurate, insensitive outfit that completely mitigates even our best docent's interpretive integrity. However, our identity is closely tied with the costumes, and based on social media, there is still a large portion of our visitor base that wants to see them. 

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Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Curator of Collections
Oak Alley Foundation
Louisiana
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Melissa Houston
Registrar
The Barnum Museum
Bridgeport CT
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2017 11:12 AM
From: Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Subject: Historic Site & House Museum Docent/Tour Guide Attire?

Calling all House Museums and Historic Sites! 

What do your Docents, Tour Guides, or Historic Interpreters wear if they are communicating with the public NOT as a character? Has anyone made the transition from "costume" or historically accurate attire to modern garb, and if so, what was the reason and how did the public respond? 

I am currently encouraging our site to consider dropping the 'costume' for our docents, which is an inaccurate, insensitive outfit that completely mitigates even our best docent's interpretive integrity. However, our identity is closely tied with the costumes, and based on social media, there is still a large portion of our visitor base that wants to see them. 

------------------------------
Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Curator of Collections
Oak Alley Foundation
Louisiana
------------------------------

Our staff and volunteers wear khaki pants/capris/skirts with a site issued polo shirt - in our case blue with our logo.  We only use costumes when we are doing first-person, living history special events.  This has worked well for us.

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Melissa Peterson
Site Manager, Charles Lindbergh House and Musuem
Minnesota Historical Society
Little Falls MN
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-27-2017 08:01 AM
From: Melissa Houston
Subject: Historic Site & House Museum Docent/Tour Guide Attire?

I serve as Docent Coordinator on the board at Newtown Historical Society. We allow docents to dress in period correct costumes OR their docent t-shirt. We had simple cotton t-shirts printed with the historical society's name and logo on the front and the definition of "docent" on the back. Young docents wear that and nice pants but some of our older docents wear blazers or jackets on to of the t-shirt. We found requiring costumes was a hindrance to recruiting new docents so we made the t-shirts an option this year.

Hope that helps!

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Melissa Houston
Registrar
The Barnum Museum
Bridgeport CT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2017 11:12 AM
From: Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Subject: Historic Site & House Museum Docent/Tour Guide Attire?

Calling all House Museums and Historic Sites! 

What do your Docents, Tour Guides, or Historic Interpreters wear if they are communicating with the public NOT as a character? Has anyone made the transition from "costume" or historically accurate attire to modern garb, and if so, what was the reason and how did the public respond? 

I am currently encouraging our site to consider dropping the 'costume' for our docents, which is an inaccurate, insensitive outfit that completely mitigates even our best docent's interpretive integrity. However, our identity is closely tied with the costumes, and based on social media, there is still a large portion of our visitor base that wants to see them. 

------------------------------
Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Curator of Collections
Oak Alley Foundation
Louisiana
------------------------------

I fully encourage you to drop the costumes, especially if they are historically inaccurate.  The public believes us, and if we present incorrect information, they will think it is true forever.

The best way to develop an interpretive tour is the book "Great Tours!"  They did a lot of research into what visitors want and how to create a tour that gives it to them.  They also provide a process for you to follow.  You can invite all of your volunteers to be part of the <g class="gr_ gr_438 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_run_anim Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="438" data-gr-id="438">process,</g> so that they will get more "buy in" to the new tour. I've used it at more than one site with great success.

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Beth Hansen
Easton MD
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2017 11:12 AM
From: Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Subject: Historic Site & House Museum Docent/Tour Guide Attire?

Calling all House Museums and Historic Sites! 

What do your Docents, Tour Guides, or Historic Interpreters wear if they are communicating with the public NOT as a character? Has anyone made the transition from "costume" or historically accurate attire to modern garb, and if so, what was the reason and how did the public respond? 

I am currently encouraging our site to consider dropping the 'costume' for our docents, which is an inaccurate, insensitive outfit that completely mitigates even our best docent's interpretive integrity. However, our identity is closely tied with the costumes, and based on social media, there is still a large portion of our visitor base that wants to see them. 

------------------------------
Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Curator of Collections
Oak Alley Foundation
Louisiana
------------------------------

I forgot to add that if you have a site with grounds you can still have some people <g class="gr_ gr_60 gr-alert gr_spell gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="60" data-gr-id="60">in correct</g> costumes on the grounds carrying out historic skills (which can include ladies doing embroidery).

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Beth Hansen
Easton MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-27-2017 11:23 AM
From: Beth Hansen
Subject: Historic Site & House Museum Docent/Tour Guide Attire?

I fully encourage you to drop the costumes, especially if they are historically inaccurate.  The public believes us, and if we present incorrect information, they will think it is true forever.

The best way to develop an interpretive tour is the book "Great Tours!"  They did a lot of research into what visitors want and how to create a tour that gives it to them.  They also provide a process for you to follow.  You can invite all of your volunteers to be part of the <g class="gr_ gr_438 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_run_anim Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="438" data-gr-id="438">process,</g> so that they will get more "buy in" to the new tour. I've used it at more than one site with great success.

------------------------------
Beth Hansen
Easton MD
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2017 11:12 AM
From: Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Subject: Historic Site & House Museum Docent/Tour Guide Attire?

Calling all House Museums and Historic Sites! 

What do your Docents, Tour Guides, or Historic Interpreters wear if they are communicating with the public NOT as a character? Has anyone made the transition from "costume" or historically accurate attire to modern garb, and if so, what was the reason and how did the public respond? 

I am currently encouraging our site to consider dropping the 'costume' for our docents, which is an inaccurate, insensitive outfit that completely mitigates even our best docent's interpretive integrity. However, our identity is closely tied with the costumes, and based on social media, there is still a large portion of our visitor base that wants to see them. 

------------------------------
Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Curator of Collections
Oak Alley Foundation
Louisiana
------------------------------

We transitioned a number of years ago from costumes to modern attire -- our current front-line uniform involves branded polo shirts or fleeces with basic pants.  Our change was met with some challenges -- mainly from the staff.  But our interpretation shifting to a wide range of time periods (1732-1822) helped solidify the need to change.  Plus, we didn't have the budget to do costuming well, so really our female interpreters were never really fully clothed!  Happy to put you in contact with our interpretive supervisor if you'd like more details...

Gretchen Pendleton
Curator
Stratford Hall (VA)
Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2017 11:12 AM
From: Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Subject: Historic Site & House Museum Docent/Tour Guide Attire?

Calling all House Museums and Historic Sites! 

What do your Docents, Tour Guides, or Historic Interpreters wear if they are communicating with the public NOT as a character? Has anyone made the transition from "costume" or historically accurate attire to modern garb, and if so, what was the reason and how did the public respond? 

I am currently encouraging our site to consider dropping the 'costume' for our docents, which is an inaccurate, insensitive outfit that completely mitigates even our best docent's interpretive integrity. However, our identity is closely tied with the costumes, and based on social media, there is still a large portion of our visitor base that wants to see them. 

------------------------------
Laura Kilcer VanHuss
Curator of Collections
Oak Alley Foundation
Louisiana
------------------------------