August 2024

August has flown by in a whirlwind of events and activity. We successfully completed the goal of being two places at once, in two different periods! The Samson family set up the store at Fort Niagara in New York for the Revolutionary War Weekend. We are happy to report the weather was warm but lovely and history was felt by all. At the same time, two of the Samson seamstress team, Kris and Molly, set up another store in the year 1812 at Old Fort Wayne in Indiana. They were welcomed and made to feel at home during the maiden voyage of their new set up.

As many of you know we were featured in the New York Times this year. This phenomenon has created connections we never could have dreamed of. First was a woman from here in Indiana who entrusted us as caretakers for her families original period furniture, brought over from England. Later, another individual mailed us a stunning Revolutionary War era drum and leather case to protect and maintain. Most recently an Ohioan chose us as the next home for his collection of 17^th through 19^th century eyeglasses.  We as a family believe we are simply the current stewards of the pieces that were created long before us and it is our job to ensure they continue to exist after we are gone. It is a deep personal, humbling, honor to have the baton passed to us from the previous heralds of our collective past.

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A Cordial Invitation

Come join us at our hometown event, Colonial Market Days, in Lebanon, Indiana September 20^th – 22^nd. This is the perfect chance to see wonderful demonstrations, eat good food, and explore history with the best people around. If you have time you can pop in and see our storefront just a few minutes away. All of the registration and information is available at ColonialMarketDays.com

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Special Delivery

 As we stand on the cusp of our fall travel season we are filled with excitement and the usual trepidation. There is one question that plagues all merchants at every event… did we bring the right stuff? You will find a new option at checkout on our website to “pick up at store or event”.  Now you can have your needed items brought to you, packaged and ready to go at an event. These orders will be ready to pick up as soon as we start setting up camp and through the rest of the weekend at your convenience.

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From the Vernacular

In honor of school starting again we have a fun new word for pupils of every age, courtesy of the Samuel Johnson Dictionary ca. 1768.

Abecedarian [from the names of a, b, c.]

                  A teacher of the alphabet, or the first rudiments of  literature

Abecedary

                  Belonging to the alphabet.

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The Rittenhouse Orrery

In 1948, in the basement of McCosh Hall at Princeton University, carpenters discovered a dusty old shipping crate containing a curious and largely forgotten machine. It was the once-famous orrery made by astronomer David Rittenhouse in 1770, purchased for the college in 1771, only to be lost after it was exhibited at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893.  

Orreries are mechanical models of the universe with moving parts that depict the motions of the heavenly bodies. The more complex orreries were made like clocks, from intricate arrangements of interlocking gears, and like most clocks they were powered by a crank that stored energy in the apparatus. Once wound, the machine slowly unwound, moving the gears and the miniature planetary bodies that were attached. The more precisely made, the more accurately the orreries depicted the motions of heavenly bodies as people of the time understood them. 

 While common in Europe, orreries were almost unheard of in the American colonies before the work of David Rittenhouse. Born in 1732 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Though he received little formal education, he took an early interest in mathematics and astronomy, and showed an early aptitude for mechanical pursuits. With a desire to “astonish the skilful and curious examiner,” he began constructing his orrery in 1767 and completed in 1768.

His machine was unlike any before. Four foot square with a face made of painted sheet-brass, the orrery was fitted with two large dials. The first centers on the sun, around which travel the known planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, each with their known satellites. The second dial -- by far the most “astonishing” -- is interlocked with the first and equipped with hands that can be set to specific hours, days, months, and years. Rittenhouse’s machine could be adjusted to show the positions of the planetary bodies at any given moment down to the hour in a 5,000-year period.  

 In his Notes on Virginia (1781),Thomas Jefferson used Rittenhouse’s creation to contradict the Comte de Buffon and to prove that America produced greatness: “We have supposed Mr. Rittenhouse second to no astronomer living: that in genius he must be the first, because he is self-taught.”

To learn more about the Rittenhouse, his triumph of human ingenuity, and the lasting effect this moment had on science for decades, watch for the blog “The Rittenhouse Orrery” coming soon.

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Upcoming Events

NWTA Grand Encampment Jubilee Celebration

Fort Meigs, August 24^th & 25^th

It is the 50^th birthday of the NWTA and they have pulled out all of the stops. A long list of activities, shows, and entertainments are looking to form a fine weekend of family fun. 

9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
29100 W. River Rd. Perrysburg, OH 43551

See the Fort Meigs website for admission pricing

Fair at New Boston

August 31^st & September 1^st

Spend your Labor Day weekend at the turn of the 19^th century. Fun, food, and adventure are sure to delight. A favorite spectacle for our family is the period globe aerostatique demonstration (see the June news-letter).

Saturday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

 930 South Tecumseh Road, Springfield, OH 45506

Visit Grcha.org for pricing details