We’re taking a short turn-around trip to No. 11- putting up curtains and getting some good pictures are the goal. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 situation forces us to maintain social distancing for now but not to worry, we’ll be back! 🙂
Tombstone
Off To No. 11
There are draperies to make, new gowns, product and corsets to shoot, and little crazy dogs to take for walks. It’s going to be busy at No. 11 pretty soon. We’re going to make an extra effort to get to town at some point, maybe we’ll get to enjoy a summer monsoon…either way, some Old West fun is needed.
A Trip To The OK Corral…
The gunfight at the OK Corral has been a key element in Tombstone’s history and with the current quarantine we’ve been unable to make our usual pilgrimage. So, just to keep the memories fresh, we decided to bump up a post we made sometime ago describing one of our visits. Enjoy!
No trip to Tombstone is complete without a visit to the OK Corral and today both of us at Lily Absinthe paid a visit. The lighting was excellent, reminding us of our visit to Monet’s Giverny Gardens, so we decided to take advantage and get some pictures and soak up some period ambiance. 🙂
Who is that saucy lady? Why, she’s Karin McKechnie, the one arm of Lily Absinthe.
Out for a drive, Karin insisted on going out without a driver…scandalous!
Another view, Karin dropped in at Fly’s Studio but fortunately, Ike Clanton had departed long before.
Adam is checking on his holdings and has been assured that the assay is good.
Adam dropped in at Fly’s Studio…word has it that Johnny Behan is hiding out there from the Cowboys…
Adam taking his ease behind the OK Corral…what’s that, no gun? He left it in his other suit…
Checking out our investment…I am not sure that the automobile will go anywhere but at least it’s in a color other than black.
Close up outside of the Tombstone Visitor Center.
OK, the last three pictures were actually taken across the street from the OK Corral but hey, it’s close enough. 🙂
As you can see from the above pictures, we’re dressed for a day out on the town in clothing typical of the late 1870s – early 1880s. In the case of Adam’s sack suit, this is a style that eventually segued into the modern business suit and will work for the 1880s through the early 1900s. This particular suit is made from linen with a lining of shirt-weight Pima cotton.
In the case of the Karin’s dress, this is a Parisian-sprigged cotton print trimmed in silk from the c. 1879. This is a dress definitely designed for a warmer climate. So, Gentle Reader, contrary to popular belief, Victorian Era clothing does not have to be dull, drab, and/or uncomfortable! 🙂
Some Unseen Friends At No. 11
Believe what you want, but there are others who live here that we don’t see. Sometimes they play pranks on us, make noises, but it’s nothing awfuI. I think we may have shocked them by bringing Fiona (she’s a force!) but Angus has been snuggling, chatting, and sharing his toys with one of them. Think I’m all woowoo crazy? Spend a night here alone and get back to me. 😆
A Look Back At The Movie Tombstone…
As we’re leaving No. 11 today, the movie Tombstone hasn’t been far from our thoughts so in honor of the movie, we thought we’d re-post our take on some of the costuming aspects of the movie, so enjoy!
The Earps and Doc Holiday off to the date with destiny at the OK Corral- From the movie Tombstone.
On a costuming level, the movie Tombstone never fails to excite interest and invariably, the question will arise: “How historically accurate are the costumes?” The short answer is “Somewhat…” Yes, much of the costuming is fairly accurate although one may quibble on the specific details. One of my favorites is the much-maligned Johnny Behan:
Johnny Behan wearing a tailored blue/gray pin stripe sack suit.
A better view of Johnny Behan’s suit.
Behan’s is wearing a well-tailored sack suit proper for someone in his position. Unlike the usual image of the scruffy frontier marshal or sheriff, Behan was more of a politician and his primary job was collecting enough tax revenue to keep the Cochise County government financially afloat. The actual work of dealing with criminals was tasked to several deputies.
That said, let’s take a look at the central focus of the movie, Wyatt Earp:
This is the iconic Wyatt Earp outfit, one that has been widely imitated over the years by those recreating the Earp persona, usually for reenactments of the gunfight at the OK Corral. Now, as for historical accuracy, the coat itself is wrong. There were no ankle-length frock coats. Anything this long would be some sort of greatcoat. The frock coat of the later 19th Century tended to come down to just above the knee.
OK, so it rates a boo and a hiss…or does it? Bear in mind that this is a movie and a movie’s primary goal it to tell a story. Costuming supports this story-telling process and it’s often subject to conscious design changes in order to increase the dramatic effect. In this case, it’s pretty successful, judging from how much it’s imitated and let’s face it, it does increase the dramatic effect, especially when done in black (both the length and color choice were deliberate choices made the director). The effects of black color, coat length, and pictures of it flapping open in the breeze all suggest a superhero figure. So in the end, it’s all about telling a story.
Now just for a little equal time, here’s the Earps and Doc Holliday off to the OK Corral gunfight in the movie Wyatt Earp:
The Earps and Doc Holiday off to the OK Corral and thei date with destiny- from the movie Wyatt Earl.
Compared to the top picture from Tombstone, the look in the above picture from Wyatt Earp is bit more gritty and less heroic (in fact, the actual gunfight scene itself is a bit anticlimactic in the movie). One is not more “correct” than the other, both go for a specific dramatic effect. Whether one is more effective than the other is subjective, in the eye of the viewer (we have our favorite, too).
So Gentle Readers, where does this leave us? Well, it goes to show that one must be mindful of the historically correct while at the same time being mindful that a movie’s objective differs from simply a recitation of historical events in that it also seeks to entertain. As a rule, costume designers go to great lengths to school themselves on what is historically appropriate for the period being depicted and they know exactly where departures are made.
If one thinks that this is a recent development, it is not. A good example of this in an earlier era is from the movie Gone with the Wind which was released in 1939. in which the costuming of the background and supporting characters is historically correct but the costumes for the lead actors were not. In closing, we view movies with an open mind and believe that costuming for film is an art form all itself and we like that.