18th Century Day is an annual event at the General Philip Schuyler House in Schuylerville, NY, part of the Saratoga National Historical Park. I had been a number of years ago, but this year I went and brought my camera along. (In the above photo, a blacksmith explains his trade.)
First I met the chair caner, who was recaning a chair that dated back to the late 1800s, using the same style of caning that has been used for centuries.
Next, the soap maker shared why homemade soaps are better than store-bought ones (they don’t lather as much, which is a marketing gimmick used to make the soap run out faster and dry out your skin).
Above, the spinners.
The humorous Punch and Judy Show was true to the times. Unfortunately, I only caught the tail end of it.
Ranger Joe Craig was on hand to bring history to life!
The man who sheered the sheep regaled visitors with some of the humorous things children have said over the years at his presentations.
The brewer gave out samples of porter.
The fiddler formed one third of a lovely musical trio playing 18th century tunes.
Ranger Joe was kind enough to pose for a portrait, as was puppeteer Eric Olsen, who offered his talent to the Punch and Judy Show.
Who doesn’t want to pet the oxen?
The cordwainer explained how shoes are made.
I always enjoy my time at the Saratoga National Historic Park. It’s great to have such an historic location so close to home. I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos!
