If he had lived in the eighteenth century, Henry Cooke would have been called a Master Tailor. Today we call him a historical costumer, but his tailoring is no less masterful. In an era when all clothing was hand- made, proper fit was important. Achieving the right fit and the right look means understanding the way clothing was constructed. Cooke has made a livelihood out of studying original garments, finding the best materials, and mastering the techniques of measurement, cutting and construction that make reproduction clothing look like the real thing; if you’ve been to a museum, a site with historical interpretation, or a reenactment, you may have seen his work or at least seen his influence. We spoke with him about his remarkable profession.
Henry Cooke
How did you get started in this unusual business?
It started out as a practical matter – I got into reenacting in 1974 and needed clothing. My mother was a sewing teacher and dressmaker, but the only patterns I could get were from the publication Sketchbook ’76, which had rough patterns and minimal information, and no instructions.
As time went on, I got involved in creating the 10th Massachusetts Regiment in 1977 and had guys who needed uniforms. The only supplier we knew was in New Jersey and his quality didn’t seem too good, and I said I could do better, and so started making uniform clothing for the guys in my unit. Word spread, and I started making clothing for others.
Meanwhile, as an undergrad at Tufts University, I changed majors from geology to history, and began to learn how to do documentary and material cultural research and began to understand better how clothing of the Revolutionary era was constructed.
I decided that I wanted to get into the heads of the tailors of the past to better understand their techniques and technology and began to use my historian skills to do primary source research and began to visit museums to study original garments. I will always be grateful to the generosity of those curators who welcomed me into their institutions and allowed me hands-on freedom to study garments, taking notes and occasionally patterns.
Your work requires a combination of historical research and craftsmanship. How do you apportion your time between these two distinct pursuits?
It depends on the project. Some require more research than others, and often for museum figures, the research has already been done, and I just need to learn more about the clothing and its construction finishing and embellishment and find sources for the materials needed to do the job.In other cases, I need to do considerable research to literally develop a description of an ensemble for a specific persona, and the individual garments and accessories within it. In the case of a military figure, this might also require determining the proper equipment and arms and then finding sources for them.
Some of your work goes to people who will wear it while performing everyday period tasks, while some of it is strictly for display. Do you approach these two types of projects differently?
Not really. Sometimes the clothing for historical interpreters is requested to be made entirely by hand, while others are made with inside seams sewn by machine, with all finishing and visible stitching done by hand.
How do you handle customers who want things that don’t make sense from a historical perspective, whether it be inaccurate designs, inappropriate colors or materials, or unlikely combinations of garments?
I try to encourage them to follow known and documented historical practices, and always reserve the right to refuse to take on a project if it doesn’t meet my standards for historical authenticity.
What has been your most challenging project?
To date, the most challenging project was the research and production of clothing to outfit three figures of George Washington for the Ford Center at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. It was a tremendous learning experience. Originally, I was supposed to just make clothing, but as the project developed, my understanding of clothing as a mould of the body within it proved a useful skill. As I worked as part of a team that included sculptors, historians, and a forensic anthropologist we gained insights into the shape of the “real” George Washington, and through that insight gained a better understanding of the physical presence of this Founding Father, how it affected his personality, attitude and actions.
Are there some projects you find more rewarding than others?
Repair and conservation of original garments is very rewarding, because you are helping to save a piece of history and make it so it can be displayed and appreciated. Helping a customer create a persona through my clothing is also rewarding, as it allows me to use all my skills as a researcher and my creative and production skills. Museum mannequins can also be rewarding as they allow me to stretch my skills and help create figures that are believable down to the smallest details.
In addition to creating garments, you host workshops and seminars where you teach people how to make their own. Has this achieved the results you hope for, and do you find it rewarding?
I learned a long time ago that I couldn’t make clothing for everyone, and many folks have good basic skills, and can make clothing that will fit and function well and correctly. I also learned that while some people want to learn the inner art of tailoring, many are content with picking up a few skills needed to make a particular garment they want to make, be it a coat, vest, or legwear. The most rewarding part is helping someone discover their sewing abilities and see the pleasure they take in their accomplishment.
What is the benefit to historic sites, reenactors and others in using clothing that is accurately made, as opposed to things that simply look OK from a distance?
Clothing made in a historically correct manner will function like the original garments did, enhancing the abilities of the reenactor or interpreter to bring the past to life in a believable way. The clothing, beyond being a visual prop, itself becomes part of the material culture of the historical interpreter and another interpretive object to be used in helping to tell the story of the interpreter better. Properly made and fitted military clothing allows the equipment worn to fit properly and move with the body, and not inhibit the reenactor’s abilities or safety.
Excerpted with permission from Journal of the American Revolution, November 2015. allthingsliberty.com
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Preserving History
The Concord Museum maintains a fascinating collection of historical clothing, including these beautifully preserved items:
Per2056 Gift of Mrs. Leete and Miss Farmer (1905). Vest: Per 2056a Gift of Mrs. Leete and Miss Farmer (1905).This stunning olive-green great coat was made in 1784-1785. It’s made of wool with green glazed wool lining and large pewter buttons with an incised fan design. The coat is similar in style to military dress with a close fit. This “fall down” style is typical of coats from early 1170 - 1780s. Notes from Henry Cooke (Aug. 2007) indicate that this is an example of a coat for middle class, everyday (or at least Sunday) use. The coat was used by Daniel Chester French in modeling the “Concord Minute Man (Minuteman)” statue.
The square cut waistcoat is made of printed, glazed, worsted wool or cotton front with a plain cotton back and lining. The diamond pattern in green, cream and brown is edged with a floral pattern in brown and cream. The floral edge is a continuous pattern, not a separately sewn tape. Henry Cooke (Aug. 2007) tells us that this waistcoat was the height of fashion in its day, possibly of English manufacture. “A poor man’s” version of an embroidered waistcoat.
These breeches (pants) were made circa 1770 in the Concord area. They are of black glazed wool with a wool or homespun cream lining and an interesting gather at the knee. Henry Cooke noted, in Aug 2007, that these are a locally produced object, an example of middle class, everyday use clothing.
Cos71.7a. Shoes: Per 114a-b. This pair of beautiful white linen shoes were made 1770-1785. They are embroidered in flower or strawberry pattern and bound with pale green ribbon. The shoes are hand sewn and are probably very early with heavy silver buckles. Although there were many cobblers at work in this country, American milliners often imported fancy English shoes like these for sale to their customers in the 18th century. The strawberries embroidered on these shoes call to mind a similar motif that can be found in contemporary Boston needlework samplers. Toward the end of the century the production of shoes came to be more centralized and new technologies abetted the manufacturing process. The town of Lynn, Massachusetts, was famous as a shoe production center in the early 19th century.
All images Courtesy of the Concord Museum www.concordmuseum.org