WE ARE HISTORICAL REENACTORS AND PUBLIC SPEAKERS, AND PRESENT A VARIETY OF HISTORIC PROGRAMS TO CLUBS, MUSEUMS, SCHOOLS,ETC., WHILE DRESSED IN PERIOD CLOTHING.
WE ALSO DO PAID GROUP TOURS OF OUR C. 1780 HOME IN 17TH OR 18THC. COSTUME, AND SERVE LIGHT REFRESHMENTS IN THE TAPROOM. EMAIL US FOR FEE AND TO SCHEDULE A HOME TOUR OR A PROGRAM.
DURING THE YEAR, WE HAVE ONE VERY SPECIAL EVENTS\ IN OUR OWN HOME SUCH AS OUR 'DINNER WITH THE PILGRIMS', OR A COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG INSPIRED '18THC. CHRISTMASTIDE GALA'. WE ACCEPT A LIMITED NUMBER OF PAID RESERVATIONS FOR THESE EVENTS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN HUGELY POPULAR AND SUCCESSFUL.
PLEASE EMAIL US FOR PROGRAM, TOUR, OR EVENT INFORMATION AND FEES, AND FOR ANY CUSTOM ART SERVICES YOU MAY DESIRE.
Adam has a BFA in illustration and design from Lesley University/ Art Institute of Boston. He has been an editorial cartoonist and graphic designer for many clients in New Hampshire. He has been a graphic designer for over 20 years. The COUNTRY LADY WEBSITE is the product of his creativity and design. All of the posters too were conceived, designed, and executed by us. Following are a few cards that we designed for ourselves. Let Adam D. Spencer 'Creative Solutions' design whatever you may need~
Dog slumber party
Recently we purchased this rather beaten up, old 'faux book' storage box at an antique shop for a very low price. We felt it was perfect to keep on a bedside table to hide our ugly TV remote, etc., and that with a little work and TLC it could look quite wonderful! If you find an old book box, let us do this for you~
'Faux book' BEFORE photos~
The 'binding' is spring loaded and opens to store things inside.
We saw a similar very large book on a court cupboard at Plimoth Plantation. We did some research and discovered a large, popular book during the 17thc. was John Milton's 'Paradise Lost'.
We also researched 17thc lettering, and chose one we liked. Adam hand painted 'PARADISE LOST' and 'MILTON' on the 'spine' in the period style lettering we chose.
We painted the sides to resemble pages...
and Mary 'aged' them. We also aged the rest of the 'book'. Below are the AFTER photos!
This project turned out great, and it's so nice to have somewhere to hide the TV remote!
We do all manner of custom artwork projects for clients. Please contact us if you would like any custom work done~
We are living history reenactors. Adam is a graphic designer and educator, and Mary has been an antiques dealer and public speaker for many years. We present a number of different programs to clubs, historical societies and museums, etc. and offer paid group tours of our period house authentically furnished with 17thc. antiques. We reenact several different time periods, from c. 1660 through the 1770’s, at various living history events.
Our most popular program is called ‘DRESSING A COLONIAL LADY’. Due to the wonderful reviews we get, we have even received recognition from the New Hampshire Humanities Council. We get our speaking engagements and appearances through the flyers we send out, from word of mouth, and from our website, www.thecountryladyantiques.com. We have excellent references from historical societies and clubs throughout New England. Our website gets over 8000 visits a month. We have been featured in several newspapers and national magazines.
We are gratified to see how much interest there is in how our ancestors dressed and lived life every day, over 200 years ago. Men, women, and children seem to love this program very much. When we arrive, Adam is in full colonial attire of the mid 18th century, and Mary is dressed only in a long white linen shift---the basic undergarment of colonial women, regardless of social status. She wears long stockings with knee garters. Layer by layer, her husband Adam helps her to dress in a typical day gown of a middling woman of the 1700’s. The audience will learn that women’s clothing of the period never had buttons---only tapes made on a tape loom, and why it was necessary for her to have assistance with the sometimes difficult and restrictive clothing.
When we arrive, we bring many articles of women’s 18thc. style clothing items. We place these items, with tags, on tables. After the program, the audience is invited to come up and look and handle, and ask about the various items. During the program Adam first laces Mary into ‘stays’. These, as well as the period gowns were custom made for Mary, and are stringently historically correct. The audience will learn the purpose of all of the items of clothing and more.They will learn what a ‘housewife’ and a ‘bodkin’ are, and what they were used for. Mary’s shoes are also period-correct. The audience will come away with a real appreciation for how an everyday woman of the period would dress, and still perform her duties and chores in clothing that is so restrictive, that they as 21st century people cannot imagine wearing. They will learn why ‘stays’ were so important and that a garment would never fit without them, how valuable textiles and clothing were in the 18thc., and much more. During the program, all are invited to ask any and all questions, including questions about the men’s 18thc. attire that Adam wears as well. We feel this program is a fascinating, entertaining, and light-hearted first hand look into another era, and our audiences seem to as well!
We both have extensive backgrounds in living history, and in colonial life, and the clothing of the period. Because we reenact battles and 17th and 18th century life at historical events for museums such as Ft. Ticonderoga, Old Sturbridge Village, Saratoga, Ft. Pemaquid, Quebec, and many others, it is very important that we portray in our actions and our dress, life as it was at the time, and we have considerable experience at doing that. We also do select public appearances in period attire. We have had roles and bit parts in films, such as the documentary on King Phillip’s War, “The First Patriots”, and “The War That Made America”, on PBS.
We sincerely hope that you will visit our website to learn more about us, and that you will contact us if you are interested in booking a DRESSING A COLONIAL LADY program!
Sincerely,
Adam and Mary Spencer
www.thecountryladyantiques.com
We and our home have been featured in numerous newspapers, books, and magazines, including EARLY AMERICAN LIFE, EARLY HOMES, NEW HAMPSHIRE, and many more.
As “The Itinerant Limner”, Mary paint historically correct Rufus Porter style wall murals in the past. She is the ORIGINAL 'wall ager', developing her own process years ago. She did the walls in her own home which was featured in Early American Life magazine in 2002, and which many tried to copy but could never duplicate. She was featured on the front page of the Concord (N.H.) Monitor newspaper when she painted the wall murals in the historic Grace Fletcher House in Hopkinton, N.H.
Adam and Mary have been featured in many newspapers and several national magazines, including EARLY HOMES.
Adam and Mary collaborate and together paint custom ordered fireboards,“dummy boards”, (also known as “silent companions”), etc. for clients.
This is a photograph of a fireboard we recently painted for a customer in a primitive style, as well as a picture of a pair of children 'silent companions.
We ship everywhere, and would be happy to do custom work for you. Contact us, and we will work with you to create a one-of-a-kind treasure for your home.
ALL SALES FINAL