FEATURE
Historical Interpretation Sparks a Second Career
The reconstructed Tryon Palace. Photo courtesy of Tryon Palace.
My name is Joseph Anderson, and I am an independent education consultant. For the past year and a half, I have been a contractor for the Tryon Palace Foundation, conducting the Palace Scholars Outreach Program. Thanks to grant funding for this program, I can take a team of costumed interpreters to Title 1 schools within a one-hundred-and-ten-mile radius of Tryon Palace, a historic New Bern, North Carolina site. This distance allows the outreach team to travel to and from schools in a single day. Title 1 schools have many economically disadvantaged students and can apply for government funding to hire additional teachers and purchase books and other materials.
Tryon Palace is a reconstruction of the original North Carolina colonial capitol building, which was built between 1767 and 1770 but then burned in 1798 due to an accidental fire. Thanks to the philanthropic efforts of prominent and wealthy White women in North Carolina known as the Dreamers, the Palace was faithfully reconstructed on its original foundation in the 1950s, using copies of the architect's original plans. The building is a landmark, a living history museum, and a top tourist attraction.
With a master’s degree in public history and nine years of previous experience as an employee at Tryon Palace, I bring a unique blend of knowledge and expertise to the Palace Scholars Outreach Program. Several diverse roles I have portrayed prepared me to lead this program. These roles included part-time historical interpreter, palace tour leader, historical cook, blacksmith, and African American heritage tour guide, resulting in a rich and engaging experience for those students who visit the building in person.
Stanly Spaight Duel Reenactment, with Joseph Anderson (right) playing the second to John Stanly (center, holding the pistol). The other gentleman pictured (left) was responsible for reloading the pistols during this reenactment. Photo courtesy of Tryon Palace.
While working at the Palace and living in the community, I was fortunate to meet other creative folks who stepped forward and wanted to join me in this new interpretive venture. The other interpretive team members accompanying me also have various skills and backgrounds, including extensive military training, acting, and weaving skills, all contributing to a one-of-a-kind educational experience. In addition to training the outreach interpretive team, my role includes informing school administrators and teachers about the outreach program and scheduling and tracking our historic presentations with schools that request them.
The outreach program was developed to allow schools that cannot afford to take a field trip to Tryon Palace due to distance or budget to have the opportunity to have the Palace come to them in the form of an engaging, educational, and entertaining outreach experience. Usually, three to four interpreters are
involved in each presentation, and we share the responsibility for delivering the classroom lessons.
Our outreach efforts are engaging and highly educational. They align seamlessly with the North Carolina standard course of study for fourth- through eighth-grade students, ensuring they receive a comprehensive and relevant learning experience. The best part? The program is free to schools and available throughout the school year, providing a valuable supplement to the standard curriculum.
One of our most exciting outreach efforts recently occurred when we traveled to E. B. Frink Middle School in LaGrange, North Carolina. Our presentation was put together on just a few days’ notice since the school was expecting another presentation, which was canceled. After a quick consultation with the teacher (Chadwick Stokes), he briefed his students on the history of Tryon Palace so they could be prepared for our visit.
Once my team and I arrived at the school, we set up our easels, which held pictures of Royal Governor William Tryon's wife, Margaret Wake Tryon, and an image of Tryon Palace itself. We also laid out a display of touch-and-tell items. After we delivered our historical narrative, we invited the students to examine the items in our touch-and-tell display, which included navigation items such as telescopes, compasses, and sextants, weaving materials, the contents of a soldier’s knapsack, and items made by blacksmith artisans, including their tools. This interactive component is usually the highlight of our presentations, and it was a particularly rewarding day to see the students’ enthusiasm and engagement.
What made the day notable was that each student was asked to develop several questions for the interpretive team and draw a picture of Tryon Palace. As the students gathered around our touch-and-tell items arrayed on several tables, I noticed one student holding his notebook, which showed a picture of Tryon Palace. I commented that it was a nice drawing, and then another student showed me their notebook drawing. This was when I realized that all 180 students had also drawn pictures of the Palace. Wow, what a treat to see all this effort displayed in student artwork! I asked if they would mind if I took a picture of their drawings, and one by one, the students held forth their notebooks as I quickly whipped out my phone and snapped as many photos as possible without disrupting the presentation. Seeing how much effort the students put into their artwork made the long ride to and from the school seem worth the journey.
Great deeds and everyday life captured and brought to life through interpretation are what drew me to the art of historical interpretation. What better way to make history come alive than by acting out people’s lives from the past through living history interpretation? The outreach program allows me to bring the history of the past to students who will construct the future.
E. B. Frink Middle School student drawings of Tryon Palace. Photos courtesy of Joseph Anderson.
Historical interpreter Joey Carlton explains the fine art of weaving. Photo courtesy of Joseph Anderson.
A Soldier’s Story: Interpretation at Tryon Palace
In addition to the outreach program, I had some meaningful interpretive experiences when I performed first-person interpretation on the grounds of Tryon Palace itself. This type of interpretation provided me with the background and opportunity to hone my interpretive skills over time by interacting directly with the public more spontaneously. During the Fourth of July holiday, Tryon Palace opens its doors to the public free of charge. To set the stage for the event, interpreters in period costumes mingle with the crowd as they await the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence. The entire Declaration is read with enough enthusiasm to elicit several “Huzzahs” from the attentive audience. During one such event, I portrayed a Revolutionary War soldier named Asa Spelman while strolling through the gardens surrounding the Palace and interacting with visitors.
Now in his advanced age, some New Bern townsfolk were skeptical of the truth behind Asa’s tales of his exploits, particularly the story about his meeting General George Washington. Interestingly, General Washington visited New Bern in 1791 during his tour of the South States, so historical facts support this event. Washington even danced at the Palace during a ball given in his honor, and as legend has it, he gave each lady in attendance at least one spin around the ballroom floor.
However, when the Revolutionary War veteran Asa Spelman recounted his meeting with General Washington, his listeners questioned how much of his account was fact or fiction. Asa’s vindication and my epiphany arrive every time I portray his character. For Asa, this moment is described by memoirist John D. Whitford in Catherine W. Bishir’s book Crafting Lives: African American Artisans in New Bern, North Carolina, 1770 -1900. Asa made sure to be in town on the day the former president visited New Bern:
Tryon Palace interpreters Susan Griffin, Peter Vedova, Joseph Anderson, and Gary Riggs. Photo courtesy of Tryon Palace.
[The] test is about to be made of Asa’s truthfulness. There stands Washington in his presence, with all that dignity which threw such majesty around him wherever he might be. “Why Asy,” as the negro approached, exclaimed the great man, “how came you here, I am glad to see you,” at the moment extending his hand, which of course was grasped with becoming pride and respect. Next to Washington that day, “Asy” was the hero of the occasion. But he knew his place and did not try to exceed the proper limits. Therefore he was respected until bowed with the weight of near ninety years he sank down in a patriot’s grave. His name is on the Craven County list of Revolutionary patriots.
In my work, I wear various costumes and interpret historical characters from the near and distant past to give them a voice in the present. Sometimes, people have asked me how I feel about portraying some of the characters I represent during my interpretive work. Of course, I know they are getting at the fact that many of these characters would have been enslaved. I respond that as a retired business executive, I wore a suit and tie to work—this is just another costume. I did not quickly come to this understanding. However, as I reflect and understand that if I had been unwilling to portray a servant and other characters, I might not have gained the opportunity to bring Asa Spelman back to life through interpretation. Historical characters brought to life through interpretation help us evaluate and compare our current cultural experience to those of our predecessors.
Historical interpreters Susan Griffin, Peter Vedova, and Joe Anderson standing in the Tryon Palace Courtyard. Photo courtesy of Tryon Palace.
What about Color-Blind Casting?
Portraying a Revolutionary War soldier allowed me to step into a role and use my imagination to reveal him to the public. New Bern, North Carolina’s rich history includes events and objects that benefit from accurate interpretation. Another opportunity to expand my interpretive repertoire occurred when I participated in the annual reenactment of the Stanly Spaight Duel. I was asked to serve as the second to John Stanly, incumbent congressman, who fatally shot Richard Dobbs Spaight, former governor and congressman, on September 5, 1802. Their political feud had been brewing for two years, and it finally came to a tragic end. A second serves as a backup and support person during a duel with pistols or swords.
What I found interesting here is that a person of color would not have been allowed to serve as a second for either of these two gentlemen in 1802. Still, the moment’s creativity allowed me to interpret the role of a second, just as we saw a rephrasing of the Broadway play Hamilton when it was cast with actors of color. The future looks bright for BIPOC interpreters to expand their interpretive opportunities.
Finally, I have developed a personal mission statement that helps guide me through both challenges and opportunities. It states that I apply comparative historical analysis to objects, events, and people to enhance the interpretive experience for the public. As a historian, having a mission statement helps guide my decision-making and keeps me focused. The art of interpretation has given me a second career, and for that, I am thankful.
