If you look at the show's website, you will see that the costume designer made the New Englanders drab on purpose. Remember that the Adamses lived before the vibrant dyes of the 19th century were invented. The color range for a New England housewife was very limited.
Yes, the Adamses did have servants, hired hands who did the heavy farm work. Abigail was also helped by her uncle Cotton Tufts. (I read many letters of the Adamses when I was a senior in high school in the 70's,) I've seen the first two parts. I'm no expert on the period but it's > obvious that they've come down with "olde tyme disease", trying to make > everything look old fashioned. All the costumes are unnaturally drab and > dull, and very plain. There's no embroidery, no color, and no texture to > anything. I've seen late 18th century clothing in pictures and in person > and it is sometimes vibrantly colored, even simple men's suits had color > and decoration. Mrs. Adams doesn't seem to own a single ruffle or a > flowered dress so common to the period. Even her dinner gown in the > first episode was very drab even if it was silk. > > > > Servants? What servants? I'd expect the Adams' to have a couple > farmhands and at least one girl in the house, but I've seen none. > There's no way Abigail is running the farm by herself with 3 small kids. > They might have a cow and some chickens, but no way there's a crop > coming without help. > > Despite that I'm actually enjoying the show. It's nice to get period > programming even if they do take a few liberties. I don't think this > story has been completely butchered. > > > Dawn > > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
