Military Uniform Symposium

MEDIA RELEASE

RE: Costume Society of Ontario’s event : “Military Splendour: A Day Devoted To The Study of Historic Military Uniform”.

The Costume Society of Ontario invites everyone interested in costume, fashion , theatrical costuming, fashion design or military history to the society’s special spring event.

“ Military Splendour: A Day Devoted to the Study of Historic Military Uniform”. This event takes place on Saturday, May 23, 1998 at the Torscot Officers Mess, Fort York Armouries (corner of Fleet Street and Garrison Road) in Toronto.

Speakers include: Robert Land, Period Cobbler, on Reproducing Historic Military Footwear, Paul Federico, of the 78th Fraser Highlanders, on National and Ethnic Influences on Military Uniform, and Ed Anderson on Canadian Military Uniforms from the French Regime to the 1900’s and on The Psychology of Uniforms.

This event will take place from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (Lunch is from 11:30 am -1:00 pm and includes a cash bar. Lunch is included in the price, participants need to fill in the registration form for food choices).

The registration price also includes a tour of the Royal Military Museum at Fort York Armouries and a day pass to Historic Fort York.

The cost is $30.00 (for CSO members) and $40.00 ( for non members).

To register return the form with your cheque or money order no later than May 15 to : The Costume Society of Ontario, Box 981, Station F- Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2N9.

The new CSO website is : http://www3.sympatico.ca/costume_society

The Costume Society of Ontario (CSO) is committed, through lectures, seminars, workshops, field trips and publications, to explore the fascinating world of body covering. The mission of the CSO is: to promote education in all aspects of dress to individuals who share an interest in costume or textile history, theatrical costuming or fashion design and to encourage the preservation of historic costume and related source materials. The CSO is volunteer based and not-for-profit.

For more information contact the Costume Society of Ontario at (416) 977-4280 or (416) 977-0681

At 20:41 01.05.98 GMT, you wrote: 'Military Splendour': I hope you will show the military uniforms covered with the blood of the soldiers, maybe even the uniform of housewives getting killed in bomb raides, the school uniform of children shot in Sarajevo etc. How naive will that day be? Peter, the Rebernik ..

Dear Peter,

The list can really do without such asinine comments. Save it for other such narrow minded people.

Dear Scott, I am sure you realise that 'military splendor' has something - essentially - to do with killing, bombs and blood. I think it is worth while to recognise this even on such a 'splendid' day. The splendid uniforms should not let us forget what they are for: killing, bombs and blood. It might well be that they are only needed for defending our way of life and our children, country and homes. But the job is doomed to 'killing, bombs and blood' and it seem 'asinine' to forget that, I believe. And: essentially, cultural institutions like museums should not refrain from giving the whole picture, not just pleasing the public and let them forget about what the 'real thing' is, like we always do when concerning indigenious people or the endangered environment. We - the human race, the kids and the families - are and were always endangered by the 'military splendor', which invariably ends like Napoleon in Moscow, with Nazis, in the massacres of Vietnam, with Intifada ....

thanks for listening yours, Peter, the Rebernik

PS: Maybe these thoughts are European or even Austrian: my grandparents had to live through two world wars, since we live in the century which can put numbers to the world wars! My grandfather was a soldier in both wars, first with 16 years then with 41 years. We got bombed and shot at. And wounded. And the homes destroyed. Lastly, it was for a good cause, but war is not fun, is not costumes ...

At 16:28 02.05.98 -0600, you wrote: