Sarah Walsh
Reconstructing the Spoken Word of the 18th Century through the Adams Letters and Language
The letters between John and Abigail Adams survive as one of the most comprehensive records of day-to-day life as well as political events during the Revolution and Early Federal period. But while there have been many different scholarly examinations of the Adams’s lives, we may be tempted to view their correspondence as passive, static documents to be studied in silence and isolation. At the time they were written, however, reading letters was a communal act. The entire household gathered around, listening eagerly to all the news and gossip from their loved one. Indeed, during the time of the American Revolution, much news and information would have been received orally, whether it was listening to a personal letter, hearing a broadside in the local tavern, or engaging in a conversation on the street. What would it have been like to listen in on one of those moments? Without audio recordings how could we possibly even know? Join Abigail Adams interpreter Sarah Walsh and historical dialect coach Christopher S. Davis in a live recording session of “Adams Letters and Language: A Revolutionary, Elocutionary Podcast”. They will present the evidence for our understanding of historical speech; explore the artistic elements that go into this work; and discuss how reconstructing the voices of the past can help us more deeply connect to our forebears. Part presentation, part discussion this session promises to be a unique experience as we lift the words of John and Abigail’s letters off the page and into your ears.
Christopher Sherwood Davis is a former supervisor at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, which is where he became obsessed with that iconic event. In addition to training the interpreters and managing daily tour operations, he helped research and develop a number of exhibits and presentations during his time there. He now explores the broader Tea Crisis independently and shares his insights through his blog and on social media. Christopher is also an actor/historical interpreter and a dialect coach. Look for his forthcoming service “Voicing the Past: Speech and Accent Coaching for Historical Performers.”
Sarah Walsh (@pins.abigail) is a librarian and educator who became involved in living history thanks to theater. In 2015, she took on the role of Abigail Adams in the first fully staged production of 1776 that had a cast of only women and nonbinary actors. A year later, Walsh was invited to portray Abigail with an 18th century re-enactment group and launched into studying Abigail’s life and letters in earnest. Having learned machine sewing from her mother at age 10, she is now using historical clothing construction techniques and skills to create a wardrobe spanning the years of Abigail’s life.
