Re: kilts - Universitie

[EoganOg@aol.com]

Poster: EoganOg@aol.com

In a message dated 2/24/99 8:20:12 AM Eastern Standard Time,
jonesj@InfoAve.Net writes:

> I'd be really interested in more about being a "professional scot". You and
>  I have briefly discussed it, but I wonder if you'd like to make a plug on
>  the rose? If so, I'll ask you about it there.

More about being a professional Scot, huh?
Well, my job as curator of the Scottish Tartans Museum has been called by some
as being Scottish for a living.  

First of all, the Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin, NC
(http://intertekweb.com/tartans) is the american extension of the Scottish
Tartans Museum in Edinburgh, both of which are sponsored by the Scottish
Tartans Society (http://www.electricscotland.com/sts).  The STS was recognised
as an organisation Noblesse in 1963 and is responsible for maintaining the
official Registry of All Publicly Known Tartans.  Basically this is a database
of any tartan ever woven, which not only includes all the common clan tartans,
but also artifact peices from museums and private collections, and modernly
designed tartans for families, businesses, cities, etc.  Currently there are
over 2500 tartans on record and about 30 to 40 are added each year.  Part of
this database has been webbed at http://www.tartans.scotland.net.  There are
other organisations out there who claim to have an official register of
tartans, but the STS has the real thing, and the authority of the British
Crown.

Now back to my job.  One thing the STS does is provide information on Highland
Dress, both modern and historical.  And that is what the museum focuses
on--the evolution of the kilt and the tartan.  I tell people that I wear the
kilt about 3 or 4 days a week.  This includes the modern kilt as well as
various historical styles dating from about 1570 on. I lead tours, tell people
about Highland Dress, etc.  I also get to set up and maintain exhibits, which
often puts my in the position of handling some really neat old peices, such as
a box pleated feilidh-beag from 1792, the earliest civilian kilt known to
still exist.

I travel to local area schools to give programs, and also represent the museum
at local heritage fairs.  Even though our museum focuses primarily on the
dress, we do have to also serve as a general center for Scottish heritage,
since we are the only thing of this kind in the area.  This includes music,
literature, history, geneology (although we are not really equipped for that,
we do try to help people), etc.  

Another aspect of my job is travelling to various Highland Games and Scottish
Fesitvals in the Southeast to represent the museum and give out information on
tartans and the kilt.  I usually go in historic dress of one kind or another
and meet many interesting folks.  

So there you have it.  I make my living, as it were, in being Scottish, and
despensing information on things Scottish.  It's a lot of fun, even if one
does tend to get burned out at times.

Since you think this will be of interest to the Merry Rose, I'll cross post
this there as well.  Nice shameless plug for my museum (we have a gift shop!
we do mail orders!  (828)524-7472!  ;-).  

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share this.

Aye,
Eogan
(who is getting ready to head to work now, so I must turn into my alter-ego,
Matt. . .)
=================================
Matthew Allen Newsome
Curator & Historical Consultant for the 
Scottish Tartans Museum, Franklin NC
"Bring Forrit the Tartan!"
<A HREF="http://www3.wcu.edu/~mn13189/index.htm">
http://www3.wcu.edu/~mn13189/index.htm</A>
=================================
"I'll not quit my plaide for my life!" 
--trad. Scots ballad, "The Elfin Knight"
=================================
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