Living History
By Ben Kemp, Grant Cottage Historic Site Operations Manager
April 2, 2022
History is both my passion and profession, and at the Grant Cottage Historic Site I bring history to life for visitors through re-enactments.
When portraying a character from history, it has always been my desire to do justice to the story of that individual. I’m not a professional actor, nor have I mastered the dialects of the past. Instead, the genuineness of the portrayal comes from extensive research and understanding of the subject. I try to tell the stories that I believe were most memorable and important for them. Stories which can still resonate and have meaning in the modern day.
Not every subject I’ve portrayed is famous or is even a specific person. When I began Civil War reenacting in high school (at Argyle Central School, in Washington County, NY), I simply interpreted the life of a typical US soldier. It seemed fitting to give representation to those individuals who left little or no record of their lives. Living history programs in small towns and schools are important because they inspire students like me.
Feedback from visitors to Grant Cottage Historic Site confirms that living history presentations remain extremely popular with the public. They lend a compelling tangible element to the story of a once living person. They help bridge the gap of time by shining a light on the common ground of human nature. It is not the differences, but the similarities, which prove most striking when encountering a person from the past.
Although I have been called upon to portray a variety of characters (including all three of Ulysses Grant’s sons, a slew of Civil War soldiers and personalities, and even my own ancestor), Fred Grant, the eldest son, has been a common portrayal for me while working at Grant Cottage. I am particularly drawn to the relatable and relevant story of father and son. The intimate bond that Fred shared with his famous father was developed on the battlefields of war, as well as the intimate moments in the family parlor. Depicting his life has taught me how to tease out the humanity in my subject, the humor, passion and love he felt. This allows the wall of cold dead history to be broken down and replaced with living history.
Mr. Ben Kemp will be presenting as Fred Grant on April 6, 7pm, as part of the History Center’s “Experts Next Door” virtual speaker series. Please register at https://brooksidemuseum.org/event/experts-next-door-episode-19-the-deepest-devotion-president-ulysses-s-grant/
