How Much Historical Accuracy?

I joined several other authors for tea this last weekend, and one of the things we discussed was how much accuracy do we want or need in historical romance.



Being a history teacher, i like stories to be as accurate as possible. At our tea we generally agreed that as long as the plot doesn't turn on a historical inaccuracy, error or anachronism, then it was acceptable. What I strive for is authenenticity for the time period I'm writing.


But again, because of the teacher background, I include Author's Notes in to explain anything Imight have changed or altered that the reader might question.

All this is easier to show by example, so here are the notes from
Colorado Silver, Colorado Gold.

Author's Notes

Writing fiction can be difficult for the historian. The fiction half of me says 'what if' when the historian half of me says 'but it happened this way'. So I have compromised, bending history ro fit my story and hope these notes will be of insterst to those readers who want to know the factual history.



Although the Pinkerton Agency is more wll know, the Wells Fargo Company did, in fact, have its own detective force. Among these notables wer Fred Dodge and James Hume. dodge once held down a job as a deputy in Tucson while working undercover for Wells Fargo. James Hume, the cheif of detectives, was one of the pioneers in the field of scientific investigations, catching the notorious stagecoach bandit Balck Bart, by tracing a laundry mark on the bandit's handkerchief. Wells Fargo also employed a corps of young boys to ride messages around San Francisco at twenty-five cents a message.



In the 1880s thre were no laws rstricting the conduct of a law enforcement officer. A detective of that era wasn't constricted by such concepts of forcible entry, illegal search and seizure or jurisdictions. Wes's activities in pursuit of his job would have benn considered legal and acceptable.



For the purpose of my story Ihave made some changes and additons to Durango's fire. The fire actually started on July 1st, but Ihave moved it ot several weeks later. A stiff wind fanned the blaze which burned over seven blocks. Half a million dollars in business and residential property went up in smoke as the residents tried everything, including dynamite to stop the fire. The actual cause of the fire was never determined, so I have supplied one out of my 'what if'.



The two major smelters that operated in Durango eventually consolidated due to the business climate in the late 1890s. The way Wes shows Julie to refine gold using quicksilver was one of the standard small scale methods used at the time. Today more is known abaout the hazards of mercury poisoning.



For events in Philadelphia, those familiar with histry will recognize that I have anticipatd history by a few years, and have borrowed the concept of Hull House in Chicago which opened in 1889 as a model for the Bradley Center. I similarly borrowed the idea of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in 1910 for he scandal involving Julie's sister.



And last, condoms make from latex rubber haave benn available since the 1840s and were called, appropriately enought, 'rubbers'. The primary prupose was for the prevention of sexually transmitted disease with the side benefit of contraception.




So, how do you feel about historical accuracy in your work? As a reader, how much do you care about historical accuracy and authenticity?

Trodding the Boards in the Old West

Theater has been the universal form of entertainment for eons. Across Europe and the civilized United States, troupes of actors and entertainers traveled from city to city putting on shows for the masses.

The Old West was no exception. In this sparse rugged land, people hungered for diversion.

During the decade between the Gold Rush and the start of the Civil War, the proliferation of theaters and performers in San Francisco rivaled the heyday experienced in London in the seventeen hundreds. Culture had reached the savage West, and virtually every town, settlement and mining camp rushed to erect theaters to attract performers.

Some of the grandest halls were in San Francisco and Denver. Those in small burgs and mining camps ranged from modest playhouses to tents. A few were little more than platforms.

In California, the massive trunk of a felled tree served as the stage, with the stars serving as lighting for the famous Chapman family who gained fame performing on Mississippi showboats.

Gold brought prospectors to California, and their wealth lured performers west. From that point on, troupes of professional actors routinely traveled throughout the West to give performances ranging from Shakespearian plays to Opera.

Female singers, dancers and actresses were granted a higher degree of success due to the fact that they were women in a country that was predominately male. Solo performances were the featured draw in countless small towns, with pleased miners showing their appreciation of the shows by throws gold nuggets and bags of gold dust onto the stage.

One celebrated actress was Caroline Chapman, the illegitimate daughter of a famed actor. She quickly became the darling of the Western stage, and after one riveting solo performance in San Francisco, a shortage of coins were reported in the city the next day, due to her audience raining coins onto the stage in applause of her performance.

Another actress to achieve great success with her outrageous performances was Lola Montez. Her flamboyant spider dance and darling lifestyle kept her in the limelight for years, but her inability to best rival Caroline Chapman finally drove her from the city and the stage.

Many women made their mark singing, dancing and acting, with many giving performances that leaned toward burlesque. Some reached celebrity status and a few gained great wealth.

Lotta Crabtree started acting when she was a child. With her mother keeping a close eye on her career and her money, she was likely one of the first actresses under the thumb of a stage mother. Where other performers relied on gimmicks, Lotta possessed true talent. Her variety shows in San Francisco earned her the titles of "La Petite Lotta, the Celebrated Danseuse and Vocalist," and "Miss Lotta the Unapproachable."

Even after living through several depressions during the late 1800s, Lotta amassed a fortune of four million dollars by the time she died in 1925. She'd never married, and the one claim of an illegitimate daughter was never proven.

So her entire fortune, much of it in gold, was given to charity.

In One Real Man, I touched on the darker side of female performances that were operated by saloons. Like my heroine, many woman were attracted to the lure of money and fame. Unlike my heroine, the outcome was tragic for far too many women.

What romances have you read that featured an actor or actress?