The War and the Wardrobe
Documentary's costume designer
Virginia Johnson proves passionate
about historical authenticity

WQED Multimedia is producing a four-part documentary that will bring to life the French and Indian War, a fascinating yet little-understood conflict. Produced and filmed locally, the production is an important, regional economic-development project. "The War That Made America" is planned for broadcast on Wednesdays Jan. 18 and 25, 9-11 p.m.

Historical authenticity. That was the one primary goal costume designer Virginia Johnson had when she signed on for "The War That Made America" in December of 2003. She was charged with creating historically accurate costumes reflecting the look and feel of the time. After four months of consulting historical texts, meeting with experts and visiting museums (such as the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa), the Tufts University costume-design professor was ready to begin the challenge of re-creating 250-year-old clothing for WQED Multimedia's four-hour documentary on the French and Indian War.

After compiling a crew of theatrical costumers who believed in this project enough to "drop everything and start sewing," she began work on the 500 costumes needed for both the main characters and the extras. While some costumes were rented (created for the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans), virtually all had to be sewn from scratch. Designing costumes for period pieces is not entirely unfamiliar to Johnson. She has worked on several previous PBS productions, including "The Most Dangerous Woman in America," a "Nova" episode about Typhoid Mary, the infamous cook who unknowingly spread typhoid fever in the early 1900s.

What sets Johnson's newest project apart from her other design work is the level of accuracy that was put into this film. Natural wool and linen, real silk ribbon and natural dyes were used to create an element of realism. More than 60 pairs of period shoes were purchased and scrubbed clean each night when the conditions on-site near Ligonier became rainy and muddy.

Portraying the war's leading players, including Pontiac, was delicate work. "Some would say Pontiac was a purist," says Johnson. "We decided to take this route in our depiction of him." So, she brought in Tom Connin, a hide expert who re-created the traditional painted hide that Pontiac would have worn as an 18th-century Ottawa native.

A young officer in this fateful conflict, George Washington is adorned in traditional red with a frock coat, waistcoat and breeches. However, adds Johnson, "He diverged from many British officers at the time, wanting to don a more native style of dress when in combat. We could make the case that he preferred a more guerrilla style of warfare, believing that the natives meshed better with the environment."

Admire the carefully detailed costume work of Johnson and her crew when "The War That Made America" premieres in January on PBS.

- By Kelly Herendeen

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