Meet Fanny & Vera

Why did we write this website?

Miss Vera and Miss Fanny recruited and trained several new members for our club, but found that we never had enough time at events to pass on all the information needed by new reenactors. We wanted to write a guide book, but never quite found the time... Opportunity often presents itself in unforseen ways, and when Fanny was off work for several months due to illness, she & Vera created this website to meet their goal.

Fanny & Vera love history. While Civil War reenacting is our main focus, we are also members of an Old West reenacting group and have been seen at Rendezvous, Renaissance Fairs, & Gold Rush Camps.

How did we meet?

At a Civil War reenactment, of course! Miss Vera (then portraying Miss Bridget, the cook) was cooking for a military unit that Fanny's son joined. Not knowing what to do with herself in this new hobby, Miss Fanny offered to do the dishes for Miss Vera. Over the extended hours spent cooking & cleaning in the summer heat, a fast friendship developed. We shared many interests, and it was fun to have a friend along on all those museum meanderings and yard sale escapades. We live in the same remote mountain community and carpool to events.

Meet Miss Fanny:

Miss Fanny, aka Sue Rhodes, enjoyed an early love of theater and was involved in high school plays and community theater. Sue studied costume design at Moorpark College and the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts. After completing her studies she worked at live theaters in Northen California as Costumer and Designer, as well as doing historical research for designers in the theater and film industries. Although she personally thought that what goes on backstage was more exciting , she was occasionally persuaded to take an onstage role, and performed in several musicals and plays. Most recently she has worked in the Museum field, performing conservation and restoration work on antique textile treasures.

Sue is a member of the Reenactors of the American Civil War , the Law Dawgs & Pistoleros of the Old West and the Trinity County Historical Society.

Sue just opened her new business, Textile Traditions, in Weaverville, California. Her emporium features all the fabrics, yarns, tools and toys needed by serious traditional craftspersons, as well as a full schedule of classes and workshops to develop new skills.

Meet Miss Vera:

Miss Vera, aka Bridget Carson is a veteran reenactor of the Civil War and Old West eras. After attending the San Francisco Academy of Arts, she worked as a Graphic Designer for many years. Bridget works as a Graphic Artist for the Trinity Journal Newspaper, is the owner of Big Productions Publishing, is writing a book on letter writing in the Civil War era and a series of books on period clothing details. She is currently developing a new business, Vera's Victorian Variety, to supply reproduction goods for the reenacting market. Bridget designs displays and exhibits at the Jake Jackson Museum in Weaverville and is a member of the Law Dawgs & Pistoleros of the Old West.