It is a bummer that when all those resources were pulled together that a
better film couldn't have been made. The Disney animated film "Pocahontas",
though as flawed as "The New World" historically, was at least entertaining
and popular to movie goers. It's popularity garnered interest in Jamestown
and there was a period where there was increased attendance at museums and it
provided opportunities for teachers to discuss the inaccuracies with their
students thus improving their awareness of what really happened.

The warning signals for "New World" became apparent to me when their set
dresser came to our shop to look over pottery, pewter, and other stuff and
when he looked at the repro pottery he said "Oh, it's too shiny, 17th c.
pottery wouldn't be that shiny." I showed him original pieces of 17th c.
pottery that were shiny, then he dismissively said it wasn't appropriate to
the "vision" of the film. Said the same thing about pewter which he later got
from us through Period Designs. He acid bathed them to make them look 400
years old. He did buy a bunch of pottery that had not fired correctly and the
glazed was all flat and nasty. I almost didn't sell it to him but figured
he'd end up buying Pottery Factory stuff, which would have been worse.

The set dresser then asked me where to buy sea shells. I told him to go to
Virginia Beach to the oceanfront and go to any shop that advertised saltwater
taffy. I said there were more shops like that down there than he could shake
a stick at. I then noticed him writing down "Shake a Stick At" and he asked
where that was. I knew then it was going to be grim.

We supplied over 47 different types of items to "Master and Commander".
Working with them was a dream. They wanted things right. They listened when
they were told something they wanted was not correct to the period, and their
whole way of working with us was very professional. You have to work hard to
pick apart the material culture in that film.

Regards,

Tom A.
http://www.tuckahoetradingco.com/

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