One Minute World Arts- Historical Reenactment: Tombstone, Arizona, Brings You Back to the 1880s

Historical Reenactment: #Tombstone, Arizona, Brings You Back to the 1880s

​Rambling on Allen Street, one feels as if being brought back to the #American Old West of the 1880s by the time machine. This is Tombstone, Arizona. More than a hundred years ago, silver mining made the town famous, attracting money seekers to flood in. In order to meet their needs for relaxation and entertainment, saloons, roller rinks, and theaters were established. With money, power, and frontier justice colliding in this fast-growing town, trouble and crimes soon followed - among which the 1881 Gunfight at the OK Corral is probably best known. In the early 20th century, the area’s fortunes changed after the silver mines closed. At one point Tombstone almost turned into a ghost town. However, during the tourism boom that followed World War II, Tombstone began to transform into a popular tourist spot by embracing its #cowboy culture, and the notorious Gunfight was adapted and reenacted as a show to attract tourists.

​Make-ups and costumes designed for such a performance tend to be quite elaborate: actors playing lawmen would wear swooping mustaches and black dusters, while those playing cowboys would wear chaps and wide-brimmed hats. The rivalry between these two groups of characters gradually builds up the tension, which then leads to the show’s climax where both sides are badly injured in the gunfight. In addition, local residents are also more than willing to take part in the free-form historical reenactment. By putting on Old West-inspired clothes, they make those who come to visit feel that an authentic atmosphere of an 1880s Tombstone has been generated, and a unique sense of charm thus created.

再現歷史：#墓碑鎮 帶你重返1880年代

​徜徉在艾倫街（Allen Street）上，彷彿穿越時空，重返1880年代 #西部拓荒時期 的美國。這裡是亞利桑那州的墓碑鎮（Tombstone, Arizona）；一百多年前，此鎮因開採銀礦而聞名。當時人口大量移入，酒館、輪鞋溜冰場和劇院因應而生，以滿足居民的娛樂需求。可想而知，物慾橫流、紙醉金迷的同時，各類犯罪也層出不窮；其中，發生於1881年的OK牧場槍戰（Gunfight at the OK Corral），尤其廣為人知。後來，採礦式微，墓碑鎮開始衰敗，甚至差點淪為鬼城。不過，二戰後的旅遊潮，幫助墓碑鎮重新找到定位，成為以 #牛仔文化 聞名的觀光景點，而當地轟動一時的槍戰，也搖身一變，成了再現歷史的表演活動。

​這類表演中的化妝與服裝，可謂相當講究：飾演執法員警的演員們留著八字鬍，披上皮大衣，而牛仔們則穿著皮套褲，頭戴寬緣牛仔帽；他們分飾兩大敵對陣營裡的角色，在緊張情緒層層堆疊後，最終於激烈的槍戰中，營造出兩敗俱傷的場景。此外，當地的居民們，也樂於將歷史重現視為生活中的一部分；他們透過復古衣裝來呈現時代感，共同參與此一形式開放的 #歷史再現行動，使整座城鎮都沉浸在早期西部拓荒的氛圍中，形塑獨特的風情和魅力。

Reference: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/every-day-is-a-wild-west-costume-party-in-this-town　

Photo Credit: The Mercury News、y Travel Blog、National Geographic