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The Revivalists

06th September 2017

Russell Cobb’s portraits of Goodwood’s most enthusiastic Revivalists reveal a passion for dressing up and an exacting obsession with wartime sartorial detail. By Paul Croughton

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“There’s an actor in everyone,” says Russell Cobb, and he should know. The award-winning illustrator-turned-photographer has spent the past five years documenting the men, women and children who spend their spare time – and sometimes all their time – dressed in period clothing.

Those shown here were all photographed at Goodwood Revival in 2015 and 2016, their particular passion being, as you see, World War II. According to the National Association of Re-enactment Societies, some 18,000 people are actively involved in the UK in a pastime that, to outsiders, can seem quite bizarre. So what’s the fascination?

For Cobb, a childhood watching war films, reading comics and listening to his grandfather’s stories generated a passion for history, which he shares with his subjects. Which meant he was drawn to observe, sketch and document these people – and join in. Rather than using a long lens like other photographers he “kitted up as well, as that’s what gets you over the wire and earns their trust”, he says.

‘My warrant officer gripped me one day and told me if I wished to keep it (my moustache) as a permanent fixture I’d have to fill in a form.’

The best way to fit in is to procure an authentic outfit, right down to the buttons or insignia. “The first group I joined were German soldiers,” Cobb remembers. “D-Day 1944 era. Everybody is very particular about whether you’re early, mid or late war – particularly at Goodwood. I got told off because I was in the wrong type of battle dress.”

“I saw people from all walks of life step into a role and adopt an alternative persona,” he continues. “Everyone from an NHS porter to a chap who works for the Queen. You end up building a relationship, drinking with them after the event, even camping with them. There’s a lot of camaraderie and mutual respect.”

For Cobb, revivalists are eccentrics, part of a great British sub-culture of obsessives. And it’s not always just Brits. “I spoke to a French friend and he said they just don’t have this in France. And World War II re-enactment isn’t allowed in Germany – there, it’s mostly medieval. So they come over here and join in,” Cobb says.

For most, dressing in period clothing is a hobby, albeit a passionate one. “The attention to detail these guys have is unbelievable,” he says, “and their historical knowledge is vast.” For a few, however, it has led to a further career in TV and film, either as extras or as historical experts, drafted on to sets to ensure accuracy. Richard “Dicky” Bass, 26, is a re-enactor and costumer who is hired by film studios to assemble outfits and ensure authenticity. His credits include The Legend of Tarzan, the forthcoming Churchill biopic Darkest Hour, and Allied with Brad Pitt – on whom he made quite an impression. “I was asked to show Mr Pitt the proper saluting technique, and I was wearing a cropped, American-made, suede jacket that I’d found in a charity shop. It transpired that Mr Pitt took rather a liking to my jacket and it’s no coincidence that the one he wears in the film closely resembles my own!”

Bass came to re-enactment through watching black-and-white films with his father and then, his interest in World War II ignited, “My mother did a first-class job of nurturing that spark with Action Men, history books and my own pint-sized uniforms,” he says. He now has a wardrobe that spans two rooms, a barn, a stable and two sheds, and he was the proud winner of Goodwood Revival’s “Best Dressed” award last year. “I wear vintage, or vintage-inspired, clothing every day,” he says. “A large proportion of my wardrobe consists of original 1930s-’40s pieces. I guess it’s because they were built to last, both in design and manufacture.

'Later, as he shook my hand before leaving, he said, “Thank you for keeping our memory alive.”'

“Most re-enactors immerse themselves in the mindset of the people they’re portraying,” he adds. “A huge part of what we do is to educate the public on what it was like. But you also want to experience the trials and tribulations of that character yourself – carrying a full pack, eating the same food. Which is why in 2014 I organised a march in the footsteps of the 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment, from their landing point on Gold Beach, over two days, to the point of one of their most fierce battles at a town called Tilly-sur-Seulles. We slept in the same ditches outside Bayeux and even posted sentries throughout the night. It’s these experiences that really help you evolve as a re-enactor.”

The Best Dressed competition takes place at Goodwood Revival from September 8-10; cobbphoto.com

Revival Fashion presented by Mastercard at Goodwood Revival (Sept 7-9, 2018) will host specially curated fashion shows every day and our daily Best Dressed Competition presented by Mastercard.

This article is taken from the Goodwood magazine, Autumn 2017 issue