Did you know, that Donna Zakowska designed the costumes for three different productions set in the era of the American Revolutionary War?
John Adams (2007), the HBO miniseries with Paul Giamatti in the titular role.
Sons of Liberty (2015), a 3-part tv series on History Channel, focusing on the young (therefore trendy, fancy and sexy, as usual) ((Yes, I found this show annoying and ridiculous in so many ways, but it wasn’t that bad, after all.)) Samuel Adams, played by Ben Barnes.
TURN: Washington’s Spies (2014-17) the four seasons (40 episodes) long epic story on AMC about the famous Culper Ring, with Jamie Bell as Abraham Woodhull/”Samuel Culper”.
As you might expect, yes, there are characters appearing in two or even in all three shows. For example, the Adams cousins are both in John Adams (Samuel played by Danny Huston) and Sons of Liberty (John played by Henry Thomas).
However, they were civilians, therefore it’s not so conspicious, that they’re wearing different kind of clothes in different series.
But there is a very famous character, who appears in all the three productions:
George Washington.
And he is a character, who is in almost every scene in every period drama appears on screen in uniform.
Now, I’m not a fashion historian (and not a military historian either), neither I count myself to the period drama costume purists. Being a literary and cultural historian ((Being a cultural historian comes from the fact, that I’m a literary historian and critic who is expertising in historical fiction. As a cultural historian I have a general knowledge of the lifestyle and mentality of the past times, a solid, but necesarily a cursory overview.)) , who is focusing on how historical events and persons becoming part of a fiction, therefore I care about the authenticity of the story, the chararaters and their interactions more, and I can live happily with the situation, when the costumes of a period drama are not 100% historically accurate.
Therefore, my intention with this little article is not to analyse or criticise the costumes, only to mention them as an interesting thing, a bit of a curiosity, that the same costume designer created three different uniforms for the same historical personality.
Jason O’Mara (Sons of Liberty)
Actually, I think Jason O’Mara’s depoction of Washington was surprisingly good in this story. I mean, what the actor himself could add to the production actingwise. (It’s always exciting when you can see clearly, how an actor elevates a character, that no necessarilly well written.)
David Morse (John Adams)
I found it always a bit weird, how this show emphasised his decent, quiet way of talking, making the character’s most memorable moment when he was asked during his inaugurational oath as president to speak a bit louder.
Ian Kahn (TURN: Washinton’s Spies)
He is the center of everything, the embodiment of The Cause, and rather other people are circling aroung him, which means he is not always an active character. On the other hand, this is a creative way to depict his decency from a different approach.
