Living history incorporates activities, dress, and equipment into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time to the everyday life of a certain period in history.
Commonly used in Europe and USA by history museums, historic sites, heritage interpreters, schools and historical groups to portraying the life, and more importantly the lifestyle, of people of the period. Occasionally, storytelling or acting sketches take place to involve or explain the everyday life or military activity to the viewing public. More common are craft and cooking demonstrations, song, and leisure activities, and lectures.
Werribee Park for example sometimes has people roaming around the mansion in period dress that you can stop and ask questions about the everyday living of the original owners.
Re-enactment
Educational or entertainment activity in which history enthusiasts recreate aspects of a historical event or person, often following a planned script.
Accuracy & Authenticity
Both Re-enactment and living history presentations strive to use materials and equipment that was verifiably used in their period/event. However, this isn’t always possible, original items may be costly to obtain or materials are no longer produced, in such cases items may be reconstructed with modern materials to give the impression of the period item, following the original design as closely as possible.
LVSM’s guiding principles are to acknowledge and disclose when items / impressions are not completely accurate so the public is not misled.
Late Victorian Society 