4 ms·

Baloney. What about the 18th-century noblewomen dressing as faux milkmaids and shepherdesses to live out the fantasies of their times' literature? What about

Baloney. What about the 18th-century noblewomen dressing as faux milkmaids and shepherdesses to live out the fantasies of their times' literature? What about longbows and suits of Lincoln green? Dressing up like characters we love has been done as long as we've had sufficient leisure to dream.

thaumasiotes 9y ago
Sure, dressing up like characters we love has been done since the beginning of mankind. But cosplay is something different, distinguished primarily by not having occurred before 1939. From the excellent https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Hanging-Garden-Babylon-Elusive/dp/0198728840/ https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Hanging-Garden-Babylon-Elusiv... : > [Nebuchadnezzar] celebrated his prowess by inscribing on two rock faces in the Wadi Briza, a ravine in the cedar mountains of Lebanon []. This was the region where the legendary Gilgamesh and Enkidu had fought and killed the monster Humbaba. Nebuchadnezzar referred to it as a place where he had cut down gigantic cedar trees for his temple doors -- implying that he was like Gilgamesh. On the surface of the rock he also had scenes carved that showed himself grasping a tree, presumably intending to cut it down, and fighting a lion, as Gilgamesh had done
- mhd 9y ago
  > But cosplay is something different, distinguished primarily by not having occurred before 1939. That sounds a wee bit circular.
  - PhasmaFelis 9y ago
    I think that was sarcasm.
jokermatt999 9y ago
Fair enough, perhaps not "cosplay" as a broad definition, but in the sense of modern fandom organizing "cons", I found it interesting it went back decades earlier than I'd assumed. I knew there were Star Trek conventions in the 1960's, but I would've never guessed as early as before the US entering WWII. Of course costumes and enjoying stories probably date back to before writing, but I thought the modern form was much newer.
CrankyBear 9y ago
Yes, but "cosplay" has always been tied closed to science-fiction and fantasy fandom. Simply wearing costumes is probably as old as clothing.

thaumasiotes 9y ago

Sure, dressing up like characters we love has been done since the beginning of mankind. But cosplay is something different, distinguished primarily by not having occurred before 1939. From the excellent https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Hanging-Garden-Babylon-Elusive/dp/0198728840/ https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Hanging-Garden-Babylon-Elusiv... : > [Nebuchadnezzar] celebrated his prowess by inscribing on two rock faces in the Wadi Briza, a ravine in the cedar mountains of Lebanon []. This was the region where the legendary Gilgamesh and Enkidu had fought and killed the monster Humbaba. Nebuchadnezzar referred to it as a place where he had cut down gigantic cedar trees for his temple doors -- implying that he was like Gilgamesh. On the surface of the rock he also had scenes carved that showed himself grasping a tree, presumably intending to cut it down, and fighting a lion, as Gilgamesh had done

mhd 9y ago
> But cosplay is something different, distinguished primarily by not having occurred before 1939. That sounds a wee bit circular.
- PhasmaFelis 9y ago
  I think that was sarcasm.

jokermatt999 9y ago

Fair enough, perhaps not "cosplay" as a broad definition, but in the sense of modern fandom organizing "cons", I found it interesting it went back decades earlier than I'd assumed. I knew there were Star Trek conventions in the 1960's, but I would've never guessed as early as before the US entering WWII. Of course costumes and enjoying stories probably date back to before writing, but I thought the modern form was much newer.

CrankyBear 9y ago

Yes, but "cosplay" has always been tied closed to science-fiction and fantasy fandom. Simply wearing costumes is probably as old as clothing.