About Us
Ageless Artifice is owned, maintained, and run by Katie Cannon. She
researches dozens of recipes and makes them herself, with the help of
numerous friends and family to test the results.
An interview with Katie:
How did you get interested in history?
"I have been interested
in past
cultures since I was a young child. I played dress-up obsessively, and
you should have seen my face when I found out about living history
museums! I started volunteering at a 19th-century living history
museum,
Conner
Prairie, and
have been employed part-time and full-time at living history museums
for over 10 years. I guess you could say I never grew out of playing
dress-up...
"I've also been very interested in ancient Egypt, and lived in Cairo
for a few months. What a joy to wander among the monuments that have
captivated so many people! The Medieval-Elizabethan period also has
many fascinating aspects; in college I took a class in Anglo-Saxon, and
was able to read texts such as
Beowulf
in the original language."
What about the cosmetic aspect of
history?
"One of my favorite
parts of studying
history is making things. I love traditional crafts (my husband kindly
puts up with my spinning wheel taking up half our living room), and get
such a thrill out of making something the same way it was made by our
ancestors, hundreds or thousands of years ago-- whether it is a meal, a
piece of clothing, or a perfume."
Why start this business?
"Two reasons. First, I
know that
there are other people who are just as intrigued by old-fashioned ways
of doing things as I am-- especially with renewed interest in natural
and organic ingredients! Second, I know a lot of historical reenactors
who pride themselves in the accuracy of their outfits and gear... and
then have to reach for the plastic tube of lip balm when their lips get
chapped! For the detail-oriented, it is wonderful to have a product you
can use while in your historical clothing, without worrying
about
anachronisms."
