Gunpowder and Grease Paint: The Nova Scotia International Tattoo

Desmond Maley is the music librarian at the J.W. Tate Library,
Huntington College, Laurentian University, and editor of the CAML
Review.

Initially, I thought this handsomely illustrated coffee-table book was
strictly of local interest. Although it was well written, the audience
for this story of the Nova Scotia International Tattoo seemed to be
confined to those who had seen it or who were connected with it in some
way. On reflection, I realize there could be a wider readership. With
its intermingling of civilian and martial traditions, and its deep
connections to Nova Scotia’s Scottish community, the Tattoo is a case
study of how a community event can be nurtured and grown. Since its
founding in 1979 in Halifax, it has become a success by any standard;
indeed, the book’s dust jacket proclaims it “the world’s largest
indoor annual show.”

Historian Brian Cuthbertson does a good job of chronicling the
Tattoo’s origins, programs, music, and participants over the years,
both regionally and internationally. He also talks about the Tattoo’s
impact on tourism and its importance to civic pride. But I did wish more
had been said about finances. Certainly there is discussion of the
“business” side in connection with the waxing and waning of
government support, the erosion of participation by the military, the
increased involvement of the private sector, attendance, volunteers,
administration, and staffing. (Since 1991, the Tattoo has been run as a
not-for-profit society.) Still, it would have been helpful to flesh out
the picture by giving us an overview of the budget.