Bernitt poses with his Ford Mustang, dressed up in a Colonial-era outfit. Bernitt wore this during tours he would give around the area, highlighting the various historic landmarks.
Dennis Bernitt is a history buff, and his interest in history has been pervasive in his life ever since becoming forever entwined with America’s at a young age after being drafted into the Vietnam War.
Since then, Bernitt has been a collector of anything, finding the stories within each item he adds to the growing list.
While his interest spans across several topics, they seem to lean towards the connections he finds within his own experiences. Drawing parallels to the Vietnam War, Bernitt is fascinated with anything to do with the Civil War, and he has been a reenactor for several years in battles done around New York until the last year. The State of New York released new gun laws in September 2022 that prohibited carrying firearms in several public spaces, which worried reenactors on whether muskets and other antique firearms would be included into this law. He has not reenacted since the law was passed but hopes that one day his grandson and him can continue their hobby at least one more time.
This story was photographed for the Eddie Adams Workshop XXXVI.
Dennis Bernitt’s favorite hat sits with several other jackets and a pair of gloves in a easy place to reach on the way out of the house.
Bernitt reaches for one of his muskets he uses for reenactments.
Bernitt wears his State of New York Union uniform along with the musket and bayonet that they would traditionally use during that time. Bernitt has built a collection of outfits and trinkets that he would use for the reenactments.
Bernitt’s entryway consists of a wall with several accomplishments, related to his academic career, his times as the chief of the firefighters in Hankins, NY, and his reenactments. Bernitt told me that his favorite one was the poem and American flag his grandson wrote for him shown in the photo above.
Bernitt fills the walls of his house with unique decorations like this poster made for him and his friends, sitting with a few items he uses during his reenactments.
Bernitt keeps a deceased friend’s number from his group stitched on his inner pocket.
Bernitt poses for a portrait in his Union uniform in front of his house.
Bernitt shows off the uniform before preparing to put it on.