Kathryn Coombs

Kathryn Coombs specializes in historical re-creations for film and television and is founder / CEO of Heritage House Productions, a full-service firm providing production services for history-related productions. Services include casting of reenactor extras and look-alikes for historical figures, authenticity consulting, production design / props, locations and wardrobe. The company maintains a large casting database of film-ready reenactors and historical actors, both union and non-union, covering a wide range of periods. Heritage House Productions is also an east coast wardrobe house with an extensive rental inventory of authentic historical reproduction clothing for film work. Costume design credits include wins for Best Costume Design in a Narrative Short for "The Shot", set in the 18th century (LA Reel Film Festival, 2010) and Best Costuming for "Dean Teaster's Ghost Town", set in the 1860's-80's (Action on Film Festival, Pasadena 2008) She also owns "Cleydael", an antebellum National Register farmhouse on the John Wilkes Booth escape route bus tour. The house is furnished ca. 1865 and occasionally used as a film location and home to the Heritage House props inventory Coombs first became involved in film production during her 20+ year career in board-level positions in PR, advertising and lobbying/government relations in America and England, through writing, producing and directing mini documentaries and "video news releases" for Fortune 500 companies and writing / producing / directing television and radio ads for advocacy groups. A historical reenactor, her primary focus as a re-creations producer / production manager and costume historian / designer is on the mid 18th through mid 20th century. A member of the Costume Society of America and the USITT, she has an extensive study collection of original clothing items from American Civil War era and frequently lectures on Civil War and 19th century clothing. She also studies and collects furnishings and material culture items of this era and lectures on period interiors. During her years in England she was a consultant to the UK's Historic Houses Assocation.