Craigdarroch Castle in 21 Treasures

Moira Dann

$20.00

Out of stock

Told in 21 objects—including furnishings, artwork, and tools—this approachable museum guide takes readers into the family history, local lore, and oddities of one of Victoria’s most famous landmarks.

Craigdarroch Castle, built by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir for his wife, Joan, and their family, was completed in 1890. Following Joan’s death, the castle was put up for sale in 1908, and later housed a military hospital and the nascent University of Victoria.

Since 1979 the castle has operated as a museum and is one of the top tourist attractions in the city, a prime example of a “bonanza castle” and a rich repository of Victorian-era furnishings and décor, as well as objects evoking the hospital and college eras. Author Moira Dann offers the reader 21 selections from the castle’s collection, using each artifact as a portal into the history of the building and life in Victorian and more recent times.

The Black Forest clock, acquired by Joan on a trip to Europe; the telescope used by the eldest Dunsmuir son, James, aboard his yacht the Dolaura; the castle’s famous stained-glass windows; a nineteenth-century intercom system known as a speaking tube—these and 17 more are described with detail and enthusiasm, and accompanied by photographs. Dann provides careful research into each object’s provenance and manufacture, while inviting readers to join her imaginative journeys into the lives of the castle’s occupants through the years.

The Royal Museum Shop is operated by the Royal BC Museum Foundation. All proceeds from the sale of merchandise go directly towards supporting the many fine programs and special events at the Royal BC Museum.

April 2021, PB, 144 pages

ISBN 9781771513487

Categories: , .

Description

Moira Dann is a writer, editor, speaker, and current president of the Craigdarroch Castle Museum Society board. She has a Master of Fine Arts in creative non-fiction from the University of King’s College and is a former editor of the Globe & Mail‘s Facts and Arguments page. She lives with her husband, Sam Bufalini, in Victoria, BC.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Craigdarroch Castle in 21 Treasures”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *