Character 1 - Friend of the Dunsmuirs Preview

The Dunsmuirs occupied the top of the social ladder in Victoria in the 1890s and early 1900s. Robert Dunsmuir, the richest man in Western Canada, had passed away in 1889. Now, his widow Joan and three youngest daughters, Jessie, Effie, and Maud live in Craigdarroch, along with two orphaned grandchildren, Elizabeth and Robert Harvey.

You arrive at Craigdarroch by carriage, stepping out onto the stone steps in the port cochere. You enter through the front door and are greeted by Effie, Jessie, and Maude. They usher you past the coat closet and powder room into the front hall. Here, you look up the winding stairs to the top and are dizzied by the sheer size of the building. An impressive pink sandstone fireplace looms over you, with the inscription “welcome ever smiles and farewell goes out sighing” drawing you closer. You might recognize it from your studies of Shakespeare’s works. The daughters, eager to show you around, guide you next into the library to your right.

The impressive library is filled with books and adorned with glittering stained glass windows. As someone who is familiar with the Dunsmuir daughters, your attention might be particularly drawn to a blue book sitting in the bookcase to your right when you enter. It is called Types of Canadian Women and Jessie, Effie, and Maude each have a page dedicated to them in it.

ArtiFACT: A copy of this book sold from the drawing room as Lot #219 in the 1909 Craigdarroch auction.

The daughters lead you to the most opulent room in the house: the drawing room. This was their domain; a place where they relaxed, socialized, and played music. Notice the banjo under the Steinway piano. This was an instrument that Effie was known to play. In fact, you can see her playing it in the photo shown on this room’s information panel. As an invited guest, you likely would have gotten to hear the musical stylings of the daughters along with their niece, Elizabeth Harvey. Imagine the songs they might have played!

In the dining room, you are overcome by the sizable paintings hanging on the left wall. Notice the signatures on the paintings on the far left and far right which reads “F. Schafer.” These paintings were done by Frederick Schafer, a German-American landscape painter. The painting on the right depicts Mount Tamalpais in California. This was a scene that the Dunsmuir men would have become familiar with in their business exploits across Western North America.

ArtiFACT: The Schafer paintings, as well as the one between them by Adolf Brenow, are original to the Castle.

As you ascend the stairs, imagine the musicians that might have occupied this alcove during Dunsmuir parties. The melodies of string instruments might waft up the stairway, accompanying you as you rise higher and higher.

This room is Joan’s domain. Here is where she meets with her sons, James and Alexander, where they endlessly petition her to relinquish some shares of the family business to them. Taking a peek in this room, your eyes might fall on the large painting above the melodeon. This painting depicts one of the older Dunsmuir daughters, Mary, who now lives with her husband, Henry Croft, at the Mount Adelaide estate in Esquimalt.

ArtiFACT: the Canadian artist who painted this portrait of Mary, Francis Elswood Richard Rowley, is the same artist who also painted a portrait of Oscar Wilde. Wilde was so overcome by the beauty of his portrait that he was inspired to write The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Moving into Jessie’s bedroom, you are drawn to the silver dresser set, polished to perfection by the family’s staff. The 13-piece set is magnificent. As a young person of upper-class background, you likely would have admired a similar set of your mothers’ or been lucky enough to have one yourself. Jessie is preparing for her upcoming nuptials to an Irish baronet, Sir Richard Musgrave. A set like this would complement the beautiful bride as she prepared to walk down the aisle.

ArtiFACT: this silver dresser set belonged to Laura Dunsmuir, James’ wife. Most of the pieces are monogrammed with her initials and were used by her at family homes Burleith and Hatley Park.

As you pass by the second floor landing, a wooden salamander peers around a wooden post to leer at you with its sharp teeth. Asking the Dunsmuir daughters what it is, they explain that salamanders are thought to be fire-proof in their native Scotland and that this wooden creature was installed to protect the home’s breathtaking woodwork from devastating fire.

You may have visited this room before, as this is a space for relaxing, socializing, and enjoying the company of others. Grabbing a cue to begin a game of billiards, the daughters might recount the latest news coming out of London telling of Queen Victoria’s love for the game. You might spend hours enjoying a game of billiards or checkers here. Imagine the laughter that accompanies an afternoon well-spent with friends!

ArtiFACT: while not original to the house, this English billiards table is the same dimensions and made by the same manufacturer of the table the Dunsmuirs had.

Moving out of the Billiards Room, you catch a glimpse of the youngest inhabitant of the home darting into his bright green bedroom. Twelve year-old Robert Harvey pops his head out of the room and beckons you closer. As you near, he proudly displays his toy french bulldog, a “growler,” made out of papier mache. He pulls the string on its back and releases it, making the toy emit a loy growling sound.

ArtiFACT: this toy, called a Growler, was popular in the late 19th century. You can find a video of its growling on Craigdarroch Castle’s YouTube channel in a video titled “Christmas at Craigdarroch.”

In Effie’s Room across the hall, you marvel at the beautiful set of watercolours. A gifted artist, Effie’s work is proudly displayed on a nearby easel. This travelling watercolour set is essential for Victorian artists on-the-go, ready to create whenever inspiration strikes.

ArtiFACT: the drawing on the easel was done by Effie in grade school and is titled “Little Goody Two Shoes.” She would have drawn this when she was a young student at St. Ann’s Convent School in Nanaimo.

As a high-society friend of the Dunsmuirs, you may have been lucky enough to attend one of their parties, held in the dance halls. At these dances, you would have been given a dance card. Gentlemen who wanted to dance with you would write their name beside the corresponding dance. Dance cards were a useful reminder of your engagements for the evening. In the frame by the south window, try and find a dance card advertising a party at Craigdarroch!

Passing by the family bathroom on the third floor, you notice a moustache mug sitting on the marbled countertop. You might recognize this as something that your father might use to sip his tea in the morning. The moustache fits into a receptacle on the cup’s lip, preventing it from being moistened by the cup’s contents.

As a visitor to the house, you likely would not see into the servant’s quarters. However, a crack in the door might allow you to get a glimpse of the sewing machine in front of the window. Your mother may have had one of these which you might have learned to sew on!

Moving down to the second floor, Maud’s blue bedroom holds many beautiful things. You notice a cut glass hair-receiver on the dresser. You might have one of these at your own home, which you use to save hair from your hairbrush to make hair art or jewellery.

ArtiFACT: an example of Victorian hair art can be seen on the wall to the right of the door. This particular example is comprised of the hair of 29 family members of the artist.

Notice the circular mouthpiece protruding from the wall to the left of the middle painting. This is a speaking tube - the Victorian equivalent of an intercom system. These tubes all led to the kitchen, where Dunsmuir staff could hear what the family members needed.

The smoking room is a male domain, where men retired after dinner. Here, you might notice the circular smoking cap on the chair. You may have seen your father wear something similar to protect his hair as he enjoyed a cigar after dinner.

This room is a more private place for eating together and would have primarily been reserved for the family. Here, there is another piece of Victorian art that might catch your eye: a seed wreath. This is another example of “parlour art” - a popular activity for women in which they were encouraged to use materials around them to create, such as seeds or hair. These ornate and decorative art pieces would grace the walls of parlours and drawing rooms.

As your time in the Castle ends, we invite you to reflect on the experience you had today. We hope you have enjoyed stepping into the past!