In 1846, the German-American history painter Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze created 'The Iconoclasts', a large oil canvas depicting 17th-century English Protestants destroying art works in a Catholic church. The painting was commissioned by James Robb, a banker and collector then living in New Orleans. During the financial panic of 1857, Robb sold his home and much [...]
The Mansion lost a very dear long-time friend and supporter in John J. Evans III (Jack), who passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on February 16. Originally from Lancaster, Pa., Jack attended the Lawrenceville School, where he met his future wife of 67 years, Noreen Blakely. Jack later graduated from Wesleyan University and the [...]
While strides are being made in our major projects, we also have smaller upkeep projects in the planning for the off-season. Last conserved and restored in the late 1980's, some may have noticed the tromp l'oeil decoration on the Dining Room ceiling has exhibited paint loss and flaking for some time. This month, conservation staff [...]
With the excitement of the Christmas season now behind us, Mansion staff shifts focus to the two major conservation projects in the Reception Room and the Parlor. One recent advancement was the re-installation of the Reception Room's gasolier (originally gas-powered lighting fixture), and the de-installation of the Parlor's. The Reception Room's remarkable 250 lb. gasolier, comprised of [...]
As part of a larger project to move and rehouse portions of the Mansion's archives, Director of Education Stacia Hanscom recently happened upon an article written around 1967 by Maine Historian and long-time friend and supporter of the Mansion, Earle Shettleworth Jr. The short article documents the reminiscence of Alice Libby Brown, the youngest daughter [...]
As we remove and rehouse the Parlor's schematic furniture and furnishings, those rotund, infantile figures adorning the room's walls and ceilings become all the more apparent. Most visitors to the Mansion immediately recognize all the room's figures as "cherubs"- those angelic, winged and usually haloed unearthly abettors to God. Though we know these figures to [...]
The Mansion is teaming up with our friends at Portland Stage to offer a $5 discount* exclusively for Victoria Mansion members to the January 31st performance of The Importance of Being Earnest. The night will include a pre-show reception at 6:30 with VM Executive Director Tom Johnson and Portland Stage's Artistic Director, Anita Stewart as they lend perspective [...]
For the first time in Mansion's history, there are two major interior conservation projects happening concurrently. In the Reception Room, conservators have completed the conservation of the magnificent gasolier (originally a gas-powered lighting fixture), which will be reinstalled in the room in the coming weeks. Planning continues to restore the room's original textiles, including the teal and [...]
We are pleased to report the Mansion enjoyed a very healthy 2018-2019 holiday season overall. Evening events Night of the Nutcracker and A Taste & Tipple with Mr. Dickens enjoyed sold out crowds and over 360 people visited the Mansion for the First Friday Art Walk on December 7 alone. We ended the Christmas season with an overall 14% [...]
Ruggles and Olive Morse foretold the future of archaeology in featuring the myth of Leda and the swan in their Dressing Room, adjacent to a Bathroom styled after the frescoes at Pompeii on the second floor of the Mansion. Queen Leda’s ravishment by the god Zeus, in the form of a swan, is one of [...]
