On Tuesday, March 14, Victoria Mansion and the Maine Irish Heritage Center will present A Victorian Sampling, a special 19th century tasting event for members only. Small bites of breads, appetizers, soups, and desserts, along with beverages, will be accompanied by a brief history of each dish and insight into why our ancestors ate the way they did. [...]
Conservators continue to clean the painted walls and ceiling of the Reception Suite, with its elaborate combinations of flat and molded plaster, canvas paintings and woodwork. The paint is water-based, so no aqueous substances can be used in cleaning. As the conservators proceed with the careful dry cleaning process, using only vinyl erasers and [...]
If you've ever considered being a volunteer at Victoria Mansion, now is a great time t o s ign up for Portland History Docents. This ten week program gives participants insight into Portland's fascinating history and the opportunity to tour some of the landmarks that make this cit y such a wonderful place to live [...]
No Christmas visit to Victoria Mansion is complete without perusing our museum shop. This year we are offering custom, limited edition Currier & Ives themed music boxes for $24.95. For the perfect, unique gift for friends and family, look no further than the Carriage House Museum Shop. Merchandise is flying off the shelves, so be [...]
This year's annual Christmas Gala, held on November 30, offered a combination of cherished traditions with a few new features to delight the over 225 guests that attendend. Along with previewing the recently started conservation work in the Reception Room, guests enjoyed food generously donated by the Cumberland Club, signature cocktails, and a raffle for a [...]
Friday, December 2, Victoria Mansion hosted its second annual volunteer and staff art show in conjunction with Portland's monthly First Friday Art Walk. The gallery exhibit in the second floor of the Carriage House featured a variety of work by seven of our docents. Oil paintings, water colors, photography, mixed media, and textiles were all displayed to [...]
Curator Arlene Palmer Schwind will present a lecture to the Victorian Society New York on Thursday, December 15, which will be held at the English Speaking Union. Titled "Giuseppe Guidicini: New York Opera Houses and Theatres," her talk will explore the role of the Mansion's artist in creating the Italian style that came to dominate [...]
Designers have been hard at work decking the halls for our 33rd annual Christmas season, with this year's theme of A Currier & Ives Christmas at Victoria Mansion, opening on November 25th. We welcome back Dan Hatt (decorating the Mansion's Stair Hall), Gail Diamon from Dodge the Florist (Dining Room), Dan Kennedy of Harmon's & Barton's [...]
This year, as part of Victoria Mansion's expanded partnership with Portland Ballet, Director of Education & Visitor Services Lucinda Hannington will be speaking to audiences at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center and Merrill Auditorium prior to productions of the Victorian Nutcracker on December 17, 18, and 23. The mini-lecture will provide contextual information about the [...]
As we gear up for our 33rd Christmas season, we reflect on the incredible growth in admissions and development in 2016 thus far. We have already seen a total of 27,346 people this year from May 1 to October 31, an increase of about 22% or 6,500 people as of the end of the regular [...]
