Archive for News

Victoria Mansion Names New Executive Director, Timothy Brosnihan

Victoria Mansion, a National Historic Landmark, has named Timothy Brosnihan as its new Executive Director. After a six-month search in the US and Canada, the Search Committee announced that the position would go to Brosnihan, former Assistant Director of the museum. Board member Sue Sturtevant chaired the Search…

A Century of Change: School Tours in the Off-Season

While our doors may be closed to the public, we are opening the Mansion up to local schools who are taking part in our A Century of Change school curriculum. Elementary schools from around Cumberland County have the opportunity to select from 8 lessons that look at the changes over time…

Behind the Image: Mr. Libby’s Special Delivery

The very first delivery of cargo by air to Portland, Maine in July of 1926 included some unexpected freight: a shipment of high-end dresses from New York City for the J.R. Libby Department Store. Though the store’s founder and namesake– and second owner of the Mansion– J.R. Libby…

Sugar and Spice, and All That’s Nice: ‘Reproof’, by Edward Russell Thaxter

Nineteenth-century American artists looked to Europe as the center of culture. The painters flocked to Paris, while the sculptors migrated to Florence and Rome, where they could obtain the marble, the mentors, and the ancient models they required to fashion their neo-classical compositions. These expatriate artists chose “ ideal’ subjects—themes from literature, mythology, and history,” as most worthy of their endeavors. Their studios were destinations for Americans on the Grand Tour, and often they made multiple versions of a piece to sell.

Conservation of the Interior: Parlor Conservation Project Reaches New Milestone

Mansion Visitation Continues to Grow

Conservation of the Interior: Ongoing Work in the Mansion’s Parlor

Annual Holiday Gala Recap

‘Christmas at Victoria Mansion: Ghosts of Christmas Past’ in the Press

Now in its fourth decade, ‘Christmas at Victoria Mansion’ has become a beloved tradition for many in the Greater Portland area and beyond!

A Very Special Visitor Returns to the Mansion