Mansion Members are invited to join us for an exclusive preview reception of our Celebration of National Textiles Day.

About The Event:

Victoria Mansion is fortunate to have over 90% of the house’s original collection, including samples of beautiful, intricate textiles from nearly every room. These delicate objects are usually housed in our climate-controlled textile storage room on the third floor of the museum and are rarely on public view.

Our community of Mansion members, supporters, and visitors frequently express curiosity about the house’s textiles, and this May, we’re planning a special, limited exhibition of select objects!

National Textiles Day falls on May 3rd, which coincides with our 2024 regular season opening weekend. Textiles from the collection will remain on view in the Mansion’s rooms from Friday, May 3rd through Sunday, May 5th during regular tours.

Members are invited to an exclusive preview reception on Thursday, May 2nd from 5pm-7pm. The reception will include a first look at the textile collections that will be on exhibit in every room of the Mansion, and the opportunity to hear from special guests and staff about highlighted topics, including:

Reception Room Window Treatments: Executive Director Tim Brosnihan will discuss current efforts by Victoria Mansion’s Collections Committee to reproduce the elaborate window treatments in the Reception Room, completing a decade-long restoration. Remnants of the original drapes and examples of some patterns under consideration for replacement fabric will be on view.

Dining Room Chair Upholstery: Special guest Melissa Debbs-McDougald will talk about her process of upholstering and applying period-accurate French polish finishes to the original Dining Room chairs. Samples of the original upholstery and an un-restored Herter chair from a similar set will be on view in the Dining Room. Melissa has over 25 years of international experience in furniture conservation and restoration.

Stair Hall Carpet: Special guest textile expert Jacqueline Field will discuss the process of recreating the Stair Hall carpet. A graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art, retired college professor, and active scholar, Jacqueline spearheaded the recreation of the Mansion’s Stair Hall carpet design, including conducting research at the James Templeton Company archive in Glasgow. Examples of the carpet designs will be on view in the Hall.

Parlor Festoons & Tulip Drops: Victoria Mansion’s Conservator Siobhan Lindsay will discuss conservation in the Parlor, and share select examples of the elaborate floral festoons and tulip drops that ornamented the original window treatments. With an extensive background in art conservation, Siobhan previously worked at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and with the Gianfranco Pocobene Studio, which led her to Victoria Mansion. Siobhan has been a critical player in the recent restorations of the Reception Room and Parlor.

Turkish Smoking Room Textiles: Victoria Mansion’s Textile Conservation Technician Vivian Cunningham will discuss caring for the elaborate original panels of the Turkish Smoking Room’s window treatments, as well as the recreation of the textiles for the room’s complete restoration. Vivian received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the Maine College of Art + Design in Fashion and Textiles, and can also be found working at the Maine Historical Society and Portland Observatory.

Light bites and drinks will be provided for guests at this event.

If you are currently a Member, please check your email for your invitation and RSVP details. If you need to renew your membership or would like to join to receive your invitation, please visit our Membership Page, or give us a call at (207) 772-4841 ext.111 or ext.101.