Accession Number

2012.007.001.091

Description

One sepia-toned photograph of two women wearing long darkly-coloured dresses and hats, playing croquet on a tennis lawn. A man or adolescent male stands behind one woman. In the distance standing beside a tall tennis court fence is a boy, possibly wearing a sailor suit.

Narrative

These woman are playing croquet on a tennis court at Burleith, the home of James and Laura Dunsmuir. The tennis court was situated near the northeast corner of the eighteen acre (7.3 hectare) estate.

History of Use

This photograph was taken in about 1893 and placed in an album created by the James and Laura Dunsmuir family at Burleith, their home on Victoria's Gorge Waterway. In 1906 it was probably taken by the family to Victoria's Government House where they lived while James served as British Columbia's eighth Lieutenant Governor. From there it was taken to the family's new house, Hatley Park, in 1910.

Sometime after Laura Miller Dunsmuir's death in 1937, the album became the property of Dola Frances Dunsmuir (also known as Mrs. Dola Cavendish) and was kept at her house Dolaura in Colwood, B.C. After hear death, the album was owned by her sister Kathleen's daughter, Judith Humphreys (also known as Mrs. Judith Joy). Her daughter donated the album to Craigdarroch Castle in 2012.

Date

circa 1893

Dimensions

9.1 x 11.5 cm

Subject/Image

Playing croquet at Burleith

Country of Origin

Canada