Accession Number

989.016

Description

One silk parasol with white-painted wood shaft, the silk fabric being a 38.4 cm overlay of ecru coloured lace in an open weave pattern of large flowers stitched down on a cream satin backing, the stitching around the edge with a wide border, a double flounce (7.5 cm wide) of a very fine woven light gray silk with a shimmer, the eight brass stays (50.2 cm long X 0.2 cm diameter) from the frame move up and down to form the umbrella, the plain white painted wooden shaft with a threaded metal end where the missing handle would have screwed on.

History of Use

This parasol was found in a closet at Colwood B.C.'s Hatley Park by the donor's father, Lt. Commander John H. Knight in about 1940.  He was there to help other officers in establishing HMCS Royal Roads after the Dunsmuir Estate sold Hatley Park to the federal government for naval officer training. His office was in Hatley Castle near the end of the main hall, west end. His daughter (the donor) could not remember whether her father found the parasol in his office closet or whether it was found in Hatley's Sooke Road gatehouse where the Knight family lived. The donor stated in 1989 that she assumed (as presumably did her parents) that the parasol was probably used by one or more of of the daughters of James and Laura Dunsmuir.

Date

circa 1905

Dimensions

83.7 x 97 cm

Material

Fabric, silk, satin; Fabric, cotton; Metal, steel

Technique

Machined; Dyed; Sewn