Accession Number

2017.008

Description

One hardcover book titled 'The Dunsmuir Saga' by Terry Reksten. First edition, signed by the author. Purple blue dust jacket with images of Craigdarroch and the Dunsmuir family. Title in white at the top. 290 pages.

Narrative

This book was written by noted British Columbia author Terry Reksten (1942-2001), also the author of Rattenbury (1978), More English Than The English (1986), Craigdarroch: The Story of Dunsmuir Castle (1987), A Century of Sailing (1992), The Empress Hotel in The Grand Style (1997), The Illustrated History of British Columbia (2001), The Fairmont Empress: The First Hundred Years (2008).

Craigdarroch Castle’s Curator Bruce Davies wrote about The Dunsmuir Saga in July, 2017:

“I remember standing beside Society President James K. Nesbitt at Craigdarroch’s front desk one day when Terry Reksten phoned him to ask his permission to write a book on the Dunsmuirs. It must have been around 1980 or 1981. I distinctly remember the call because he wanted to tell me about it when he finished it. It struck him as odd that she would ask his permission, since, as he said, he didn’t ‘own the Dunsmuir story’. Nonetheless, he said, he told her to feel free to write the book. I think it was a courteous thing for Terry to have done, because she, like many other BC historians, couldn’t help but have noticed the body of work produced by Nesbitt over many decades. A significant portion of that work was on the Dunsmuirs, and of course, he had essentially been the King of the Castle since 1959 when he organized The Castle Society. Mr. Nesbitt died soon after that phone call. Terry finished The Dunsmuir Saga about 10 years later. He would have loved the book. Her wonderful writing style combined with top-notch research makes it essential reading for anyone interested in B.C. history or the Dunsmuir story.” 

History of Use

This book was purchased by the donor’s mother, Elizabeth Gwendolyn Liesch (nee Johnson) in 1991 and kept at her Malahat and Victoria, B.C. residences until 2011, and then by her son, Bruce Davies, at his Propsect Lake, B.C. residence until 2017.

Dimensions

23 x 15.5 x 2.75 cm

Material

Paper

Inscription

On flyleaf in pencil: Personal property of Bruce Davies (inherited from his mother)
On title page in blue ink: Terry Reksten

Country of Origin

Canada