Craigdarroch Castle : Artwork : photograph [2022.007.009]

Artwork

Accession Number

2022.007.009

Description

One black and white photograph depicting many girls in light-coloured theatrical costumes on a flat lawn, the majority of them standing on a distant stage flanked by palms, others before it seated on the ground, all of them facing the camera. In the foreground are four small girls facing the stage with their backs to the camera, two of them holding shepherd's crooks.

Narrative

Mary Jean Dunsmuir (also known as Mrs. Henry Croft) was a keen supporter of the arts in Victoria. She often made the grounds of her home Mt. Adelaide available to arts groups and charitable organizations. Theatrical performances by children often occurred during the spring and summer.

This particular event, the "Rose Festival" was described in the Victoria Daily Times on June 26, 1914, page 11. The headline read, "Hundreds Attend The Rose Festival".

History of Use

This photograph was in the possession of its photographer, Ernest Crocker, until shortly before his death in 1968. It was given by him to his friend who later gave it to the donor's late husband. It has been on Vancouver Island since its creation.