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Notable Summer Visitors
at Victoria Mansion
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Victoria Mansion is open for the season May 1 - October 31.
Tickets are now available on our website.
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In this newsletter:
- Maine State Senator Jill Duson Visits Victoria Mansion
- Morrill Descendant Paul Dyson Shares Family History During Mansion Visit
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Upcoming Programs & Events (Tickets to A Bizarre Victorian Bazaar go on sale September 1st!)
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Maine State Senator Jill Duson
Visits Victoria Mansion
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Senator Jill Duson (left) with Victoria Mansion Executive Director Tim Brosnihan (center) and Director of Development Ann O'Hagan on the Mansion Stair Hall.
Photo by Bilal Hussein.
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The team at Victoria Mansion was thrilled to welcome Senator Jill Duson, representing Senate District 27, for a tour earlier this summer led by Executive Director Tim Brosnihan. Tim shared information about our recent research initiatives, as well as some of the exciting, cutting-edge conservation and restoration efforts we have underway. Each year, visitors from all over the world come to delight in the building as a work of art, to learn about the people who created and occupied it, and to see a living preservation laboratory, with conservators working in full view.
We were pleased to host the Senator and are most grateful for her ongoing leadership to support Portland’s vibrant arts and culture community!
Read more about Senator Duson's visit at the official press release.
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Tim Brosnihan shares information about the historic kitchen, not usually included in our public tours, with Senator Duson.
Photo by Bilal Hussein.
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Senator Duson tours the Sitting Room with Executive Director Tim Brosnihan.
Photo by Bilal Hussein.
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Morrill Descendant Paul Dyson Shares Family History During Mansion Visit | |
Morrill descendant Paul Dyson (second from left) and his wife Dee (second from right) visits Victoria Mansion with Senior Site Manager Michelle Josephson (left) and Executive Director Tim Brosnihan. | |
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While the Morses and Libbys are most frequently referred to as the two families to occupy Victoria Mansion as a private home, a third family, the Morrills, lived in the rear ell of the Mansion during a pivotal moment in the building's history. Woodbury Morrill worked as a live-in caretaker during the final years of Libby ownership and occupancy, and continued living and working here with his wife Lena through the mid-1950s, seeing the Mansion's change from a private home to a museum open to the public. Guests often hear the story of how our stained glass skylight was restored using over 40% of the original glass - it was Woodbury who salvaged glass pieces from the skylight when it was damaged in the 1938 hurricane. When guests ask (often after being greeted by our popular feline volunteer, Ruffi) if there were ever pets in the Mansion, we have no definitive answers for the Morse and Libby families, but we do have photographs of the Morrill family dog, a German Shepard named Prince.
Woodbury and Lena's daughter, Claire Morrill, lived at the Mansion with her parents. In 1947, she held her wedding reception in the house at the invitation of the Mansion's first curator, Dr. William Holmes. Lena Morrill was an Irish immigrant, and Claire's wedding ceremony was held at nearby St. Dominic's Church, today home to the Maine Irish Heritage Center. With her husband, Henry O. Dyson, Claire raised three children. The youngest, Paul, recently visited Victoria Mansion with his wife Dee, and graciously shared stories about his mother. He also generously donated family photographs documenting Claire's wedding, and letters from her soon-to-be husband when he was overseas during World War II. Claire herself served in the United States Naval Women's Reserve (WAVES) along with some of her friends.
Claire had a strong sense of home at Victoria Mansion, even many decades later in life. A frequent pastime that she recalled to her children was sitting in the Tower to write poetry. We are grateful to Paul for sharing memories of his mother, and entrusting the Mansion with photos documenting some of the time she spent living here.
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Claire Morrill on the Mansion lawn, 1939.
Courtesy of Paul Dyson. | |
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Claire Morrill with her wedding party in the hall outside the Mansion's original servant's quarters.
Courtesy of Paul Dyson.
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Upcoming Programs & Events | |
Read on to learn about some of the events we have in the works for summer and fall 2024! Keep an eye on our Events page for tickets and more information about upcoming programs. | | |
The Reception Room in natural light during an open shutters tour. | |
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Every year, we host a series of events exclusively for our Members. This year's calendar included a preview reception for our Celebration of National Textiles Day, a Basement to Tower tour, a Backstairs Lives tour, and an Open Shutters tour.
Our last Member event of the regular season is coming up soon:
September 19th: Preserving Maine's Brownstone Masterpiece
This event will feature a talk by Executive Director Tim Brosnihan about the history of brownstone, from its formation to its quarrying and use in residential architecture. Attendees will also hear details about the upcoming restoration of the Reception Room Bay.
Memberships start at $50 (or $30 for educators and university students). Members receive free admission for tours during both the regular and holiday seasons, discounts on ticketed events, and more. We are working on building our 2025 calendar of events - if you are a Member, stay tuned!
Learn more about our Membership program and join any time on our website.
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Actor Andrew Harris greets the Bizarre Victorian Bazaar crowd in character as Charles Dickens, October 2023. | |
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Our Bizarre Victorian Bazaar returns to the Mansion lawn on Saturday, October 5th! This one-day fair kicks off the Halloween season with an educational (and entertaining!) take on Victorian folklore, camera trickery, Spiritualism, and more.
Keep an eye on our Events webpage, and our Facebook and Instagram pages in the coming weeks. A preliminary schedule of events will be available closer to the event date, with the full schedule available onsite on the day of the event.
Tickets will go on sale September 1st!
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We are looking for docents to join us in 2024!
For more information or to sign up, please email Stacia Hanscom, Director of Education & Public Programs at shanscom@victoriamansion.org.
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Help us continue our preservation and educational efforts with a donation to our Annual Fund!
Keeping the arts alive in our communities helps foster connections while enhancing our quality of life. Victoria Mansion is simultaneously a museum of art, architecture, and the decorative arts, as well as a site rich in social, economic, and political history, offering multiple pathways to connect to the issues of the day. As a nonprofit organization, Victoria Mansion depends on contributions from our community near and far to ensure the preservation of this National Historic Landmark for generations to come.
When you give to Victoria Mansion’s Annual Fund, your contribution directly supports the myriad efforts to conserve, maintain, restore, and share this National Historic Landmark with the public, from historic preservation to educational programming and beyond.
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Members enjoy year-round free admission, discounts in the Museum Shop, and invitations to exclusive events. Become a member today to assist in our conservation efforts and receive the first news about upcoming Victoria Mansion events and programs. | |
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The Staff of Victoria Mansion
Timothy Brosnihan, Executive Director
Ann O'Hagan, Director of Development
Stacia Hanscom, Director of Education & Public Programs
Siobhan Lindsay, Conservator
Brittany Cook, Development & Communications Coordinator
Molly Kingsbury, Museum Shop Buyer & Merchandiser
Sue Flaherty, Visitor Services Coordinator
Michelle Josephson, Senior Site Manager
Sarah Coughlin, Scheduling Coordinator
Jean Piekart, Site Manager
Elena Popov Savchenko, Museum Housekeeper
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