Curiosity Killed the Cat – Animal-Human Relationships in Victorian Victoria and Beyond

Join us at the Villa on Thursday, March 21 at 7:30pm to hear Amber Fill’s lecture “Curiosity Killed the Cat – Animal-Human Relationships in Victorian Victoria and Beyond.

Amber Fill is the Ross Bay Villa Program Coordinator and UVic Honours History student.  She will present an illustrated lecture featuring her research into the evolving understanding of the relationship between animals and humans during the 18th and 19th centuries. Moving from a hierarchical view of animals as creatures of servitude toward a more benevolent, sentimental and curious understanding of our fellow sentient beings, these 200 years were pivotal in the reassessment of this important relationship. 

From debates during the Enlightenment around the need to minimize animal suffering, to the worlds first conviction of an individual in 1838 on a charge of animal cruelty, to costumed companion dogs and cats of the later Victorian era, the modern understanding of the moral and emotional value and societal positioning of animals continues to be influenced by this groundbreaking period of western history.

This event will be held at Ross Bay Villa Historic House Museum on Thursday, March 21, 2024.  The lecture begins at 7:30 and advance registration and tickets are required.  You can purchase your ticket at http://tinyurl.com/yzfzb583