On June 11th, at 7:30pm visit the Villa for a multidisciplinary “deep dive” into the past of Victoria. In this lecture, Mone Vogel will connect her art to the Villa’s first family, the Roscoes, who lived at the Villa in the 1860s and 70s in Victoria, showing how they would have experienced the illustrated landmarks in her paintings. Familiar lakes, creeks, mud flats, and ocean will be explored in the past using primary sources like the Roscoe family diary, balanced against visuals showing how the artist herself has experienced them today.
Tickets are $10/person and must be purchased in advance at https://tinyurl.com/RBVByTheWater.
On Thursday June 18th at 7:30pm, learn about literature of the Victorian era. Listen to a lecture by heritage advocate and historical researcher, Dr. Nick Russell, as he explores the invention of steam power, the impact of railways, canals and factories, the horror of cholera and London’s “Big Stink,” the furor over slavery, child labour, the origin of species and more. These topics inspired and influenced Victorian literature, which was changing dramatically as the Establishment, the Church and authority were challenged. What were Victoria’s residents reading in this mid-19th-Century time of turmoil? After all, the first owner of Ross Bay Villa, Francis Roscoe, was described in his obituary as “exceedingly fond of literature”.
Tickets are $10 and must be booked in advance at the following link https://tinyurl.com/RBVicLit.
Finally, on Sunday June 21st from 12-4, visit the Villa for a literary escape. Join others who, like the Roscoes, are “exceedingly fond of literature”. Bring a book (and a cushion) and read in the oasis of calm that is Ross Bay Villa’s Victorian garden. Drop in for a chat with others who seek escape from this modern world or quietly enjoy an afternoon among other book-worms. Tea and cookies will be available by donation for those fatigued by philosophy, perplexed by plot or exhausted by erudition. Admission is free for this outdoor event.