by Anny Scoones
by Robert Amos and Kileasa Wong
Victoria’s Chinatown is Canada’s oldest Chinese neighbourhood and has a lineage unbroken since 1858. With large-format colour photos and photocollages, Robert Amos and Kileasa Wong take you behind the doors of the 29 private clubs that make up the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, where you’ll see the gilded altars, antique art and ornate furniture that grace the meeting halls. Through stunning pictures and text in both Chinese and English, you will meet the club members and take an inside look at the culture of this complex community. Inside Chinatown is sure to become a landmark publication chronicling the vibrant heritage of Chinese Canadians.
Inside Chinatown was voted Monday Magazine's Non-Fiction Book of the Year, and authors Robert Amos and Kileasa Wong were presented with a 2010 Outstanding Achievement Award from BC Heritage for their work on Inside Chinatown.
MORE ABOUT VICTORIA'S HISTORY
Above Stairs
Social Life in Upper-Class Victoria 1843–1918
by Valerie Green
When Fort Victoria was first established in the mid-nineteenth century, eight pioneer families of Europe’s upper class formed the social elite of the modest colony. The self-named aristocracy of this new land, these families shaped a world suited to their proper tastes on the upper floors of the fort, and eventually, in beautiful homes that imitated the height of fashion in Europe. However, between their tea parties and balls, these particular families greatly influenced the progress of the city of Victoria and the province of British Columbia.
In Above Stairs, get to know the the Douglases, the Pembertons, the Skinners, the Creases, the O’Reillys, the Trutches, the Rithets and the Barnards. These families made laws, surveyed land, founded businesses and set a standard of social acceptability for all those living in Victoria at the time. Like a kitchen hand sneaking up the servants’ steps to spy on the rich, discover the glamorous, complicated lives of Victoria’s social elite in Above Stairs.
Stella
Unrepentant Madam
by Linda J. Eversole
A wealthy madam who was known from San Francisco to Victoria in the early part of the 20th century, Stella Carroll was glamorous, worldly and determined to succeed. Her bordellos were fashionably decorated and patronized by the affluent and the powerful; she offered the best of everything—fine food and wine, cigars, entertainment and, of course, girls.
The author, with the cooperation of Stella’s family in California and New Mexico, has provided an intimate portrait of this infamous, unrepentant woman, her business and her tenuous relationships with double-dealing politicians and corrupt police, whose cooperation was essential to her success in the shadowy world she inhabited.
Stella was a woman of contrasts. Her scandalous lifestyle and fiery temper often landed her in court on morals charges, yet she was devoted to and supportive of her family and gave generously to orphans and charities.
This compelling non-fiction narrative is a fascinating look at Stella’s life and at how things were in Victoria 100 years ago.
The Spencer Mansion
A House, a Home, and an Art Gallery
by Robert Ratcliffe Taylor
Built in 1889 and now home to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Spencer Mansion is a magnificent building with a rich and layered history. With detailed research, historian and author Robert Ratcliffe Taylor describes the original appearance of the house, designed by William Ridgway Wilson for Alexander Green and his family, as well as its inhabitants over the decades. Also known as Gyppeswyk, after the village in England where Green wed Theophila Rainer, the house is more commonly referred to as the Spencer Mansion, after later owners David and Emma Spencer. The book also chronicles the brief period when the residence served as BC's Government House and concludes with the story of how the house came to function as an art gallery.
A unique book, The Spencer Mansion showcases a true gem of Victoria's architecture and history.
Copyright © 2013 Anny Scoones and Robert Amos
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (ACCESS Copyright). For a copyright licence, visit accesscopyright.ca.
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION
Scoones, Anny, 1957–
Hometown [electronic resource] : out and about in Victoria’s neighbourhoods / Anny Scoones ; Robert Amos, illustrator.
Electronic monograph issued in various formats.
Also issued in print format.
ISBN 978-1-77151-001-1 (HTML).—ISBN 978-1-77151-002-8 (PDF)
1. Victoria (BC)—Description and travel. 2. Victoria (BC)—
Pictorial works. I. Amos, Robert, 1950– II. Title.
FC3846.18.S36 2013 917.11'28045 C2012-907749-6
Editor: Marlyn Horsdal
Proofreader: Vivian Sinclair
Cover and interior illustrations: Robert Amos, except pages 23, 52, 128, 129, and 154, which have illustrations by Sarah Amos
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for our publishing activities from the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, and the province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
The information in this book is true and complete to the best of the author’s knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author. The author disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information.
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