Tuesday 8 June 2021

June Book Tuesday

Here is the selections for June's Book Tuesday.

Yes I know Tues June 1st was technically the first Tuesday of June but, whatever 😄

Enjoy
Victorian Society of Alberta

The Last Spike
by Pierre Berton

In the four years between 1881 and 1885, Canada was forged into one nation by the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Last Spike reconstructs the incredible story of how some 2,000 miles of steel crossed the continent in just five years — exactly half the time stipulated in the contract. Pierre Berton recreates the adventures that were part of this vast undertaking: the railway on the brink of bankruptcy, with one hour between it and ruin; the extraordinary land boom of Winnipeg in 1881–1882; and the epic tale of how William Van Horne rushed 3,000 soldiers over a half-finished railway to quell the Riel Rebellion.

Dominating the whole saga are the men who made it all possible — a host of astonishing characters: Van Horne, the powerhouse behind the vision of a transcontinental railroad; Rogers, the eccentric surveyor; Onderdonk, the cool New Yorker; Stephen, the most emotional of businessmen; Father Lacombe, the black-robed voyageur; Sam Steele, of the North West Mounted Police; Gabriel Dumont, the Prince of the Prairies; more than 7,000 Chinese workers, toiling and dying in the canyons of the Fraser Valley; and many more — land sharks, construction geniuses, politicians, and entrepreneurs — all of whom played a role in the founding of the new Canada west of Ontario.

The House of Worth: The Birth of Haute Couture
by Chantal Trubert-Tollu

The first illustrated monograph dedicated to the history of the House of Worth, the world’s pioneering haute couture label

Arriving in Paris in 1845, at the age of twenty and with only a few francs in his pocket, Charles Frederick Worth would go on to build the most prominent, innovative, and successful fashion house of the century. He was inspired by a love of fine art, luxurious fabrics, and his vision of the female ideal, and was the first to set out to dictate new styles and silhouettes to his elite clientele— not the other way around. He hosted them in his rue de la Paix salons, which included groundbreaking sportswear and maternity departments as well as silk, velvet, and brocade rooms, and a special salon with closed shutters and gas lighting designed to allow clients to try on ball gowns in lighting conditions precisely matched to those of the event at which they would be worn.

Organized chronologically and illustrated with striking ensembles, paintings, and documents sourced from both private family archives and the best fashion collections from museums around the world, The House of Worth is an inspiring tribute to the house that started it all.

Saturday 5 June 2021

Fashion in action!

This video by Prior Attire is a wonderful look at 60 years of Victorian fashion.
An excellent demonstration of how a middle/upper class lady had to get dressed as well.

Most Ladies living out here could only dream of these fashions.

Enjoy
Victorian Society of Alberta

Her YouTube channel is well worth subscribing to.
Prior Attire

 



Thursday 3 June 2021

Days of Yore is a go... sort of.

The Days of Yore Festival in Didsbury was cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

For 2021 the event will be virtual!

The Victorian Society of Alberta will be participating in this event so make sure you check it out.

Here is the information from the organizers.

Enjoy
Victorian Society of Alberta


A little pandemic never held back a Viking or a Cowboy or a Soldier, and the Mountain View Arts Society is just as determined to bring you another great show no matter what! We might not be able to do an in-person festival in 2021, but we can sure bring you a Live Streaming Video Production featuring all your favourite reenactment performers and artisans!
 
For the 5th year, we invite you to STEP BACK IN TIME, only this year, from the comfort of your home, as we will be streaming live through Facebook and our YouTube channel. Yes, it's going to be different, but we are eager to bring you the best of our traditional, heritage reenactors.
 
We hope you will mark July 31st on your calendar - the Saturday of the August Heritage Long Weekend - and prepare to visit online with performers representing 9th C Scandinavia, 11th Century England, 18th Century England, 19th Century Canada, and the early 20th Century.
 
JOIN US ON JULY 31st - All you have to do is go to https://www.youtube.com/user/MVASociety/videos on July 31st and follow the entire Days of Yore Fest on our YouTube Channel. (Until then, you can follow older videos from events hosted by the Mountain View Arts Society.)
Follow us on Facebook or visit our website at www.daysofyore.ca.