Emily Carr House
Encyclopedia
Emily Carr House is a National Historic Site of Canada located in Victoria, British Columbia
. It was the childhood home of Canadian painter
Emily Carr
, and had a lasting impression on her paintings and writings.
's father, Richard. The building was designed in an Italianate style by prominent local architects Wright & Saunders, who also built another Victorian National Historic Site, the Fisgard Lighthouse. The area was the heart of 19th century Victoria, with many other merchants, businessmen, and politicians such as the Dunsmuirs
living in the area, many of whom commissioned other important buildings, such as Helmcken House
. Structurally, the building is an excellent, and well-preserved, heritage example of the Italianate villa style popular at the time.
However, the site is most notable for its association with Emily Carr. Born in 1871, Carr spent much of her life within walking distance of her family home, and the environment left a lasting impression on her which is mentioned in all of her books. In The Book of Small, a young Emily offers a description of Carr street, and her house, as it appeared around 1880:
Emily lived in the Emily Carr house for most of her childhood, before leaving to pursue artistic training in San Francisco, Paris
and London
. Her father's death in 1888 left ownership of the farm to her elder sister, Edith Carr, who divided up the estate into lots which were sold off, with the Carr sisters retaining five of them.
Upon her return to Victoria in 1913, Emily built her own house adjacent to Emily Carr House at 646 Simcoe Street. Her time here, including the art school
she ran, were immortalized in her book The House of All Sorts — the structure still stands to this day, and contains a mural
she painted on the attic roof in the style of First Nations
. Her sisters Edith and Alice also built houses surrounding Emily Carr House — Alice Carr House was run as a kindergarten by Alice, and Emily occasionally held art lessons in the building.
saved the building from demolition and turned it over to the Emily Carr Foundation three years later, for use as an art gallery
and school known as the Emily Carr Arts Centre. In 1976, the provincial government purchased the property, and helped return the building to its original condition.
The building was extensively restored
by two different architects, undoing many of the additions and modernizations that had been added to the house since the 19th century. The wood finishes
, mentioned by Carr, were restored from scratch, while the exterior of the house was returned to its original design and color using period photos from Emily Carr's lifetime. The interior of the house is faithful to the original, following the painstaking removal of layers of newer paint and wallpaper to discover the original pattern and colors used inside.
Most of the original artifacts in the home have long-since been replaced; however, a handful have been recovered and restored. The Carr family Bible
was recovered, along with some of the original pieces of hardware for the doors and windows. Most items from the house have been replaced with replicas, or other period artifacts — such as the piano
in parlour
, which was originally owned by neighbours of the Carr family.
Emily Carr House is currently an interpretive centre for Carr's art, writings and life. It is operated by Clio Arts Associates Ltd. on behalf of the Province of British Columbia
. Emily Carr House is located at 207 Government Street - follow the pavement of what was once Carr Street, named after Richard Carr, Emily's father. Carr House is just six blocks from Victoria's Inner Harbour and the beautiful Parliament Buildings
designed by architect, Francis Rattenbury
. It is the starting off point for anyone interested in learning more about this remarkable Canadian icon. In addition to the heritage rooms and artifacts on exhibit in the museum; Carr House is surrounded by a charming Victorian styled garden. In the spirit of Emily Carr it features a "People's Gallery", where local artists inspired
by Emily Carr display their work.
48.4138°N 123.37°W
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. It was the childhood home of Canadian painter
Canadian art
Canadian art refers to the visual as well as plastic arts originating from the geographical area of contemporary Canada...
Emily Carr
Emily Carr
Emily Carr was a Canadian artist and writer heavily inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. One of the first painters in Canada to adopt a post-impressionist painting style, Carr did not receive widespread recognition for her work until later in her life...
, and had a lasting impression on her paintings and writings.
Early history
Built in 1863 for the affluent Carr family,house was originally situated at 44 Carr Street on a large property owned by Emily CarrEmily Carr
Emily Carr was a Canadian artist and writer heavily inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. One of the first painters in Canada to adopt a post-impressionist painting style, Carr did not receive widespread recognition for her work until later in her life...
's father, Richard. The building was designed in an Italianate style by prominent local architects Wright & Saunders, who also built another Victorian National Historic Site, the Fisgard Lighthouse. The area was the heart of 19th century Victoria, with many other merchants, businessmen, and politicians such as the Dunsmuirs
James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir was a British Columbian industrialist and politician. Son of Robert Dunsmuir, he was heir to his family's coal fortune. The Dunsmuir family dominated the province's economy in the late nineteenth century and were a leading force in opposing organized labour...
living in the area, many of whom commissioned other important buildings, such as Helmcken House
Helmcken House
Helmcken House is a museum in Victoria, British Columbia, located in Thunderbird Park. It was built by Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, the first doctor in Victoria, in 1852, a surgeon with the Hudson's Bay Company. It is currently claimed to be the oldest house in British Columbia that is open to the...
. Structurally, the building is an excellent, and well-preserved, heritage example of the Italianate villa style popular at the time.
However, the site is most notable for its association with Emily Carr. Born in 1871, Carr spent much of her life within walking distance of her family home, and the environment left a lasting impression on her which is mentioned in all of her books. In The Book of Small, a young Emily offers a description of Carr street, and her house, as it appeared around 1880:
Our street was called Carr Street after my Father. We had a very nice house and a lovely gardenGardenA garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
... Carr Street was a very fine street. The dirt road waved up and down and in and out. the horses made it that way, zigzagging the carts and carriages through it. The rest of the street was green grass and wild roseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s. [...] In front of our place Father had made a gravel walk but after our trees stopped there were just two planks to walk on.
As far back as I can remember Father's place was all made and in order. The house was large and well-built, of Californian redwood, the garden prim and carefully tented. Everything about it was extremely EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was as though Father had buried a tremendous homesickness in this new soil and it had rooted and sprung up English. There were hawthornCommon HawthornCrataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world where it is an invasive weed...
hedges, primrosePrimula vulgarisPrimula vulgaris is a species of Primula native to western and southern Europe , northwest Africa , and southwest Asia...
banks, and cow pastures with shrubberiesShrubberyA shrubbery is a wide border to a garden where shrubs are thickly planted; or a similar larger area with a path winding through it. A shrubbery was a feature of 19th-century gardens in the English manner, with its origins in the gardenesque style of the early part of the century...
."
Emily lived in the Emily Carr house for most of her childhood, before leaving to pursue artistic training in San Francisco, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Her father's death in 1888 left ownership of the farm to her elder sister, Edith Carr, who divided up the estate into lots which were sold off, with the Carr sisters retaining five of them.
Upon her return to Victoria in 1913, Emily built her own house adjacent to Emily Carr House at 646 Simcoe Street. Her time here, including the art school
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
she ran, were immortalized in her book The House of All Sorts — the structure still stands to this day, and contains a mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
she painted on the attic roof in the style of First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
. Her sisters Edith and Alice also built houses surrounding Emily Carr House — Alice Carr House was run as a kindergarten by Alice, and Emily occasionally held art lessons in the building.
Later history and restoration
Emily Carr House passed through the Carr family for several years, before being sold to a private owner for use as a rental property. The building was extensively modernized following a fire in 1938. In 1964, MP David GroosDavid Groos
David Walter Groos was a Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States and became a naval officer by career....
saved the building from demolition and turned it over to the Emily Carr Foundation three years later, for use as an art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
and school known as the Emily Carr Arts Centre. In 1976, the provincial government purchased the property, and helped return the building to its original condition.
The building was extensively restored
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
by two different architects, undoing many of the additions and modernizations that had been added to the house since the 19th century. The wood finishes
Wood finishing
Wood finishing refers to the process of embellishing and/or protecting the surface of a wooden material. The process starts with surface preparation, either by sanding by hand , scraping, or planing. Imperfections or nail holes on the surface may be filled using wood putty or pores may be filled...
, mentioned by Carr, were restored from scratch, while the exterior of the house was returned to its original design and color using period photos from Emily Carr's lifetime. The interior of the house is faithful to the original, following the painstaking removal of layers of newer paint and wallpaper to discover the original pattern and colors used inside.
Most of the original artifacts in the home have long-since been replaced; however, a handful have been recovered and restored. The Carr family Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
was recovered, along with some of the original pieces of hardware for the doors and windows. Most items from the house have been replaced with replicas, or other period artifacts — such as the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
in parlour
Parlour
Parlour , from the French word parloir, from parler , denotes an "audience chamber". In parts of the United Kingdom and the United States, parlours are common names for certain types of food service houses, restaurants or special service areas, such as tattoo parlors...
, which was originally owned by neighbours of the Carr family.
Emily Carr House is currently an interpretive centre for Carr's art, writings and life. It is operated by Clio Arts Associates Ltd. on behalf of the Province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Emily Carr House is located at 207 Government Street - follow the pavement of what was once Carr Street, named after Richard Carr, Emily's father. Carr House is just six blocks from Victoria's Inner Harbour and the beautiful Parliament Buildings
British Columbia Parliament Buildings
The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia....
designed by architect, Francis Rattenbury
Francis Rattenbury
Francis Mawson Rattenbury was an architect born in England, although most of his career was spent in British Columbia, Canada where he designed many notable buildings. Divorced amid scandal, he was murdered in England at the age of 68 by his second wife's lover.- Architectural career :Rattenbury...
. It is the starting off point for anyone interested in learning more about this remarkable Canadian icon. In addition to the heritage rooms and artifacts on exhibit in the museum; Carr House is surrounded by a charming Victorian styled garden. In the spirit of Emily Carr it features a "People's Gallery", where local artists inspired
Artistic inspiration
Inspiration refers to an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or other artistic endeavour. Literally, the word means "breathed upon," and it has its origins in both Hellenism and Hebraism. The Greeks believed that inspiration came from the muses, as well as the gods Apollo and...
by Emily Carr display their work.
External links
48.4138°N 123.37°W