Exhibits

A Nostalgic Look at Victorian Christmas

Curated by Roedde House

In this month’s parlour case, we are displaying enchanting vintage Christmas cards from the Roedde House collection. We explore their origins in 19th-century England and the rise of festive illustrations. Discover the Victorian Christmas traditions that shaped our modern celebrations, as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert introduced the Christmas tree and other German customs.
Uncover the quirky side of holiday greetings with a glimpse into the history of weird Christmas cards, featuring surreal and whimsical designs from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Victorian middle-class family ideals, emphasizing togetherness and gift-giving, continue to influence our seasonal festivities. The impact of the Industrial Revolution, which brought mass production and commercialization to Christmas, shaped the way we decorate and exchange gifts during this magical (and commercial) season.


Viola Roedde’s Style Revisited: 1910s Fashions from the Ivan Sayers Collection

We are thrilled to introduce our latest exhibition, celebrating the captivating style of Viola Maude Roedde (née White). Born in Collingwood, Ontario, in 1892, Viola moved with her family to Vancouver in 1903, where they became integral parts of the community. Viola and William Roedde were married in 1914. Known for her infectious smile and elegant presence, Viola’s style mirrored the transformative fashion trends of the 1910s. Curated from the renowned collection of Ivan Sayers, this exhibition offers a deep dive into the sartorial elegance of the era, with Viola as its muse. Join us in revisiting the fashion-forward spirit of Viola Roedde. Join us in this nostalgic fashion retrospective.

The exhibition will be on display in our second-floor collections room until late January.


Essential Servants: Hung at the Roedde House and Chinese Domestics in Victorian and Edwardian British Columbia”

Curated by Roedde House

Did you know that the Roedde family hired at least one Chinese immigrant man to serve in their home as a house servant? This exhibition uses testimony from Gwen Varcoe, the Roeddes’ eldest granddaughter, and archival and academic sources to explore the experiences of Chinese Canadian domestic servants in late 18th- and early 19th-century B.C. The exhibition serves as another way that the Museum is working on decolonizing our space and telling more diverse stories. Indeed, the Roedde family, too, was implicated in this history, as were many middle- and upper-class families in the young province!

This display was researched and developed by Shane Atienza, the Roedde House Museum’s outgoing 2022 Programming Assistant & Researcher, with the assistance and supervision of Dr. Benjamin Bryce (UBC History). Shane thanks Dr. Bryce for his continuous guidance. He also acknowledges the unwavering support of Sara Hepper, Joyce Cheung, volunteer Jennifer Raguz, and the rest of the Roedde House team, as well as that of Dr. Brad Miller and Dr. Michel Ducharme (UBC History).

shane exhibit

Ongoing:

“Canada, Your Prints are Ready!”, curated by Peter Richard Lowery

Curator Peter Richard Lowery and 3 exhibit photos

The exhibition features a diverse collection of original photographs which were gathered over the past 5 years from antique stores, estate sales, flea markets, garage sales and various sources. Many were misplaced, forgotten, unwanted, or never picked up, in other words “fallen through the cracks”. Lost, but now found and reunited, most are unique and have never been seen by the public. Original photos by many recognized Canadians including Gowan, Frank, Spalding, Harmon, Devine, Notman, Macatskill, Karsh and Foncie.

Past Exhibits:

Legacy Voyage: The African American Migration to BC, 1858

Legacy Voyage: The African American Migration to BC, 1858

From the RHM Collection, Curated By Rachel Lige “Legacy Voyage: The African American Migration…

Whispers and Winks: The Art of Victorian Flirting

Whispers and Winks: The Art of Victorian Flirting

From the RHM Collection, Curated By Rachel Lige Our “Art of Victorian Flirting” exhibit is now on di…

Viola Roedde’s Style Revisited: 1910s Fashions

Viola Roedde’s Style Revisited: 1910s Fashions

From the Ivan Sayers Collection Celebrating the captivating style of Viola Maude Roedde (née White).…

A Nostalgic Look at Victorian Christmas

A Nostalgic Look at Victorian Christmas

Curated by Roedde House By displaying enchanting vintage Christmas cards from the Roedde House colle…

The Roedde Boys in the Military: WWI

The Roedde Boys in the Military: WWI

Curated by James Gibson Presenting a special exhibition highlighting the wartime contributions of th…

Stanley Park and The Legends That Live On

Stanley Park and The Legends That Live On

Written by Jenna MossopCurated and Installed by Jenna Mossop and Rachel Lige The Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqu…

Unsolved Mysteries of the early 1900s

Unsolved Mysteries of the early 1900s

Curated by Rachel Lige Step into the captivating world of scandal and true crime, a fascination not …

Pride, Posies & Drag Pioneers

Pride, Posies & Drag Pioneers

Curated by Rachel Lige The museum this exhibition revolves around the dynamic themes of LGBTQ+ histo…

Noel Robinson: Military Serviceman, BC Historian, Playwright, Journalist

Noel Robinson: Military Serviceman, BC Historian, Playwright, Journalist

Curated by James Gibson The exhibit features the history of Noel Robinson (1880-1966), a l…

The Book and Fine Art Printing Trade on Cambie Street

The Book and Fine Art Printing Trade on Cambie Street

Curated by James Gibson2023 Roedde House Board Member, James Gibson, has launched a new exhibit on t…

Surviving Heritage

Surviving Heritage

Curated by Fred Hume Fred Hume has always been interested in history and historical images. A long-t…

Rattenbury and Roedde House

Rattenbury and Roedde House

Curated by Noah James Our UBC summer of 2022 research student, Noah James, delved into the history o…

Roedde School Days

Roedde School Days

Curated by King George Secondary Archivist, Jim Bradbury This exhibition showcased the various schoo…

Remembrance: Spotlight on Duncan Lawson (1897-1918)

Remembrance: Spotlight on Duncan Lawson (1897-1918)

Curated by James Gibson All three Roedde sons enlisted in WWI, and so to provide a glimpse into…

Remembrance November 2021

Remembrance November 2021

Curated by James Gibson The exhibition tells the story of Vancouver’s 29th Battalion, also known as …

At the Masquerade October 2021

At the Masquerade October 2021

We are pleased to host a new exhibition by fashion historian Ivan Sayers.“At the Masquera…

Wish You Were Here

Wish You Were Here

Curated by Roedde House Museum & Harper Wellman This exhibition celebrates print culture and the…

Display with various Roedde House antiquities.

Roedde Family Stories

Curated by Roedde House Museum Staff and Volunteers Explore our latest Roedde-related acquisitions o…

Image: Cindy Mochizuki, Sue Sada Was Here, 2018, film still.

Memories of the Future III

Diyan Achjadi and Cindy MochizukiCurated by Katherine Dennis September 25 – November 18, 2018 Memori…

The Beau of the Ball event poster

The Beau of the Ball

July 2016 Researched and curated by our Visiting Curator, Christy Brain, ‘The Beau of the…

Vancouver Pioneers of Print event poster

Pioneers of Print

“Pioneers of Print” tells the story of two migrant families who created their own sites of culture, …

Assortment of antique toys

Children’s Toys

 Designed, researched, and curated by Summer Program Assistant, Carly Whetter, this exhibit fea…

Rememberance Day 2017 display

Remember

Canada’s Forgotten War The Korean War (1950 – 1953) We are pleased to acknowledge the su…

Assortment of antique tea cups

Tasting History: the Travelling Tales of Tea

“To drink tea is to taste history.” -Daniel Lui, Vancouver Tea merchant and owner of The Chinese Tea…