July 17, 2007

Senator Donald Montgomery's House

Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

L.M. Montgomery's paternal grandfather, Senator Donald Montgomery, lived in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island—a place that held a special place in her heart. In her journals, Montgomery fondly described her grandfather as “just like a grandfather out of a story. I love him. He is always so good and kind and gentle to me.” The warmth and charm of his home deeply influenced Montgomery, inspiring the creation of Ingleside, the cherished home of Anne and Gilbert Blythe. Many items from this house found their way into the pages of the Anne of Green Gables series and The Story Girl.

Known as "Big Donald" to distinguish him from a cousin of the same name, Senator Montgomery was both a respected farmer and a prominent politician. His political career spanned decades, serving as a representative, member, and speaker of the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly from 1838 to 1874. After Prince Edward Island joined the Canadian Confederation in 1873, he was appointed to the Canadian Senate, where he served until his death in 1893.

Photograph of L.M. Montgomery's grandfather, Senator Donald Montgomery at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Senator Donald Montgomery's house, a place brimming with history, sits beside the picturesque Lake of Shining Waters and is just across the street from the Campbell Homestead (Silver Bush), which now houses The Anne of Green Gables Museum.

When I visited Prince Edward Island in 2006, the house was a museum called the Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum. The museum was one of my favorite L.M. Montgomery sites. What made it so special was the personal guided tour of the home by Robert Montgomery, L.M. Montgomery’s cousin and a great-grandson of Senator Donald Montgomery. He was incredibly generous with his time, sharing stories and insights that brought the history of the house to life. Unlike many other sites, this house still contained its original furnishings, offering a rare glimpse into the world that shaped L.M. Montgomery. The home was filled with antiques, books, artifacts, and photographs, all telling the rich history of the Montgomery family and revealing the treasures that inspired one of Canada’s most beloved authors.

Senator Donald Montgomery's House, Sign for The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Senator Donald Montgomery's house has been known by many names over the years—Park Corner, Montgomery Manor, the Heath Montgomery Home, and notably, the Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum. In 2011, L.M. Montgomery’s cousin, Robert Montgomery, decided to sell the house. His son, Paul Montgomery, purchased it, breathing new life into the historic home by renovating and redecorating it. Today, it stands as the Montgomery Inn at Ingleside, inviting visitors to experience its rich history as a charming inn.

When I visited the Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum, I had the chance to explore a collection of artifacts that vividly brought Montgomery’s world to life. I’m not sure if these treasures remain on display at the inn, but their impact on me was unforgettable.

Outside the house stands the pulpit stone mentioned in The Story Girl.

Senator Donald Montgomery's House. The pulpit stone from The Story Girl at The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

It was special to see the tea set that inspired Marilla Cuthbert's rosebud spray tea set. Anne admired its beauty and dreamed of serving Diana tea with this set in Anne of Green Gables.

Marilla Cuthbert's rosebud tea set from Anne of Green Gables at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Another highlight was Magog, one of a pair of white and green spotted china dogs that L.M. Montgomery adored as a child. She wrote fondly of these dogs in her journals: "When I was a little girl, visiting at Grandfather Montgomery's, I think the thing that most enthralled me was a pair of China dogs which always sat on the sitting room mantel piece..." Though Magog’s twin, Gog, had sadly broken, Magog was still proudly displayed. Years later, L.M. Montgomery herself sought out a similar pair of china dogs during her honeymoon in England and Scotland, a journey that ended with the purchase of a set with gold spots—a close but not identical match to her grandfather’s originals.

Magog the china dog at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

These beloved china dogs appear throughout the Anne of Green Gables series. In Anne of the Island, Anne Shirley is captivated by the sight of two china dogs at Patty's Place. She has gone there to meet Miss Patty and Miss Maria in the hopes of renting their house. L.M. Montgomery writes, "just behind each sat a large white china dog, with round green spots all over it, a green nose and green ears. Those dogs captured Anne’s fancy on the spot; they seemed like the twin guardian deities of Patty’s Place." Years later in Anne's House of Dreams, Miss Patty and Miss Maria give Anne the dogs as a wedding gift, noting that, "You will not have forgotten that Gog looks to the right and Magog to the left.” These loyal guardians of Patty’s Place later preside over the Blythe household, making appearances in Anne of Ingleside and Rainbow Valley.

During my visit, I couldn’t resist buying a pair of miniature Gog and Magog china dogs from Robert Montgomery’s gift shop. He explained that they were crafted by a local PEI artist, making them even more special since most Anne souvenirs are imported. For me, these tiny dogs held extra significance, as I purchased them during my own honeymoon, echoing Montgomery’s own search for her cherished china dogs.

On the walls of the home, there was even a handmade wall hanging featuring Gog and Magog.

Wall hanging of Magog and Gog at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Below Magog was the china fruit basket mentioned in The Story Girl (Chapter XII, The Blue Chest of Rachel Ward).

The china fruit basket from The Story Girl at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The house was filled with special photos and treasures, each telling a story of its own. Among them was a piece of sheet music from the 1919 silent film Anne of Green Gables starring Mary Miles Minter.

Music from Anne of Green Gables (1919) starring Mary Miles Minter at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

After exploring the museum, I took a walk down "The Alpine Path," a picturesque, forested trail that led to the Lake of Shining Waters.

L.M. Montgomery gives an explanation for this name in her 1917 autobiography, titled The Alpine Path: The Story of My Career. In the opening, Montgomery writes:

"Many years ago, when I was still a child, I clipped from a current magazine a bit of verse, entitled 'To the Fringed Gentian,' and pasted it on the corner of the little portfolio on which I wrote my letters and school essays. Every time I opened the portfolio I read one of those verses over; it was the key-note of my every aim and ambition:

'Then whisper, blossom, in thy sleep
   How I may upward climb
 The Alpine path, so hard, so steep,
   That leads to heights sublime;
 How I may reach that far-off goal
   Of true and honoured fame,
 And write upon its shining scroll
   A woman’s humble name.'


The Alpine Path sign at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Alpine Path was a serene place. I couldn't help but feel connected to Montgomery's world.

The Alpine Path at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

As I walked through, I caught a glimpse of L.M. Montgomery's Lake of Shining Waters though the trees.

The Alpine Path and Lake of Shining Waters at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Here is the peaceful Lake of Shining Waters. I could see why Montgomery loved this tranquil place.

The Lake of Shining Waters at Senator Donald Montgomery's House, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

I visited many years ago when the house was still a museum, and I wonder where all those cherished artifacts are now. The house has since been transformed into an inn, and I’m not sure if any of those treasures remain on display.

The house may soon undergo another transformation. On July 5, 2024, the property was listed for sale. If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a historic home on Prince Edward Island, this could be your chance. For $899,900 CAD, you could make this piece of literary history your own.

World of Anne Shirley's Anne of Green Gables Travel Guide Banner

Official Website:
Montgomery Inn at Ingleside Prince Edward Island

Location:
Senator Donald Montgomery's House. Montgomery Inn at Ingleside Prince Edward Island.
4615 Route 20, Park Corner, 4615 PE-20, Kensington, PE C0B 1M0, Canada.

Map of Green Gables Heritage Place by Google Maps

Image credits:
Photographs by World of Anne Shirley.
Map copyright Google Maps.

References:
The Hon. Donald Montgomery, Senator. The Parliament of Canada. Retrieved from: https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=9612

Kitts, Colleen. (2016, April 15). Historic Montgomery house gets a new life thanks to Lucy Maud descendant. CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/montgomery-inn-pei-1.3537617

Ligaya, Armina. (2012, August 23). Memories for sale as Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum put on market in P.E.I. National Post. Retrieved from: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/memories-for-sale-as-lucy-maud-montgomery-heritage-museum-goes-up-for-sale-in-p-e-i

Lucy Maud Montgomery Museum. Retrieved from: https://web.archive.org/web/20110603043639/http://www.lucymaudmontgomerymuseum.com/index.html

Lucy Maud Montgomery museum up for sale. (2012, August 21). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/lucy-maud-montgomery-museum-up-for-sale-1.1212105

Montgomery family home reopens as 4-star inn. (2016, September 16). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/lucy-maud-montgomery-ingleside-inn-1.3766862

Montgomery, L.M. Anne of the Island. L.C. Page & Company, 1915.

Montgomery, L.M. Anne's House of Dreams. McClelland, Goodchild and Stewart, Limited. 1917.

Montgomery, L.M. The Alpine Path. Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, 1997. pages 74–75.

Montgomery, L.M. The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Volume I: 1889–1910. ed. Mary Rubio and Elizabeth Waterston. Oxford University Press, 1985. page 25.

Montgomery, L.M. The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Volume II: 1910–1921. ed. Mary Rubio and Elizabeth Waterston. Oxford University Press, 1987. page 76.

Senator Donald Montgomery House. Canada’s Historic Places. Parks Canada. Retrieved from: https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=20523

Property Description for 4615 Route 20. RE/MAX Canada. Retrieved from: https://www.remax.ca/luxury/pe/park-corner-real-estate/4615-route-20-wp_idm73000004-27124644-lst


Created July 17, 2007. Last updated September 13, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

The Anne of Green Gables Museum

The Anne of Green Gables Museum (Campbell Homestead, Silver Bush) in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Anne of Green Gables Museum is a private house museum dedicated to the life of L.M. Montgomery that is located in the Campbell Homestead in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island. Despite its name, which causes some confusion, the museum primarily focuses on L.M. Montgomery and not on Anne of Green Gables.

Throughout her life, L.M. Montgomery loved to visit her Aunt Annie Macneill Campbell, Uncle John Campbell, and her jolly cousins at Park Corner. L.M. Montgomery called their house Silver Bush, and it was her inspiration for Pat Gardiner’s home in her novels Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat.

The Anne of Green Gables Museum, which opened in 1972, contains many artifacts related to L.M. Montgomery. It is still owned and run by members of the Campbell family. A portion of the home functions as the museum where you can do a self-guided tour, while the remainder is their private residence.

The barn at The Anne of Green Gables Museum (Campbell Homestead, Silver Bush) in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

East of the Campbell house is Campbell's Pond. This simple name was too prosaic for L.M. Montgomery, who renamed the pond the "Lake of Shining Waters." Montgomery later immortalized this name by having Anne Shirley rename Barry’s Pond the "Lake of Shining Waters” in Anne of Green Gables.

The Lake of Shining Waters at The Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The museum contains the blue chest, which L.M. Montgomery wrote about in The Story Girl.

The blue chest from The Story Girl at The Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

You can also see L.M. Montgomery's enchanted bookcase. As a child, she talked to her reflection in the glass, which was her imaginary friend Katie Maurice. This bookcase was originally located at the old Macneill homestead in Cavendish (The Site of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Cavendish Home) where L.M. Montgomery was raised by her grandparents. The bookcase was moved before the old home was demolished. Readers of Anne of Green Gables will recognize this story as being one shared with Anne Shirley. In Anne of Green Gables, Anne talks to her imaginary friend Katie Maurice, which was her reflection in the bookcase at the Thomas home.

L.M. Montgomery's enchanted bookcase where she talked to Katie Maurice at The Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

On July 5, 1911, L.M. Montgomery married the Reverend Ewen MacDonald in the parlor at the Campbell house in front of the fireplace.

The fireplace that L.M. Montgomery and Ewen MacDonald got married in front of at the Campbell Homestead. The Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

L.M. Montgomery had her own little bedroom at the Campbell house. The view from her window overlooked the Lake of Shining Waters. You can pay to take a carriage ride around the lake.

L.M. Montgomery's bedroom at The Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The museum displays a large collection of first edition books by L.M. Montgomery, photographs, and other artifacts, including a quilt and lace made by L.M. Montgomery.

Books by L.M. Montgomery at The Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

There are also clippings from magazines and letters written by L.M. Montgomery. I had trouble photographing many of them because of the poor lighting, reflections, and harsh glare off the glass covering them.

The Alpine Path and letters written by L.M. Montgomery at The Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

This museum is nice to visit if you wish to learn more about L.M. Montgomery and the places that inspired her, but it's important to keep in mind that the focus is the author herself.

World of Anne Shirley's Anne of Green Gables Travel Guide Banner

Official Website:
The Anne of Green Gables Museum

Location:
The Anne of Green Gables Museum
4542 PE Route, 20 Park Corner Ln, Kensington, PE C0B 1M0, Canada.

Map of The Anne of Green Gables Museum by OpenStreetMap

Image credits:
Photographs by World of Anne Shirley.
Map copyright OpenStreetMap.

Reference:
Hamilton, Kathleen and Frei, Sibyl. Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island. Ragweed Press. 1998.

Created July 17, 2007. Last updated August 9, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque School

Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque School in Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque School is a historical museum located in Central Bedeque, Prince Edward Island.

L.M. Montgomery taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Lower Bedeque from 1897–1898. This was her third and final teaching position. She enjoyed her time in Lower Bedeque, finding it a lively and friendly place with many young people. During L.M. Montgomery’s year in Lower Bedeque, she boarded with Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Leard. She fell in love with their son, a young farmer named Herman Leard, and wrote about him in her journals. In March 1898, L.M. Montgomery’s grandfather Alexander Macneill died, and she returned home to live with her grandmother in Cavendish.

Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque School in Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Lower Bedeque School that L.M. Montgomery taught in was restored to represent a typical one-room, country schoolhouse in Prince Edward Island in the late 1800s. Stand at the front of the classroom and imagine yourself stepping into Montgomery's shoes or channel your inner Anne Shirley, envisioning your first day as a teacher at the Avonlea school. The original desks are more than a century old and so are the slates (Watch out, Gilbert!). The schoolroom features displays of old books, educational materials, and school supplies.

Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque School in Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Several replica dresses were displayed from performances of Anne of Green Gables: The Musical. The school was registered as a Heritage Place by the province of Prince Edward Island in 2005.

Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque School in Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Lower Bedeque School was originally located on Route 112. I visited the museum at its original location in 2006. In 2019, the museum was closed due to a lack of volunteers. In 2021, the entire building was moved to a new location in Central Bedeque to a park across from the Bedeque Area Historical Museum.

The Bedeque Area Historical Museum currently maintains and manages the school museum. There are several exhibits in the Lower Bedeque School, namely: Introduction to the Schoolhouse, Lucy Maud Montgomery's Time in Bedeque, Maud's Secret Bedeque Romance, Saving the Lower Bedeque School, Early Education in Prince Edward Island, and Montgomery's Loyalist Roots.

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Official Website:
Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque School at the Bedeque Area Historical Museum

Location:
Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque School
950 Callbeck St, Bedeque, PE C0B 1C0, Canada.

Map of Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque School by Google Maps

Image credits:
Photographs by World of Anne Shirley.
Map copyright Google Maps.

References:
School museum where L.M. Montgomery taught forced to close its doors. (2019, June 24). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-bedeque-schoolhouse-lucy-maud-montgomery-1.5187652

P.E.I. school where L.M. Montgomery taught being moved to new site. (2021, June 9). CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-lower-bedeque-school-montgomery-moving-1.6059539

Lower Bedeque School Gets a New Home. (2021, June 1). Bedeque Area Historical Museum. Retrieved from: https://www.bedequemuseum.ca/historical-society/lower-bedeque-school-gets-a-new-home


Created July 17, 2007. Last updated August 9, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Bideford Parsonage Museum

The Bideford Parsonage Museum in Bideford, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Bideford Parsonage Museum is a historical museum located in Bideford, Prince Edward Island.

L.M. Montgomery lived in this parsonage with the Reverend and Mrs. Estey from 1894–1895 while she taught school in Bideford. This was L.M. Montgomery’s first teaching position after leaving Prince of Wales College. Montgomery’s early experiences as a teacher at Bideford’s one-room schoolhouse were later reflected in her portrayal of Anne Shirley’s experiences as a new teacher at the Avonlea School in Anne of Avonlea. During her time in Bideford, Montgomery wrote a great deal, but she continued to receive rejection letters for her stories.

One of the most memorable scenes from Anne of Green Gables originated from a humorous accident at the Bideford Parsonage. In chapter XXI, titled “A New Departure in Flavorings,” Anne accidentally flavors a layer cake with anodyne liniment instead of vanilla and then serves it to the minister and his wife.

L.M. Montgomery wrote about the real event that inspired Anne’s tea-time mishap in her autobiography The Alpine Path:

“The notable incident of the liniment cake happened when I was teaching school in Bideford and boarding at the Methodist parsonage there. Its charming mistress flavoured a layer cake with anodyne liniment one day. Never shall I forget the taste of that cake and the fun we had over it, for the mistake was not discovered until tea-time. A strange minister was there to tea that night. He ate every crumb of his piece of cake. What he thought of it we never discovered. Possibly he imagined it was simply some new-fangled flavouring.”

The Bideford parsonage served as the home to many clergy members until it passed into private hands. In 1999, members of the local community came together to obtain provincial government funding to purchase, preserve, and carefully restore the parsonage. The museum opened in the year 2000, after which restoration of the building continued to return the structure to its authentic appearance in the late 1890s.

The museum is now filled with information on the culture and lifestyle of the era, and it holds many artifacts contributed by the community. Along with learning about the time period, you can view L.M. Montgomery’s old bedroom (pictured below) and look out the window, which faces the bay.

L.M. Montgomery's old bedroom at the Bideford Parsonage Museum in Bideford, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Here's the lovely view of the bay from the yard of the Bideford Parsonage Museum:

View of the water from the Bideford Parsonage Museum in Bideford, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

World of Anne Shirley's Anne of Green Gables Travel Guide Banner

Official Website:
Bideford Parsonage Museum

Location:
Bideford Parsonage Museum
North Cape Coastal Drive, 784 Bideford Road, Rte 166, Bideford, PE C0B 1J0, Canada.

Map of Bideford Parsonage Museum by OpenStreetMap

Image credits:
Photographs by World of Anne Shirley.
Map copyright OpenStreetMap.

Reference:
Montgomery, L.M. The Alpine Path. Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, 1997. pages 74–75.

Created July 17, 2007. Last updated August 9, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace

Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace in New London, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace is a historical museum located in New London, Prince Edward Island.

L.M. Montgomery was born in this house on November 30, 1874. Her parents, Hugh and Clara Montgomery, lived here after their marriage and during L.M. Montgomery’s infancy. Sadly, Clara died of tuberculosis when L.M. Montgomery was just 21 months old. After her mother’s death, L.M. Montgomery was raised by her maternal grandparents, Alexander and Lucy Macneill, in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island at their homestead.

At the time of L.M. Montgomery’s birth, the town of New London was called Clifton. L.M. Montgomery described her first home in her journals as a yellowish-brown house, but it is currently painted white and green, echoing the colors of Green Gables. When Anne visits her birthplace in Anne of the Island, Montgomery used her own birthplace as the model, weaving a personal thread into the fabric of her beloved story.

The house is now a small museum where visitors can explore Montgomery's first home, including the bedroom she was born in (shown below).

The bedroom where Clara Montgomery gave birth to her daughter Lucy Maud Montgomery at the Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace in New London, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The house has been furnished with authentic Victorian pieces to give visitors a sense of what the home might have looked like at the time of Montgomery’s birth. There are quilts, flowers made from human hair, and a stove and cooking utensils from the time period. The home overlooks the New London Harbour and sand dunes, which feature in Montgomery's writings.

The special exhibits include a replica of L.M. Montgomery's wedding dress, veil, and shoes from her marriage to Ewen MacDonald.

Photograph of a replica of L.M. Montgomery's wedding gown and accessories at the Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace in New London, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace also displays her personal scrapbooks from the time when she was a student at Prince of Wales College and from her years as a teacher and writer. The scrapbooks contain copies of her stories and poems, mementos, and personal treasures that she saved.

Photograph of L.M. Montgomery's scrapbooks at the Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace in New London, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Throughout the museum, there are articles, rare books, dolls, press clippings, photos and memorabilia related to L.M. Montgomery’s life and legacy.

World of Anne Shirley's Anne of Green Gables Travel Guide Banner

Official Website:
Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace

Location:
Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace
6461 PE-20, New London, PE C0A 1M0, Canada. At the intersection of Routes 6 and 20.

Map of the Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace by OpenStreetMap

Image credits:
Photographs by World of Anne Shirley.
Map copyright OpenStreetMap.

Created July 17, 2007. Last updated August 9, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

March 30, 2007

Through Lover's Lane: L.M. Montgomery's Photography and Visual Imagination

Through Lover's Lane: L.M. Montgomery's Photography and Visual Imagination by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly

Through Lover's Lane: L.M. Montgomery's Photography and Visual Imagination by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly was published by the University of Toronto Press in 2007. In this book, Elizabeth Rollins Epperly examines L.M. Montgomery's photographs and draws connections between Montgomery's interest in photography and the compelling visual imagery in her writing.

Here is the description of the book:

It might surprise some to know that internationally beloved Canadian writer L.M. Montgomery (1874-1942), author of the Anne of Green Gables series, among other novels, and hundreds of short stories and poems, also held a passion for photography. For forty years, Montgomery photographed her favourite places and people, using many of these photographs to illustrate the hand-written journals she left as a record of her life. Artistically inclined, and possessing a strong visual memory, Montgomery created scenes and settings in her fiction that are closely linked to the carefully composed shapes in her photographs.

Elizabeth Rollins Epperly's Through Lover's Lane is the first book to examine Montgomery's photography in any depth; it is also the first study to connect it with her fiction and other writing. Drawing on the work of Montgomery scholars, as well as theorists such as Susan Sontag, Gaston Bachelard, Roland Barthes, John Berger, and George Lakoff, Epperly connects Montgomery's practice of photography with the writer's metaphors for home and belonging. Epperly examines thirty-five of the photographs, uncovering their role in the novelist's life and fiction. She argues that the shapes in Montgomery's favourite place in natureLover's Lane in Cavendish, P.E.I.affected her other photographs, underpinned her colourful descriptions, and grounded her aesthetics. Through Lover's Lane demonstrates how an artist creates metaphors that resonate within a single work, echo across a lifetime of writing and photography, and inspire readers and viewers across cultures and time.


The book includes the following contents:

Acknowledgments
Permissions
Abbreviations

Introduction: Seeing Patterns
1 Montgomery's Visual Imagination
2 Montgomery's Photography
3 Picturing a Life: Selected Photographs
4 Picturing Home: Image as Threshold
5 Anne's Green Arches
6 Emily's 'Memory Pictures'
7 'My Castle in Spain': The Blue Castle and the Architecture of Images
8 Afterimage: Around the 'Bend in the Road"

Appendix: 'Cynthia's' 1902 Article on Photography
Notes
Works Cited
Illustration Credits
Index

ISBN-13: 978-0802094605


Image credit:
Book cover of Through Lover's Lane: L.M. Montgomery's Photography and Visual Imagination.

Purchase and read Through Lover's Lane: L.M. Montgomery's Photography and Visual Imagination:

Through Lover's Lane: L.M. Montgomery's Photography and Visual Imagination by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly

Created March 30, 2007. Last updated December 19, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

March 09, 2007

Anne of Green Gables (1994)

Photograph of Katy Killackey as Anne Shirley in the world premiere of Anne of Green Gables at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles, California


Anne of Green Gables (1994) is a play adapted by Jody Johnson Davidson from the novel Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. The play was produced by the Serendipity Theatre Company and made its world premiere at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA on April 15, 1994.

In the original production, Katy Killackey starred as Anne Shirley. The cast also included Caryn Ronis as Marilla Cuthbert, Kathy Kinney as Rachel Lynde/Mrs. Blewitt/Miss Harris, Joe Powers as Matthew Cuthbert, Jasmine Abdul Wahid as Diana Barry, and Kristipher Maschek as Gilbert Blythe. The play was directed by Joyce Guy.

The full-length play is 60 minutes long. The script is available through Pioneer Drama Service.

The play is described as follows:
"Share the adventures of Anne Shirley and her 'best friend for life,' Diana Barry, as they travel from childhood to maturity in this heartwarming adaptation which beautifully captures the highlights of the classic novel.

Maria Cuthbert asks for an orphan boy to help her and her brother take care of Green Gables, but the orphanage sends Anne with an 'e' — an independent, red-headed, freckle-faced girl who changes their lives and touches the hearts of all who come to know and love her. Delight in Anne’s high-spirited antics as she narrowly escapes Mrs. Blewett’s clutches at the orphanage, whacks Gilbert over the head with her slate, saves little Minnie May from her deathbed and, when she has come of age, finally lets Gilbert into her life. In the touching words of Marilla, Anne is 'the dearest mistake' that’s ever come into her life, and she doesn’t know how she could love her more.

Whether your audience already loves Anne’s story or is first discovering it, this sweet and sincere rendition of the classic novel will open their hearts and minds. Flexible staging makes this skillful adaptation suitable for all levels of performance from schools to professional theatres."


Image Credit:

Photograph of Katy Killackey as Anne Shirley in the world premiere of Anne of Green Gables at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles from Encore Performance Publishing (archived webpage).

Created March 9, 2007. Last updated June 20, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

January 21, 2007

Anne of Windy Poplars (1940) Screening

Anne of Windy Poplars (1940) film poster featuring Patric Knowles and Anne Shirley

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City is showcasing a film exhibition called "A View from the Vaults: Warner Bros., RKO Pictures, and First National Pictures, Inc." from February 9–24, 2007. This exhibition includes a screening of Anne of Windy Poplars (1940) on Saturday, February 10, 2007 at 3:45 p.m.

The film series includes a "selection of ten enduring films produced by Warner Bros., RKO Pictures, and First National Pictures, Inc., from 1938 through 1949. These films were all recently acquired by the Museum."

"A View from the Vaults" is organized by Anne Morra, the Assistant Curator in the Department of Film.

Here are the descriptions of the 10 featured films:

Jezebel. 1938. USA. Directed by William Wyler. Screenplay by Clements Ripley, Abem Finkel, John Huston, based on the play by Owen Davis. With Bette Davis, Henry Fonda. Davis won an Oscar for her iconic portrayal of Julie Marsden, a woman whose assertion of independence is tragically misunderstood in 1850s New Orleans. Larger than life, Julie sets out to win back her lost social standing—but only on her own terms. 104 min. Friday, February 9, 5:45; Saturday, February 17, 6:00. T1

Gunga Din. 1939. USA. Directed by George Stevens. Screenplay by Joel Sayre, Fred Guiol, based on a story by Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur, adapted from the poem “Gunga Din” by Rudyard Kipling. With Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen. This account of the tragicomic exploits of three members of the French Foreign Legion and their fight against the corrupt Guru in India was voted to the National Film Registry in 1999. 117 min. Saturday, February 10, 1:30; Wednesday, February 21, 6:00. T1

Anne of Windy Poplars. 1940. USA. Directed by Jack Hively. Screenplay by Michael Kanin, Jerry Cady, based on the novel by L. M. Montgomery. With Anne Shirley, Patric Knowles. A follow-up to Anne of Green Gables (1934), this film follows a grown-up Anne as she moves to the remote Canadian town of Pringleton and builds a new life as a teacher at a small provincial school. 86 min. Saturday, February 10, 3:45. T1

They Drive by Night. 1940. USA. Directed by Raoul Walsh. Screenplay by Jerry Wald, Richard Macaulay, based on the novel The Long Haul by Albert Isaac Bezzerides. With George Raft, Ida Lupino. Brothers Joe and Paul Fabrini haul produce from farms in northern California to Los Angeles. They refuse to drive for anyone else, and attempts are made to intimidate them into joining a ruthless competitor’s business. 95 min. Saturday, February 10, 5:30; Monday, February 19, 8:30. T1

The Man Who Came to Dinner. 1942. USA. Directed by William Keighley. Screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, based on the play by George S. Kaufman, Moss Hart. With Monty Woolley, Bette Davis. Radio personality Sheridan Whiteside slips and falls on an icy sidewalk in front of the home of a prominent Ohio family. With a broken leg, he cannot be moved—and soon the meddlesome Whiteside is interfering with the lives of his hosts. 113 min. Sunday, February 11, 5:00; Monday, February 19, 6:00. T1

Action in the North Atlantic. 1943. USA. Directed by Lloyd Bacon. Screenplay by John Howard Lawson, based on the story “Heroes without Uniform” by Guy Gilpatric. With Humphrey Bogart, Raymond Massey. In this WWII thriller, Lieutenant Joe Rossi (Bogart) must navigate through enemy-filled waters on the perilous journey from Halifax to Murmansk. 128 min. Monday, February 12, 6:00; Saturday, February 24, 2:00. T1

The Corn Is Green. 1945. USA. Directed by Irving Rapper. Screenplay by Casey Robinson, Frank Cavett, based on the play by Emlyn Williams. With Bette Davis, Nigel Bruce. Schoolteacher Lily Moffat is determined to change the primitive education system in her tiny Welsh mining town. The townsfolk oppose her innovative pedagogy, but they cannot deter Lily from her efforts. 114 min. Monday, February 12, 8:30; Friday, February 16, 5:45. T1

Murder, My Sweet. 1945. USA. Directed by Edward Dmytryk. Screenplay by John Paxton, based on the novel Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler. With Dick Powell, Claire Trevor. Private eye Philip Marlowe is hired to find the missing girlfriend of an ex-convict. This must-see thriller, steeped in film noir atmosphere, features the disappearance of a dame and some dirty double-crossing—not to mention the iconic stature of Marlowe himself. 95 min. Wednesday, February 14, 6:00; Saturday, February 17, 2:00. T1

Flamingo Road. 1949. USA. Directed by Michael Curtiz. Screenplay by Robert Wilder, Edmund H. North, based on the play by Robert Wilder, Sally Wilder. With Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott. Crawford plays Lane Bellamy, a woman with an unfavorable reputation who attempts to climb the social ladder in a sinister Southern town run by a corrupt political boss. 94 min. Wednesday, February 14, 8:00; Saturday, February 17, 4:00. T1

Mighty Joe Young. 1949. USA. Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack. Screenplay by Ruth Rose, based on a story by Merian C. Cooper. With Robert Armstrong, Terry Moore. For twelve years Jill Young has tenderly nurtured her pet gorilla Joe in Tanzania. When a Hollywood promoter arrives and convinces Jill to bring Joe to Tinseltown, the trouble begins. Winner of the 1950 Academy Award for Best Special Effects. 94 min. Thursday, February 15, 6:00; Wednesday, February 21, 8:30. T1

Please visit the MOMA website for further details.

Thank you to Julia Crimmins for sending along this news.

Image credit:
Anne of Windy Poplars (1940) film poster featuring Patric Knowles and Anne Shirley, RKO Pictures.

Created January 21, 2007. Last updated June 9, 2022.
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