to Roedde House site main page
to House Tour section
to Family Fun section
to House Treasure section's main page
to Old Vancouver section
to About this Site section
to House Treasure section's main page
Front Hall - Parlour
Kitchen - Dining Room - Bedroom
Den - Activities

THE GODDESS ON THE NEWEL POST
A Roedde Family Treasure

The figurine on the newel post of Roedde House's main staircase was one of the Roedde family's most prized possessions. Entitled "Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn," the statue is a replica of a work by French artist Gustave Moreau. It is made of an imitation bronze, called spelter, which is relatively lightweight and inexpensive. The torch Aurora holds is actually an electric lamp. Middle and upper middle class families would have installed a fixture like this in order to imitate the homes of the super-rich.Aurora lamp from the staircase newel post

the staircase at Roedde HouseThis piece must have been very special to the Roedde family. Rather than leave it behind when they moved out of Roedde House, they took it with them and converted it to a table lamp. Eventually, the lamp was donated back to Roedde House as part of the restoration project in the 1980s. After many decades away, Aurora was returned to her proper place upon the newel post.

Speaking of artwork, are you a good artist? Can you make accurate drawings of things you see? Come with me and we'll find out!


to the activity, Draw and Draw Again

back to the treasures in the front hall to Roedde House site index to the treasures in the parlour