Glorious Victorians: 150 Years - 150 Houses: Celebrating Residential Architecture in British Columbia's Capital By Nick Russell Old Goat Press, 160 pages, $34.95
Nick Russell's subtitle has it right: This is a celebration of houses in Victoria. It's not a dry history, it's not a picky architectural analysis, but a celebration.
Russell's book features 150 notable houses - one for every year of Victoria's history - in words and photographs. His passion for these houses comes through on every page, and he takes the reader along for the ride.
Ever wonder why Victoria's residential architecture is so different from the architecture found in Vancouver? As Russell explains it, Victoria existed much earlier than Vancouver, and many of Vancouver's early gems were lost in a whirlwind of development that Victoria avoided, to a certain extent.
That does not mean, of course, that we still have all of our most precious housing gems - our glorious old houses, as Russell might say. Many notable homes have been torn down in the past half-century after they fell into disrepair and were too costly to maintain.
They gave way to apartment blocks and office buildings. In some cases, large yards have been filled in with new houses, which helps make the property viable but destroys the original setting of the home.
Some houses have been split into several living units, with keeps the building intact but destroys the original feel of the residence. And some with great historic value have been so thoroughly remodelled that it is difficult to see the original lines.
What we've lost should colour the way we look at what we have left. As Russell says, we can't save everything, and we wouldn't want to save everything.
We need, however, to make note of the classic examples of housing that still exist, including some styles that are distinctly Victorian in nature. We also need to try to preserve the houses that matter - and the first step is to raise awareness.
That's where a book such as Glorious Victorians comes in. It will make the reader more aware of the houses in our midst, the ones we should celebrate the way that Russell does.
The author was the senior editor of the four-volume history of Victoria heritage houses, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, and is quite familiar with the subject at hand.
That doesn't mean the book is perfect. A map or two would have helped, and a few suggested walking tours would have made it easier for readers to dip into our architectural heritage. At times, Russell's brief descriptions leave us begging for more information - but then, we have the This Old House series for that, don't we?
Those are minor concerns, because there is much more to acknowledge than to criticize. Russell's colour photographs are magnificent, and he has included an array of historic photos for added context.
His words help us to understand why some of these houses matter, and why they should not be ignored.
Russell has shone a light on some buildings that might otherwise have not been noticed. Glorious Victorians will make the reader appreciate our city more than before - and that is no small accomplishment.
Dave Obee, the editorial page editor of the sa国际传媒, is the author of The Library Book: A History of Service to British Columbia.
