Ca. 1860; carved alder, black lacquer finish; 161 x 148 cm.
CMC 982.16.1.1

Canada had its first taste of royal fever in 1860, when the Prince of Wales toured what is now Eastern Canada. One of the many public structures the future King Edward VII opened, dedicated or inaugurated was the Victoria Bridge, a tubular railway bridge across the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Longueuil. The occasion has been commemorated in the painting on this headboard, part of a colourful suite of painted bedroom furniture. The artist has represented the Prince by the traditional symbols of his rank — the crown and three feathers.