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DueWest culture Hope still burns for wax museum I CoUrTESY oF THE roYAl loNDoN WAX MUSEUM in the province and during its heyday in the 1980s received 300,000 to 400,000 visitors a year. In 1962, this magazine called it "one of the foremost attractions in the capital city. "The crowds were enormous, the interest was Canada-wide and American visitors went away talking to themselves," we reported. The beloved museum, which started in 1961 at Crystal gardens, is gone but not forgotten. owner Ken lane is regularly asked about the collection by fans and says he is currently investigating new locations in Western Canada. — Jenny Manzer t may be the only time the Iron lady and the Blonde Bombshell posed together. Margaret Thatcher and Marilyn Monroe were photographed at a greater Victoria event to fete the 2012 oscars, when films about both women were nominated. The meeting went smoothly, since the famous figures were fashioned from wax. The icons came from the royal london Wax Museum collection, which welcomed visitors for close to 50 years in downtown Victoria before closing in 2010. The family-run business, located at the historic Canadian Pacific Steamship building for most of its life, featured 300 figures. The last to be added was a $20,000 replica of U.S. President Barack obama, made in london, England. The museum kept afloat financially, but was unable to retain its Inner Harbour location for various reasons, including the need for seismic upgrading. That has left the museum without a home in recent years, with all the dismantled pieces kept in temperaturecontrolled storage in an undisclosed location. The royal london was the only wax museum • Margaret Thatcher and Marilyn Monroe were two of the many celebrity figures at the Royal london Wax Museum. robert Bateman Centre opens in Victoria ictoria's royal london Wax Museum once drew crowds to Victoria's Inner Harbour. Now robert Bateman, one of Canada's most popular living artists, is the main draw at this imposing Neoclassical structure. The robert Bateman Centre, which opened on the second floor of the building in May, was originally destined for the royal roads University campus. organizers ultimately decided the downtown location would afford better visibility for the gallery, gift shop, and educational centre, and help bolster The Bateman Foundation's goal of strengthening the public's connection to nature. A wood-panelled entrance replicates the courtyard of Bateman's Saltspring Island home and leads visitors into the galleries, each of which represents a different aspect of Bateman's work. There are some surprises, including a coloured pencil rendering of an elk he presented to his mother at the age of 12; a romantic portrait of his wife, Birgit Freybe Bateman; and two large abstract paintings he created in the 1960s, during his "big brush period." Two galleries were created especially for youth: the Family gallery offers a hands-on JoN-MArK WIlTSHIrE v • The historic Canadian Pacific Steamship building, an iconic part of victoria's Inner harbour, is now home to the Robert Bateman Centre. nature play area for children under 10, while the Kathryn Iredale gallery encourages children (and adults) to conduct a symphony of bird calls by activating sensors on the painting labels. Wildlife paintings and prints, though, dominate the collection of 111 works of art. "Protest paintings" in the Social Commentary gallery highlight Bateman's role as an environmentalist and wildlife advocate. "All my life, I've tried to throw pebbles in the pond. I'm looking at this as an opportunity to make a bigger splash," said Bateman. Info: (batemancentre.org). — Jane Nahirny B r IT ISH C o lU M B IA M AgA Z IN E • FA l l 2 0 1 3 11

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