Sunday, June 6, 2010

Following in the Footsteps of "the Anne Girl," Part Two: Diana Barry's House and The Lake of Shining Waters/Bridge

Hello, again!!  Well, I wish I could say I spent the weekend relaxing poolside in the sun, but, unfortunately, the weather was rainy in Northern Ontario, where we visited family.  Still, we ate some great food (including homemade apple pie! YUM!), went for some lovely walks, and had some good conversations and laughs.  My mother in law, Sadie, is a great knitter, too, so I'm warming her up to the idea of her knitting me one of the 30s jacket-skirt-waistcoat/vest suits I've been drooling over in my vintage pattern books.  If all goes well, I know what I'm getting for Christmas. Hehe!!!  Sadie also gave me a couple of knitting booklets (one from WWII, one from the later 50s or 60s) to add to my collection.  On our way back home, we were able to stop at two key places on my list of "must see" spots where the Anne of Green Gables movies were filmed.  The first place was the house used as the home of Diana Barry and her family.  Unfortunately, it is private property, so we could only take an external snap from the road.


Diana Barry's House

The second destination was more fun to see, as it figured more prominently in the movies. I'm talkin' about the Lake of Shining Waters and the bridge under which Anne seeks refuge after her plans to float down the pond as Elaine, the Lily Maid, goes awry due to leaks in the boat.  It was a very special spot to visit!


Lake of Shining Waters Bridge


Although this is not the original Lake of Shining Waters that inspired L.M. Montgomery for the novel, this area was used as the Lake in the films. For some reason, though, a scene from the book came to my mind as I walked over the bridge:  "I took the amethyst brooch," said Anne, as if repeating a lesson she had learned. "I took it just as you said. I didn't mean to take it when I went in. But it did look so beautiful, Marilla, when I pinned it on my breast that I was overcome by an irresistible temptation. I imagined how perfectly thrilling it would be to take it to Idlewild and play I was the Lady Cordelia Fitzgerald. . . .  When I was going over the bridge across the Lake of Shining Waters I took the brooch off to have another look at it. Oh, how it did shine in the sunlight! And then, when I was leaning over the bridge, it just slipped through my fingers--so--and went down--down--down, all purplysparkling, and sank forevermore beneath the Lake of Shining Waters. And that's the best I can do at confessing, Marilla."

Lake of Shining Waters with 30s dress


"They were standing on the bank of the pond, below Orchard Slope, where a little headland fringed with birches ran out from the bank; at its tip was a small wooden platform built out into the water for the convenience of fishermen and duck hunters. . . ."

IMG_5295


"Anne and Diana had spent most of their playtime that summer on and about the pond. It was splendid to fish for trout over the bridge and the two girls learned to row themselves about in the little flat-bottomed dory Mr. Barry kept for duck shooting."


IMG_5275

"The flat drifted under the bridge and then promptly sank in midstream. Ruby, Jane, and Diana, already awaiting it on the lower headland, saw it disappear before their very eyes and had not a doubt but that Anne had gone down with it. . . . 


IMG_5220 

"The minutes passed by, each seeming an hour to the unfortunate lily maid. Anne looked at the wicked green depths below her, wavering with long, oily shadows, and shivered. Her imagination began to suggest all manner of gruesome possibilities to her."

Lake of Shining Waters

 Then, just as she thought she really could not endure the ache in her arms and wrists another moment, Gilbert Blythe came rowing under the bridge in Harmon Andrews's dory!" 
Lake of Shining Waters with 30s Dress


Stay tuned for more Anne-pilgrimage posts this summer!





16 comments:

BaronessVonVintage said...

apologies for the inconsistent spacing and font sizes/styles. The blogger editor keeps un-saving my changes. Ah well...you get the idea ;)

Harlow Darling said...

Oh!!!
What a beautiful place, looking at all of these photos has made me all nostalgic for when I was a little girl and would stay home to watch my Anne of Green Gables videos. Weren't the movies just so well done and true to the books! They really did pick the most perfect locations to film in, I'm sure L.M. Montgomery would be proud :)

Francy said...

I watched Anne of Green Gables this weekend and thought of all your posts! I forgot how much I love the part when Gilbert "saves" Anne underneath the bridge. Actually, I love the whole Anne/Gilbert storyline. Lovely photos! It's so amazing all these places are still there.

ina said...

I so so so much need to go there, too. I'm so incredibly jealous at you :)
Thank you so much for these Anne of Green Gables-posts!

garofit said...

Beautiful pics and dress, and such a lovely post. I covet your dress very much, and you look wonderful!

Lauren said...

Thanks so much for the post!!! I love it! Ahh, the Lake of Shining Waters.

Leire said...

Anne of Green Gables was my favourite as a child, I read every single book! :) The pics are magical and dreamy and you remind me of a 30s-40s movie star :)

Suezell said...

From a nanny and her charge, thank you so much for these posts. We are really enjoying them after reading the book and watching the movie! We're looking forward to future posts.

Love, Kayte and Bianca.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for a trip down memory lane, when as a wee girl I'd stay up reading about my favorite young girls, Anne, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Heidi as well. I love how you are photo'ed as though you're acting out scenes from the book.

Thanks again for all your thoughtful writing on my blog the other day. I do appreciate the time you took to swing by.

Welcome back!

Darlene

http://vintagenotionsandwhatnot.blogspot.com/

Emily said...

I am loving the pictures of you on the bridge!! Very beautiful!

BaronessVonVintage said...

The Anne books were the heart and soul of my life as a preteen. On some level, I think I ended up major in Victorian literature because of them.

I must say that my photos may have glamourized this location. The water was pretty BROWN from mud and with lots of algae. It's also surrounded by some not so aesthetically pleasing buildings. Still, the bridge itself and its connection to the Anne films made it so special. I guess the photos are kinda working the way Anne's imagination did: they portray the setting in terms of how we perhaps WANT the Lake of Shining Waters to look, rather than how it actually does!! ;)

BaronessVonVintage said...

Kayte and Bianca, I am so thrilled you have been enjoying the Anne series and now my Anne movie set posts! I still have not visited the house used as Green Gables. It's a private residence, but I am hoping to gain permission to explore it this summer!

Darlene, I used to love the Ingalls Wilder series and Heidi, too!! I too have fond memories of lazy summer days spend devouring these texts!

Anonymous said...

I watched the first 2 Annes over the weekend too - not the same as being there! also, that dress you're wearing ... love it.

BaronessVonVintage said...

I REALLY must do the same, 1930s Girls! I've been going a lot by memory (I watch the series every Xmas, but probably should do again while I'm in the thick of the Anne touring).

Thanks for the compliments on the dress! It's a sheer cotton (voile)? Has fading here and there, which is why I got a shamefully good price for it (I forget when...it's been around my closet for a while now). Anyway, I could've gone Edwardian in dress, but we were travelling all day and it was so hot out. :)

debra@dustjacket said...

What a beautiful post, I love Anne of Green Gables.
xoxo

Anonymous said...

Lovely post!! Your blog is really inspiring, your outfits are deeply vintage and i love it!! Kissy, God bless.