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Miss Ransom and Miss Bridges’ School for girls in Piedmont, California, existed from 1908 to 1932. Low enrollments during the Depression years forced the school to close. However, when Dola Dunsmuir attended in 1920, the school was thriving. More than a finishing school for young ladies, the school offered a challenging curriculum for university preparation. The school had accommodation for 50 girls and offered frequent outings to concerts and plays as well as riding and hiking clubs. Students also performed an annual Shakespeare play.

In the early 1920s, Dunsmuir sisters, Dola and Muriel, and Muriel’s husband, Edward Molyneux, took time to tour the ruins of Europe in the aftermath of the war. Edward Molyneux was an ideal tour guide for the sisters, having served in 1915 with the Duke of Wellington Regiment on the Western Front. Although he was promoted to Captain for his actions in battle, injury resulted in the loss of sight in his left eye and withdrawal from active duty.

Laura Mary 'Maye' Dunsmuir married Arthur Bromley in 1904.

The house was built in 1899 by Samuel Maclure for Col. J. Peters.

L to R: Eileen Molyneux, Clifton Webb, Muriel (Dunsmuir) Molyneux, unknown, Dola Dunsmuir, Edward Molyneux. Muriel Dunsmuir and Edward Molyneux (1891-1974) were married from 1921-1924. Clifton Webb (1889-1966) was an actor, dancer, and singer. He performed at Edward Molyneux’s Paris nightclub, with Eileen as his dance partner. Eileen Molyneux (1890-1962) was a maternal cousin of Edward Molyneux and a long-term friend of the Dunsmuir daughters.

L to R: Eileen Molyneux, Clifton Webb, Muriel (Dunsmuir) Molyneux, unknown, Dola Dunsmuir, Edward Molyneux. Muriel Dunsmuir and Edward Molyneux (1891-1974) were married from 1921-1924. Clifton Webb (1889-1966) was an actor, dancer, and singer. He performed at Edward Molyneux’s Paris nightclub, with Eileen as his dance partner. Eileen Molyneux (1890-1962) was a maternal cousin of Edward Molyneux and a long-term friend of the Dunsmuir daughters.

Hatley Castle was designed by renowned British Columbia architect Samuel Maclure for James Dunsmuir. Using only the finest materials, builders, stonemasons and detail carpenters only took 18 months to construct the building from 1908 until 1910. The Belmont gate house on the eastern side of the property was the original main entrance and was occupied by estate manager John Graham Graham and his wife, Clara. The estate was further developed from 1912-1914 by Boston based landscape architects, Brett and Hall. This included addition of a new entrance on Sooke Road that would bring the visitor down a winding, serpentine road to the main house.
This view is from within the property looking towards Ocean Boulevard.

Miss Ransom and Miss Bridges’ School for girls in Piedmont, California, existed from 1908 to 1932. Low enrollments during the Depression years forced the school to close. However, when Dola Dunsmuir attended in 1920, the school was thriving. More than a finishing school for young ladies, the school offered a challenging curriculum for university preparation. The school had accommodation for 50 girls and offered frequent outings to concerts and plays as well as riding and hiking clubs. Students also performed an annual Shakespeare play. This picture shows some of Dola’s school friends.

Possibly Dola's horse, named Beauty.

Hatley Castle was designed by renowned British Columbia architect Samuel Maclure for James Dunsmuir. Using only the finest materials, builders, stonemasons and detail carpenters only took 18 months to construct the building from 1908 until 1910. This image, taken under the porte-cochere, shows a horse mounting block as well as the view from the castle front doors. The Neptune steps and Fountain Court to the north of the castle were added as part of extensive development of the Hatley Park estate by Boston based landscape architects, Brett and Hall from 1912-1914.

Eileen Molyneux (1890-1962) was a maternal cousin of Edward Molyneux and a long-term friend of the Dunsmuir daughters.

In the early 1920s, Dunsmuir sisters, Dola and Muriel, and Muriel’s husband, Edward Molyneux, took time to tour the ruins of Europe in the aftermath of the war. Edward Molyneux was an ideal tour guide for the sisters, having served in 1915 with the Duke of Wellington Regiment on the Western Front. Although he was promoted to Captain for his actions in battle, injury resulted in the loss of sight in his left eye and withdrawal from active duty.

L to R: Elinor, Marion, Muriel, Kathleen, James

The Dunsmuir family and some friends took an extended vacation from November 1911 to September 1912. They started the vacation in Switzerland and then travelled along the Nile, enjoying a variety of Egyptian historic sites and experiences. After their tour of the Nile, the Dunsmuirs travelled on to England and took over Bisham Abbey in Buckinghamshire for the spring and summer months. The boy pictured is possibly James Audain.