The Canadian Odyssey of Lord Milton

Lobby Display

In 1862, two intrepid tourists, Viscount Milton and Dr. Walter Cheadle, undertook a two-year expedition across Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Travelling by ship, steamboat, stage coach, train, horse, canoe, and raft, they faced deep snow, swarms of mosquitoes, swollen rivers, starvation, and grizzly bears.

Milton and Cheadle published an illustrated account of their epic trip, The North West Passage by Land. Two bone china dessert services were specially ordered from the Minton manufactory to commemorate their adventures: one made for Dr. Cheadle in 1865, and the other for Lord Milton in 1867. Twenty-two illustrations from the book, taken from Cheadle’s drawings or watercolours, served as inspiration for the hand-painted scenes on the services.

To commemorate the 150^th anniversary of Canada’s confederation, thirteen pieces from Lord Milton’s magnificent service have been reassembled from public and private collections for this intimate lobby display.

Exhibition Programs & Events

September 22 – 26, 3 pm
Screening: To Build a Fire
French filmmaker Fx Goby’s animated adaptation of Jack London’s 1908 classic novel, To Build a Fire, depicts a trapper’s struggle for survival in the freezing temperatures of the Yukon in the late 1890s.
Included with general admission.
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Sunday September 23, 3 pm
Artist Talk: FX Goby
Join us for a moderated conversation with French filmmaker Fx Goby following a screening of his film To Build a Fire.
Included with general admission.
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Friday November 3, 4 pm
Painted on Porcelain: A Canadian Odyssey
Chief Curator Meredith Chilton recounts the story of Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle’s incredible voyage and the history behind the Milton dessert services that commemorated their journey.
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Image: Detail of an illustration from The North West Passage by Land