Born in England in 1858, John James Shallcross immigrated to Victoria in 1893, where he helped establish Shallcross, Macauley, and Co., a profitable insurance and import firm. While James had a reputation as a successful businessman, he was also known as an avid supporter of arts and culture in Victoria. Although he was not an artist himself, James was the first president of The Island Arts Club, established in 1909. In 1907, the Shallcrosses commissioned well-known architect and fellow IAC member, Samuel Maclure to design and build a home for them in Oak Bay. The house, which they named Tor Lodge, still stands today and is an exceptional example of the Arts and Crafts style, of which James was a strong proponent. James was also deeply invested in the political life of Victoria, serving as a Victoria City Councillor, as an alderman for Oak Bay, and as president of the Board of Trade. John died in Victoria in 1921.
List of Calling Cards
The Point Ellice House collection contains hundreds of calling cards left for the O’Reilly family by visitors. This initial research was conducted by Public History students at the University of Victoria, and these biographies constitute only a portion of the individuals represented by the calling cards within the collection.