Postcard from London, England: Nosing around homes from an earlier century

Above: Dome crowning the former architectural office of Sir John Soane

The idea was that we all learn from our mistakes so that in the end, over the years, we get perfection of architecture.”

Sir John Soane

The handsome dome with small mirrors magnifying natural light seems ideal for illuminating an office in the early 1800s. But many visitors to the museum that once served as the home and office of Sir John Soane (1753-1837) might question his interior decorating skills. I’m not one.

The prestigious practitioner of Neoclassical architecture left few spaces unoccupied by architectural fragments, Egyptian antiquities, paintings and sculpture, all carefully arranged for his inspiration. Maneuvering through the crowded, narrow spaces makes one fearful of toppling some precious artifact, creating a tsunami of cascading crashes.

Yet what a magical and intriguing space revealing much about the owner and the times in which he lived.

Above: Sir John Soane Museum on Lincoln’s Inn Fields

The former home of Edward Linley Sambourne (1844-1910) is only marginally easier to navigate. In 1867, Sambourne drew his first cartoon for the satirical magazine Punch, its name inspired by Mr. Punch of the puppets Punch and Judy. The artist contributed more than 3,000 images over four decades to the weekly magazine with a readership of 50,000 to 60,000.

Those peopling his cartoons were based on photographs he would take of servants and family members, pressed into posing in the backyard. His children were his models for his illustrations for Charles Kingsley’s The Water-Babies, first published in 1863.

In his ‘workshop,’ a snug little room at the top of the house, he has a cabinet containing some 10,000 photographs, all carefully indexed, so that he can immediately place his hand on any one he wants…. Hundreds of these photographs were taken by Mr. Sambourne himself, and the whole idea of the collection is to ensure absolute accuracy of detail in any picture he may be engaged upon.”

“Mr. Sambourne at Home: An Interview with Mr. Punch’s Chief Cartoonist,” Daily Mail, January 10, 1901, as transcribed on The Victorian Web

Moving into their home shortly after their 1874 marriage, Marion and Linley Sambourne were drawn to contemporary wallpaper by William Morris (1834-1896). Morris’ distinctive designs for wallpaper, fabric and tiles are still reproduced today.

The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”

William Morris

Above: Sambourne House in Holland Park

The immensity of museums in London can be overwhelming, which is why I recommend dropping back to more intimate surroundings away from crowds. The number of people admitted into these museums is restricted, and we found ourselves almost alone in the Sambourne House. Tickets for the Sambourne House can be purchased in combination with the neighboring Leighton House, the subject of an earlier post. The Soane Museum is admission-free, but reservations are advisable.