Sir John Soane Museum

A magical house redesigned from three town houses at 12,13 and 14 Lincoln's Inn Fields by Sir John Soane (1753-1837) to form his office, home and personal museum.  The part which forms the museum is made up of an extraordinary complex of darker corridors and open spaces with a central glazed atrium.  The use of light and scale is beautiful and surprising.  A real treat of a house which shows off both his interiors and his huge collection of  ancient Egyptian and Roman artefacts including the extraordinary sarcophagus of the Egyptian Pharoah Seti I costing £1,400: to house this piece a wall of the house had to be demolished and rebuilt.  Soane held a party with the great and good of London to celebrate its' new home, giving money raised to the widow of the archaeologist who brought it to Britain.  In 1833 Soane brought about a Private Act of Parliament to preserve his house and collection in perpetuity.  A wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

← Back to blog