About 18 Stafford Terrace
The Sambourne Family Home
From 1875, 18 Stafford Terrace
was the home of Punch cartoonist Edward Linley Sambourne,
his wife Marion, their two children and their live-in servants. The
house gives an insight into the personal lives of the
Sambourne family, and also provides a rare example of
what was known as an 'Aesthetic interior' or 'House Beautiful'
style. The Aesthetic Movement of the late nineteenth century
advocated the use of foreign or 'exotic' influences in the
decoration of the home. This can be seen by the various
Japanese, Middle-Eastern and Chinese objects throughout the
Sambournes' home. After the deaths of Linley and Marion
Sambourne, the house was preserved by their descendants. In 1980 it
was opened to the public by the Victorian Society. This
organisation had been inaugurated at 18 Stafford Terrace in 1958 by
the Sambourne's grand-daughter, Anne, 6th Countess of Rosse. In
1989, its ownership passed to the Royal Borough of Kensington and
Chelsea.
Discover more about the
HISTORY & COLLECTIONS of 18
Stafford
