Collections
A hidden gem in the heart of London, remarkably well-preserved
and complete with its original interior decoration and
contents.
"We have lived in this house ever since we were married and
it has taken years to accumulate whatever treasures we
possess. What you see is the very best. That has been my
principle throughout; not to buy anything but what was really good.
But it has taken time to accumulate. There has not been an
unlimited exchequer to draw upon.'" Edward Linley Sambourne,
interviewed in 1893.
Search the collection online.
The Photographic collection
The largest single collection and perhaps the most significant
is made up of the cyanotype prints, photographs and press
cuttings that Edward Linley Sambourne compiled over many years
to assist in his cartooning. Over 20,000 items were meticulously
dated
and catologued by Sambourne, the re-cataloguing of the
collection is currently being planned.
The Drawing collection
Linley Sambourne retained approximately 1,500 drawings that
were subsequently reproduced in Punch and elsewhere. Many of
the
drawings can be related to the Photographic collection.
Browse on Flickr below or
search our catalogue.
The Contents of 18 Stafford Terrace
The interiors at Stafford Terrace are very much a product of
Linley's taste. For Linley, the acquisition of objects, and
furniture in particular, was an almost obsessive enthusiasm. He
told a journalist in 1893: "What you see is the very best. That
has been my principle throughout; not to buy anything but what was
really good. But it has taken time to accumulate. There has not
been an unlimited exchequer to draw upon." A full inventory
made in December 1877 reveals that there were already large
quantities of furniture, objects and framed pictures arranged
throughout the interiors. Some had been purchased with the house,
others came through family as gifts. Over 150 items were bought
from a nearby house clearance in 1877. Sambourne continued to
attend sales and auctions right up until his death, adding ever
more objects to the interiors, often to Marion's
despair. Overview
of the furniture collection.
The Costume collection
A costume collection of 150 items of clothing belonging to each
generation of the Sambourne family is on long-term loan to Brighton
Museum, where it forms part of the wider
Messel collection. Included are a dress
of Marion's worn at her daughter's wedding, many of Maud's
dresses and First World War uniforms belonging to Roy.
The Oil Paintings
Click below to view the oil paintings at 18 Stafford
Terrace.
