Queuing at the Sir John Soane Museum
When I had a paper to write for my literature class, I went to Tintagel, in Cornwall, for inspiration. (At least, that was a good excuse.) So with a paper due on London architecture, I went to the Sir John Soane Museum, in Lincoln's Inn Field, just south of Holborn tube stop.
Sir John Soane was a 18th/19th century architect and collector (not the Sir Sloane who contributed his collection to the British Museum; that was someone else). He spent many years in Italy, collecting objects of antiquity and learning the basics of Classical design. The Bank of England is perhaps his greatest achievement, at least of his plans that came to fruition. He built a model for the Houses of Parliament that never was built—you can see it, as well as the drawings, in his museum, and it looks nothing at all like the Gothic building that houses Parliament now.
But there's another common structure in London that is recognized by everyone, and owes its shape, at least, to Soane, despite the fact it wasn't created until many years after he died. The red telephone booth, with its Classical shape, was inspired by the vault that Soane built for his burial at St. Pancras Old Church.
Also in the museum, which was once the home of Soane and his wife, is the Picture Room, where a series of paintings by William Hogarth hang: A Rakes Progress and An Election. If you're lucky, while you're in the Picture Room a docent will open the walls, to show yet another layer of paintings, and then yet again, to allow you to peek over into the Monk's Parlour and Yard. There you'll find the grave of Fanny, Mrs. Soane's little dog, whose pictures hang in the Breakfast Room.
The place is stuffed full of Soane's extensive collection (don't miss the Canalettos), and special exhibitions showcase some of his drawings and paintings not on display in the main part of the museum. It reminded me of a Wisconsin tourist attraction called House on the Rock, which was also built by an architect with too large a collection. Except it's not quite as, err, cheesy.
If you go to the Soane Museum, go on a sunny day: the only lighting is from the domed skylights, which floods the basement level through the floor grates. The museum, which is spread in three houses where Soane lived and taught and entertained prospective clients, is small, and entrants are limited. You may have to queue to get in. We arrived around 11 and had a 10 minute wait.
Entrance is free, but donations are encouraged. Photographs are not allowed inside, nor are large bags. It's well worth a visit—don't hang around waiting for an excuse.
