Sambourne House facts for kids
Sambourne House is a special museum in Kensington, London. It used to be the home of Edward Linley Sambourne. He was a famous artist who drew cartoons for a magazine called Punch. The house is also known as 18 Stafford Terrace.
The Sambourne family moved into this house in 1875. It was a new house then. Linley Sambourne and his wife, Marion, loved to decorate. They chose a style called the Aesthetic style. This style focused on beauty and art.
Today, Sambourne House shows what a middle-class home looked like in the Aesthetic period. You can see beautiful sunflower designs in the windows. There are also lovely wallpapers by William Morris. The house also displays a collection of blue-and-white Chinese dishes. It's like stepping back in time!
How Sambourne House Was Saved
Linley Sambourne passed away in 1910. His wife Marion died four years later. Their son, Roy, then inherited the house. Roy kept the house almost exactly as it was. He lived there until he passed away in 1946.
After Roy, the house went to his sister, Maud Messel. Maud already had a big home in London. So, 18 Stafford Terrace stayed mostly empty. It remained unchanged for many years.
Maud's daughter, Anne, Countess of Rosse, became very interested in the house. She loved its history. This interest led Anne to help start the Victorian Society in 1957. Because of her, the house was kept safe. It still looks much like it did when Linley lived there.
In 1980, Lady Rosse helped sell the house to the Greater London Council. The Victorian Society then leased it. The house opened to the public as a museum. It showed off the original furniture, art, and decorations. In 1989, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea took over ownership. They worked with the Victorian Society until 2000. In 2022, the council reopened the house after a big restoration. They even turned the old kitchens into visitor areas.
Family Papers and History
The Sambourne family kept many important papers. These papers are now part of an archive. They include diaries, letters, and old photographs. These items tell us a lot about Edward Linley Sambourne. They also show what life was like for a well-off family in the Victorian and Edwardian times. This collection is kept at Leighton House Museum.
Sambourne House in Movies and TV
Sambourne House has been a setting for many films and TV shows. Its unique look makes it perfect for historical stories.
- The house was used for scenes in the film A Room with a View.
- Roy's room was a set for the movie Maurice.
- It appeared several times in the TV series Jeeves and Wooster.
- In the 1981 TV series Brideshead Revisited, the house was used for interior shots.
- The house was featured in Arthur & George (2015). This was a TV drama based on a book by Julian Barnes.
- It is also seen in Life in Squares (2015). This TV series was about the famous Bloomsbury Group.
