Handel Hendrix House facts for kids
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The Handel Hendrix House is a special museum in Mayfair, London. It celebrates the lives of two very different musicians: George Frideric Handel, a famous composer from long ago, and Jimi Hendrix, a rock music legend. They both lived in houses next to each other on Brook Street. Handel lived at number 25, and Hendrix lived at number 23.
Handel moved to London in 1712 and became a British citizen in 1727. He rented 25 Brook Street from 1723 until he passed away there in 1759. He wrote many of his most famous operas and other music in this house. He had many musical instruments there, like harpsichords and a small organ.
The museum shows how Handel's home looked in his time. It also has exhibition rooms in the house next door, where Jimi Hendrix lived in the late 1960s. In 2016, the museum grew to include more of Hendrix's old home.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The idea for the museum began in 1958. A dentist named Leslie Sparey visited Handel's old house. A year later, a music expert named Stanley Sadie also thought it would be a great idea to have a museum there.
Leslie Sparey worked for many years to make the museum happen. He wrote letters to famous musicians and tried to get people interested. He was worried about the house being changed or even torn down.
In the early 1990s, Stanley Sadie and his wife Anne created the Handel House Trust. This group worked to turn the house into a museum. They received money from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This helped them buy the lease for 25 Brook Street. After a lot of work to fix up the house, the Handel House Museum opened its doors on November 8, 2001.
Inside Handel's House
The house at 25 Brook Street has been made to look just like it did when Handel lived there from 1723 to 1759. It is a typical London house from the early 1700s. It has a basement, three main floors, and an attic. Handel was the first person to live there.
The inside of the house has been restored to the simple style of the Georgian era. Most of the original parts of the house were gone, except for the staircase. So, they used ideas from other old buildings to make it look right.
The museum has collected many items connected to Handel. This includes the Byrne Collection, which has hundreds of items.
Handel's Life at 25 Brook Street
Handel moved into 25 Brook Street in the summer of 1723. This was shortly after he became a composer for King George II. The house was new, built between 1717 and 1726. Handel rented the house because, as a foreigner, he could not buy property at first. Even after he became a British citizen in 1727, he kept renting it. It's amazing that he stayed there for almost 40 years, as composers often moved around a lot.
The house was set up like most Georgian townhouses. The kitchen was in the basement. Each of the three floors above had a front room and a smaller back room. The attic rooms were for servants.
Rehearsal Room
The large front room on the first floor was used for rehearsals. Handel had a harpsichord and a small organ there. The museum now has a copy of an old harpsichord. People often heard Handel rehearsing his operas and oratorios here. One person said that when Handel played, it felt like he was doing magic! Even his famous work, Messiah, was rehearsed in this room.
Composing Room
The room at the back of the first floor was likely Handel's composing room. He probably had a clavichord there. This instrument was small enough to take on trips. Stories say Handel secretly played a clavichord as a child, even though his father did not want him to. Handel's actual clavichord, built in 1726, is now in the Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery.
Bedrooms
The second floor had Handel's main bedroom. It had a large four-poster bed. Next to it was a dressing room. The servants lived in the attic rooms above.
Handel used his home for more than just music. He also sold his music scores directly from the house. He had a large art collection with over 80 paintings and prints.
After Handel passed away in 1759, his musical instruments went to his assistants. His clothes and the house tenancy went to his servant. A detailed list of everything in his house was made after his death. This list helps us know how the house was decorated. The house stayed mostly the same until 1905, when it was changed into a shop. The Handel House Trust started leasing the upper floors in 2000.
Bringing the House Back to Life
When the Handel House Trust leased 25 Brook Street in 2000, they decided to make Handel's rooms look like they did in the 1700s. This was important because Handel's time there made it a special historic building. They removed new walls to bring back the original room plans. They used details from the house next door to help restore the inside.
They found small pieces of the original paint from the 1720s on the staircase and a door. The original color was a lead grey throughout the house. Later, it was painted chocolate brown, a color that hid dirt well. These are the colors used to redecorate the house today.
The detailed list from 1759 also helped them furnish the house. They knew what kind of furniture Handel had. Even though none of Handel's original furniture was found, they placed similar pieces in the rooms. The large four-poster bed was rebuilt using an old bed from that time. The fabrics for the bed and curtains were made to match what was used back then.
What You Can See
The Handel Hendrix House has a special collection of items related to Handel. These include:
- Letters written by Handel.
- Original music papers.
- Early copies of his operas and oratorios.
- Old pictures and paintings.
- Sculptures.
The museum also has paintings of people important to Handel, like his friend Charles Jennens and the opera singer Faustina Bordoni.
Rooms to Explore at 25 Brook Street
The museum lets you explore several rooms in Handel's house:
Rehearsal and Performance Room
This room is on the first floor at the front. Handel used it for rehearsals. It has pictures of singers from his time and a copy of a harpsichord. This harpsichord is used for concerts and even for musicians to practice.
Composition Room
This room is on the first floor at the back. It is believed that Handel wrote some of his most famous music here, including Messiah. You can see pictures of Handel and Charles Jennens here.
London Room
This room is on the second floor at the back. It was Handel's dressing room.
Bedroom
This room is on the second floor at the front. It is probably where Handel passed away. A list made after his death described a large canopied bed, similar to the one you can see in the room today.
Jimi Hendrix's Home at 23 Brook Street
The museum also includes the upper floors of 23 Brook Street, where the American rock star Jimi Hendrix lived in 1968–1969. These rooms were first used for special exhibits. After more money was raised, all the rooms from Hendrix's apartment opened to the public in February 2016. Now, the museum is called "Handel and Hendrix in London." You can see a collection of Hendrix's old records there. Both houses have special blue plaques outside, telling you who lived there.
Visiting the Museum
The Handel Hendrix House is open to visitors five days a week, from Wednesday to Sunday. The museum has many events, including live music, changing exhibitions, talks, and educational activities for children. They often have performances of Baroque music, sometimes during the day or in the early evening.
See also
- List of music museums
- Will of George Frideric Handel
