The Drawing Rooms Of Old London
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Impending gloom at the Mansion House, c. 1910
Given the relentless heatwave, I think the only prudent course of action is to withdraw into one of the drawing rooms of old London and close the curtains. A meagre ray of sunlight has filtered through the drapes, highlighting the dust upon the armoire. Stretch out upon the chaise longue, I shall take the sofa where I shall open my copy of War & Peace while my cat will settle upon the fauteuil.
These glass slides once used for magic lantern shows by the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society at the Bishopsgate Institute reveal glimpses into the lavish drawing rooms occupied by those at the pinnacle of power in old London, and I can only wonder what the East Enders of a century ago thought when exposed to these strange visions of another world.
State Room Chelsea Royal Hospital, c. 1920
Drawing Room at Lindsay House, Chelsea, former home of the Moravians, 1912
Hall at Fulham Palace, c. 1920
White Drawing Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Dining Room at Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Christians’ Sitting Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Prince Consort’s Writing Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Throne Room at St James’ Palace, c.1910
Prince Consort’s Music Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Prince Consort’s Tapestry Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Empress Eugiene’s Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Bow Saloon, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Prince Consort’s Writing Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Prince Consort’s Music Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Queen Victoria’s Dolls’ House, Kensington Palace, c. 1910
Holland House, c. 1910
Lord Mayor’s Room, Mansion House, c.1910
Drawing Room, Goldsmiths Hall, c. 1920
Drawing Room, Armourers’ Hall, c. 1920
Small Hall at Cordwainers’ Hall, 1920
Drawing Room, Goldsmiths’ Hall, 1920
Drawing Room, Salters’ Hall, c. 1910
Drawing Room, Mercers’ Hall, 1920
Drawing Room, Devonshire House, c. 1910
Ballroom at Devonshire House, c. 1910
Drawing Room, Whitehall Gardens, 1913
Prince Consort’s Dressing Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Belgian Suite Bedroom, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Prince Consort’s Study, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Bow Saloon, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Throne Room, Buckingham Palace, c. 1910
Vestry of St Lawrence Jewry, c. 1920
Glass slides courtesy Bishopsgate Institute
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What an amazing collection. And aren’t they all ghastly.
How times change! To my eye they look uniformly cluttered and uncomfortable, with hardly an armchair to be seen.
Well. i liked the Prince’s Consort dressing room as he had lots of books piled on an end table. I also liked that in many of the room portraits. I RECOGNIZED some of the paintings !! Like the one called Blue Boy .That was great . I cannot imagine people moving around in those big rooms in a giant house. I would only end up using a couple rooms if i lived the
re.
Wonderful beautiful. and sharp photos. Amazing how the old black and white photos are Soooo much better than colored ones now.
thank you
Debra
Re what the Eastenders thought, or might have thought, about these ornate drawing rooms. I’m guessing some of them, especially the ladies, would have wanted to emulate the style and contents of these rooms as much as they were able and could afford, hence the flock wallpapers, flowery carpets and rugs, reproduction paintings (Constable’s The Haywain the most popular) on the walls, and collections of little china ornaments in glass cabinets found in most drawing rooms of the 20th century, 1920 – 1970.
Oh! The smoke from all those candles…
Y’know, I’d love to have a drawing room all my own. Massive chandeliers depending from an ornate ceiling, massive and cleverly conceived cornices, velvet wall coverings (silk), magnificent fitments, Kentian chairs, sofas, tables. A fine palace to place it in.
Oh, oh, oh, oh…