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Sambourne House is the restored townhouse of Victorian illustrator, cartoonist and photographer Edward Linley Sambourne (known as Linley). It is located in the Holland Park area of London not far from the restored home of Lord Leighton.
Although he had long had an interest in art, Sambourne did not start out to be a professional artist. His career began when he became an apprentice to a marine engineering firm doing office work. When the owner of the firm discovered that Sambourne was interested in drawing, he was given draftsman's work. A friend showed one of Sambourne's casual drawings to the editor of the popular satirical magazine Punch. The editor liked the drawing and began to give Sambourne work. At first, this consisted mainly of drawing the large initial letters that began each article. However, over time, Sambourne's role evolved to drawing social cartoons and later political cartoons. He ended his career as the principal cartoonist for Punch. Along the way, Sambourne became interested in photography. At first, he would pose himself, members of his family and household servants as models for his cartoons. However, he later became interested in photography for its own sake. In addition to his work for Punch, Sambourne accepted a wide array of commissions to make designs and drawings for such things as book covers, advertisements, awards, diplomas, and invitations. Sambourne moved into the townhouse at 18 Stafford Terrace in 1875. The house is part of a row of upper middle class townhouses. Each house is immediately next to its neighbor with no green space in between or in the front of the house. Together with his wife Marion, Linley decorated the house in the Victorian Aesthetic style. This involved crowding the rooms with furniture, and curiosities as well as lining the walls with art (including examples of Linley's drawings and cartoons). The rooms are quite dark with little natural light. Inasmuch as the house was handed down first to Linley and Marion's son, who changed it little and then to their daughter whose primary residence was elsewhere in London, the house and its contents had been preserved much as in Linley's day by the time the house became open to the public in 1980. The current owner, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, undertook a lengthy restoration that was completed in 2022. As a result, Sambourne House offers a time-capsule glimpse of Victorian life and tastes. It is very much a vertical experience as the rooms are one above the other and thus it is necessary to navigate the narrow stairs. Among the rooms open to view is the studio where Linley worked for much of the time he occupied the house. For more information on visiting, see the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea website. |
Above: The Drawing Room.
Above: Sambourne's studio.
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Places to see art - - London, England - - Sambourne House