Category: Victoria Hinshaw

LOOSE IN LONDON: OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND 74 ST. JAMES'S STREET

74 St. James Street is an amazing building, now part of a international bank which has preserved the colorful interior.  Victoria here, telling you that Kristine and I could hardly believe our eyes after already visiting three lavish mansions during the 2014 Open City London days…in 2016, the Open weekend will be Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18.

74 St. James Street


74 St. James’s Street was the site of the old Conservative Club, now dissolved. Construction started in 1843,  In 1950 it merged with the Bath Club, and was disbanded in 1981. From 1845 until 1959, the club occupied a building at 74 St James’s Street.and although the club moved out a century later, the building went on to be home to McKinsey and Co. in the early 1970s, and now houses the London office of HSBC Private Bank. 

Prior to the Conservative Club’s occupation of the site, there stood on that corner a range of low buildings derived from the country estate of Sir William Pulteney. The original complex had been converted during the 18th century into shops, taverns and pieds-a-terre. The principal establishment on the site was the Thatched House Tavern, located in the upper stories of the shops lining St. James’s Street and set back from the building line so that the roof of the one-story shops formed a balcony overlooking St. James’s for the drinkers and as a vantage point for watching special events, such as the Duke of York’s funeral procession. 


The tavern was much frequented by clubs and societies: the Society of Dilettanti, the Noblemen and Gentlemen’s Catch Club and the Royal Yacht Squadron, to name a few. A narrow lane at right angles to St. James’s, running through the middle of the site, gave access by a side door to the tavern and led on through to a small court (Thatched House Court) behind it. The Court was of small by pretty houses providing London apartments for people of fashion such as Edward Gibbon, who lived there until his death in 1894. 

The new building built on the site by the Conservative Club at a cost of twenty nine thousand pounds was completed in 1845. The proportions of the saloon were injured in 1951 by the removal of the grand staircase, which led out of the middle door 


The approach hardly prepared us for the colorful and amazing craftsmanship of the interior.

The series of portrait medallions honor the great artists and writers of Britain.

Could you get any work done under this ceiling? I 
think I would spend my time admiring the workmanship.

The inevitable mix of modern work areas with Victorian surroundings.


 We stood on the balcony and looked across St. James Street to the famous wine dealer, Berry Brothers and Rudd.

A wider view. To the far right would be St. James Palace.

Thank you, HSBC Bank for preserving this wonderful building in St James Street.
Following our feast for the eyes, we were ready for luncheon! So we went right across the street. coming next! Eating in Pickering Place – yummaaaay.

OPEN CITY DAYS: MARLBOROUGH HOUSE

VISITING MARLBOROUGH HOUSE

Walking from Carlton House Terrace along Pall Mall

Schomberg House
This building housed the 3rd Duke of Schomberg in the late 17th century, a General working for King William of Orange. Later the building was divided into three separate residences; it had a varied history, to say the least. 

Among the luminaries who lived here were Thomas Gainsborough and fellow artist Richard Cosway. 
One of the residences was, for a time, the Temple of Health and Hymen where a Scottish doctor rented out a “celestial bed” said to cure infertility.  Eventually closed by police, it was later a draper’s, and eventually part of the War Office, along with other mansions along Pall Mall.

The decorative features of Schomberg House are made of Coade Stone, a popular material for buildings in the early 19th century. Currently, only the facade exists with modern structures behind it.

Another well-known resident lived nearby.
Approaching Marlborough House from the rear:

Marlborough House was built for the Duke of Marlborough in 1709–11 on the site of the St James’s Palace pheasantry.  Sir Christopher Wren designed the house, though plans were drawn by his son, Christopher Wren the younger. The red Dutch bricks of the walls were ballast returning on vessels which transported soldiers to Holland to fight under the Duke of Marlborough.

Beginning about 1817, members of the royal family resided here,  Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and his wife, Alexandra of Denmark moved in in the 1860’s, and the society that assembled around this couple became known as the Marlborough House Set.

In 1959 Marlborough House became the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation. Sadly, no photos were allowed inside, but the central hall can be found on the internet.

Marlborough House Hall
Queen Elizabeth presides at a Commonweal
th Meeting 

The Garden facade of this noble house!
On the Wall along Marlborough Road, stands the Memorial to Queen Alexandra, completed in 1932 by Sir Alfred Gilbert.
Coming next, Kristine visits the Pet Cemetery in the Marlborough House Garden.

POST TOUR: EXPLORING PART OF THE CITY OF LONDON

Victoria here, relating our activities after the Duke of Wellington Tour back in September 2014. After wandering Hampstead, Kristine and I needed a good sit-down — and where better than on a London bus…so we grabbed one and had a ringside seat for the street scenes from Hampstead all the way to the City of London.  It is always fun to explore a new area — and we were looking for Cheapside, once a popular shopping area.

Here’s a bit of what we saw –
.

Elia, Charles Lamb, a bust by William Reynolds-Stephens in Gitspur Street on the wall of St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate

Old Bailey

Christchurch Greyfriars Garden

St. Paul’s

St. Mary-le-Bow

St. Mary-le-Bow interior
Bank of England

Duke of Wellington by Francis Leggatt Chantrey;
The Duke, Queen Victoria, and Frederick Augustus II, King of Saxony, attended the unveiling on June 18, 1844, anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.

BEN FRANKLIN'S BONES

In the heart of London is Benjamin Franklin House, above, the world’s only remaining Franklin home. For nearly sixteen years between 1757 and 1775, Dr Benjamin Franklin – scientist, diplomat, philosopher, inventor, Founding Father of the United States and more – lived behind its doors. Built circa 1730, it is today a dynamic museum and educational facility.
While lodging at 36 Craven Street, Franklin’s main occupation was mediating unrest between Britain and America, but he also served as Deputy Postmaster for the Colonies; pursued his love of science (exploring bifocal spectacles, the energy-saving Franklin stove); explored health (inoculation, air baths, cures for the common cold); music (inventing the delightful glass armonica for which Mozart, Bach and Beethoven composed) and letters (articles, epitaphs, and his witty Craven Street Gazette), all while forging a hearty social life and close friendships with leading figures of the day.

The House, built circa 1730, is architecturally significant. It holds a Grade I listing and retains a majority of original features (central staircase; lathing; 18th century paneling; stoves; windows; fittings; beams; brick, etc) ‘unimproved’ over time.

Fast forward to 1998, when the first conservation work began at Craven Street.  It was interrupted by the discovery of bones, both human and animal, under the floor of what is today the House’s Seminar Room (originally the garden in Franklin’s day). The London coroner was called and he determined that the bones were more than 100 years old so no inquest was needed.

Display Label: This cabinet displays a selection of the bones found ten years ago in the basement of the house. They are the result of William Hewson’ anatomy school, which opened here at 35 Craven Street on the 30 September, 1772. They are being shown here for the first time since their discovery. Although this is only a small collection of the original number of bones found, the specimens selected for display are of particular medical interest. 

Craven Street Bones


The Craven Street Bones on display in the Seminar Room
Consequently, the House team invited Dr. Simon Hillson and colleagues from London’s Institute of Archaeology at University College London to study the bones and their research has provided valuable historical details.
From a one metre wide, one metre deep pit, over 1200 pieces of bone were retrieved and are the the remnants of an anatomy school run from the House by William Hewson, son-in-law of Franklin’s landlady, Margaret Stevenson.  Hewson, who married Margaret’s daughter Polly in 1770, is best known for his research on blood and the lymphatic system. He isolated the key protein in the blood clotting process, fibrinogen, and called it “coagulable lymph.”

A glass viewing window in the basement allowing visitors to see where the bones where discovered
Hewson trained in Edinburgh and studied with famous anatomist William Hunter, becoming a partner in Hunter’s school at Great Windmill Street, London.  Hewson had a falling out with Hunter and Franklin served as a mediator.  Franklin noted, “I should think it no Trouble to hear their Complaints if I could be of the least Use in accommodating their Differences; but since that was not likely, I could only wish as I had a Regard for both, that they would go on to the End of their Term as quietly as possible, since that would be most to the Credit of both.”

In  due course, Hewson opened his own anatomy school at Craven Street. The human remains derive from over 15 people and show dissection marks from surgical instruments (animal remains were found primarily in the front of the House in the old coal depositories).  For example, a femur bone has been cut cleanly probably demonstrating the process of amputation.  This was a valuable skill when there was little knowledge of sterilisation and much diplomacy took place on the battle field!  The skull pieces have circles drilled out from a trepanning device – a sample of one is on display in the Seminar Room.  Trepanning was primarily used to relieve pressure on the brain.  However, relatively few surgical operations had any likelihood of success; invasive procedures were made difficult by the possibility of major blood loss and infection, and the lack of anaesthetic, not used until 1846.

Key evidence linking the Craven Street bones to Hewson’s anatomy school is a portion of a turtle spine and mercury found in the bone pit. In an experiment conducted in 1770 at the Royal Society, Hewson showed the flow of mercury through a turtle to highlight the lymphatic system. With help from Franklin, Hewson was elected to the Royal Society and received their Copley Medal for his work. Other items linked to anatomical study were also found in the bone pit, including microscope slides.

In Georgian England, the practice of anatomical study became increasingly popular. Limited hospital teaching left a gap filled by private schools like Hewson’s.  They also satisfied growing interest in public health and talks by the experts were financially successful. Despite this, procuring bodies for dissection was not easy.  It did not become a fully legal practice until 1832.  It is likely that some of Hewson’s cadavers came from the so-called ‘resurrectionists’ – bodysnatchers who shipped their wares along the Thames under cover of night.

Anatomy was a hazardous area of study: during a dissection in 1774 Hewson contracted septicaemia and died aged just 34.  As Franklin wrote to his wife Deborah: “Our Family here is in great Distress. Poor Mrs. Hewson has lost her Husband, and Mrs. Stevenson her Son-in-law. He died last Sunday Morning of a Fever which baffled the Skill of our best Physicians. He was an excellent young Man, ingenious, industrious, useful, and belov’d by all that knew him. She is left with two young Children, and a third soon expected. He was just established in a profitable growing Business, with the best Prospects of bringing up his young Family advantageously.”  Polly would eventually move with her children to Philadelphia to be close to Franklin after the close of the Revolutionary War.

To learn more, watch the complete episode of the PBS special, Secrets of the Dead: Ben Franklin’s Bones here (55 minutes)

POST TOUR: BEN FRANKLIN'S HOUSE

Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790

Though he was born in Boston in the colony of Massachusetts and lived much of his life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Franklin’s only remaining intact residence is found at 36 Craven Street, London. We were astonished to find it almost in the shadow of the huge Charing Cross Station in a street of Georgian terraced houses.

Although most of London looks very different in the 21st century, one comes upon these Georgian streets in several neighborhoods.  We hope they are preserved forever.

Ben Franklin’s House

At the end of the block is a building which also housed a famous American.
Herman Melville
And around the corner, beyond the Pubs, is the tunnel into Charing Cross station.

Door of #36 Craven Street

Entering Ben Franklin’s House…

From the text panel on The Enlightenment:

“The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement that saw scientific and rational thought triumph over traditional beliefs. Its impact was felt in many areas that together led to great change and progress. … Benjamin Franklin’s profession as a printer was central to the Enlightenment’s success spreading its message widely….for nearly sixteen years, between 1757 and 1775, Franklin at 36 Craven Street was an active part of the Enlightenment. It flourished in the coffee houses, salons, and private homes around London, where writers and thinkers met to discuss ideas. In this very house, which served as the first de facto American Embassy, Franklin debated social and political reform, invention and scientific progress with the best minds of the British Enlightenment.”
The Benjamin Franklin House website is here.

Many artifacts are shown, particularly Franklin’s glasses (he invented bifocals for reading), printer;’s tools, and medical equipment.

The tour through the house takes visitors from room to room, with explanations of the architecture, furnishings of the rooms, and visuals projected on the walls.  Not only does one learn about Franklin and his life and times, but the bones of the house itself are revealed in all their elegant Georgian simplicity.

Upstairs, is n example of a musical instrument Franklin invented, the glass armonica (or harmonica), for which Mozart and Bach composed, among others. It plays beautifully with a ringing clarity and has been used over the centuries in various orchestral works.

The accounts of Ben Franklin’s life in London, his relationship with his landlady’s family, and his position in society are well covered, even for American visitors who are more familiar with his life than most British school children. Or at least one would hope so!
The program is creative and imaginative. How anyone cannot come away with many more questions about this fascinating man was beyond our ken!  Well worth a visit when you are next in London.
More about Franklin to come.