The grounds are gorgeous – old almhouses tucked away in the middle of Hoxton.
The museum basically shows living rooms through the ages.
But each item has a back-story, making the whole visit much more engaging than simply looking at some chairs.
That said, first up… some chairs. Through the ages.
There’s some really beautiful room decoration here.
If ever I was going to work on a B&Q or Homebase brief – I think this would be the place to work from.
The funniest thing for me was seeing this TV from the 1960s.
Despite clearly being a museum that covers home life between 1600 and present day – most of my facts this time are from the late 18th century. I must have been paying more attention in that room. I can only apologise.
#1. In the late eighteenth-century, custard was a very popular food. Custard was served in little china cups (see below). The most interesting bit for me was, despite being sweet, custards would be eaten for dinner as part of the second course – alongside roasted and boiled meats.
#2. Also during the late eighteenth-century… researchers have found letters and journals of people at that time referring to rooms and furnishings that they liked as ‘neat.’, which didn’t just mean clean and tidy – but also ‘bright and stylish.’ It’s amazing how words come back around.
#3. Dried rushes were often dipped in melted fat during the 17th and 18th centuries, to provide a rudimentary light. The rush was held horizontally by the pincers of a rush holder (or rush nip.) Interestingly, the rushes would only burn for about 20 minutes. You’d have to be working pretty quickly at night on that kind of deadline.
#4. In the eighteenth-century, politeness meant a lot more than it does today. In fact, it was an approach to life that covered all aspects of social behaviour. It’s basic principles were that people be easy and open, making themselves agreeable to others and avoiding extremes of opinion or temper.
#5. A coffee house in London called ‘The Sultan’s Head’ became the first to advertise the sale in tea in 1658 – a new herb imported from china. As tea fever took hold in Britain, many household servants acquired a taste for tea, often having their wages calculated to include an allowance of tea leaves.
2. Churchill War Rooms
3. Cinema Museum
4. Dennis Sever’s House
5. Dr Johnson’s house
6. Design Museum
7. Down House
8. The Geffrye Museum
9. London Film Museum
10. London Transport Museum
11. Mansion House
12. Brunel Museum
13. Museum of the Order of St John
14. Musical Museum
15. Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret
16. Pollock’s Toy Museum
17. Rose Theatre exhibition
18. Fashion and Textile Museum
19. Royal College of Music Archives and Museum of Instruments
20. Sherlock Holmes Museum
21. Twinings Museum
22. V&A Museum of Childhood
23. Bank of England museum
24. The Stephens Museum