London Shh - Small historic houses

20 December 2011

Season's Greetings

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at London Shh!  We recommend checking the individual Shh houses' websites for full details about opening hours over the festive period.

16 November 2011

London Shh participates in Audience Research Network project

Earlier this year, London Shh was successful in its bid to take part in a project supported by Audiences London and Renaissance. The Audience Research Network scheme has been devised to encourage a new or existing networks London museums, such as London Shh, to work together with assistance from Audiences London to understand, share and compare their audience information.  

Our goal since inception has been to share audience research in order to assist each other with the development of individual audiences.  With very different staffing and volunteer structures, and resources, we all have different capacities for gathering and analysing visitor information.  It has been our hope to find a way of running audience research that benefit London Shh whilst providing useful information for each individual member house to increase capacity, apply for funding and extend reach.

Audience surveys are being conducted at Burgh House & Hampstead Museum, Dr Johnson’s House, Emery Walker House, Freud Museum London, Handel House Museum, and Kelmscott House. The survey information is captured using SNAP software, which will be used to create final reports.

We aim to achieve the following objectives by completion of the project:

- Build an accurate audience/visitor profile

- Analyse visitor patterns over different seasons

- Cross reference findings between the different houses

- Identify gaps in audience and develop strategies for London Shh and individual houses

- Evaluate services provided at each house

- Share findings with the houses unable to take part in the project

- Use the end of project findings/report as evidence of value for money of London Shh membership for both existing and future members

13 September 2011

Beyond the Blue Plaque

Blue plaques are a common sight around London. The scheme, founded by the (Royal) Society of Arts in 1866, is now run by English Heritage and to date around 850 plaques (not always blue!) have been installed in the capital to commemorate the residence of notable figures.

Benjamin Franklin House at 36 Craven Street is marked by a unique decorative scroll plaque, installed in 1914, revealing that it was home to Benjamin Franklin, the printer, scientist and Founding Father of the United States. An earlier Society of Arts plaque was commissioned for the house, but confusion over a change of door number resulted in the large brown plaque being mounted on the wrong building. The mistake was rectified this year and Franklin’s original 1869 plaque can now be seen at the correct address, on an interior wall.

Two other London Shh houses feature Society of Arts plaques. In 1876, a plaque was installed at Gough Square to commemorate the residence where Dr Samuel Johnson compiled his great Dictionary of the English Language. Dr Johnson’s House was a fitting venue for the launch of the book ‘Lived in London: Blue Plaques and the Stories Behind Them’, published by Yale University Press in 2009. The Society of Arts plaque celebrating John Keats’ residence in Hampstead, the setting that inspired his most famous poetry including ‘Ode to a Nightingale’, was erected in 1896. Fewer than half of the thirty five Society of Arts plaques remain in existence; London Shh is proud to display three of these.

In 1901, the scheme passed to the London County Council, and became known as the 'Indication of Houses of Historical Interest in London'. Two London Shh houses are adorned with these plaques including 7 Hammersmith Terrace where Sir Emery Walker, the typographer and antiquary lived. Another ornate porcelain plaque on City Road, Islington, denotes John Wesley’s House and chapel. Plaques varied in colour in the early stages of the scheme – blue, brown, terracotta, sage – and were made of different materials. Only in the 1940s was the iconic ‘blue’ plaque standardised.

Since 1986, English Heritage has managed the blue plaque scheme and has awarded a total of four plaques to just two London Shh houses. Separated by two centuries, composer George Frideric Handel and guitarist Jimi Hendrix lived in adjoining properties at Brook Street in the West End – now Handel House Museum. The plaques on the exteriors hint at the story of two hugely influential international musicians who both made a career and home in London. Hendrix first found fame in the UK and Handel composed some of his most famous pieces at Brook Street, including Messiah and Zadok the Priest.

The Freud Museum also has more than one blue plaque, in this case honouring two generations of the same family. The plaques for Sigmund Freud, father of psychoanalysis, and his daughter Anna Freud, a pioneer in the same field, were unveiled in 2002 by comedian John Cleese, making them the most recent of the London Shh plaques.

Next time you are exploring the capital, see how many plaques you can spot. The plaques are often an indication of the fascinating stories to be found inside. The London Shh houses are more than just buildings, they help visitors explore historical stories and the personalities of the people who called them home.  We also want to encourage people to venture off the beaten path, beyond the blue plaque. Burgh House, a beautiful Grade I listed building and home of the Hampstead Museum and William Morris’ Kelmscott House may not have plaques, but they are wonderful heritage gems.

By James Spellane, Operations Intern at Benjamin Franklin House

Photo credits: all images are courtesy of London Shh houses, except John Wesley’s plaque image courtesy of Jamie Barras

05 September 2011

How do houses become museums?

London Shh... is a collection of nine small historic houses which tell the stories of fascinating and famous former residents. Each house has a different way of interpreting the past and presenting history. Learn about the transformation from home to museum in an upcoming lecture on the 28 September 2011, 7pm at the Freud Museum.  

Dr Antony Hudek, Mellon Research Fellow at University College London, will explore some of the thought provoking issues around how homes, such as the Freud family home at 20 Maresfield Gardens, become museums. When, and how, does a house become a museum – a ‘house museum’? How does this passage from one function to another affect the visitor’s experience? Taking Freud’s 1919 text ‘Das Unheimliche’ (‘The Uncanny’) as point of departure, this presentation seeks to identify what subsists, what survives when a house turns into a museum: the ghosts of its former occupants, the archive (once a personal collection of papers, books, memorabilia), and a sense (reassuring or unsettling) of domesticity. But Freud’s text does more than provide a useful guide to what lingers in the house museum, in particular his own. It plays out the paradox of the uncanny: that if the house museum, like the psychoanalytic text, depends on the veracity of its portrayal of the subjective matter it tries to exhibit/expose, it can only do so in the fractured guise of theatre and fiction, lest it fall prey to the very myths and phantasies its stated mission it is to dispel. This talk is part of the Freud Museum’s 25th anniversary programme.

Booking: £10/£7 Concessions and Members of the Museum. Book online here. Advance booking is highly recommended. Doors open 6.30pm, event starts promptly at 7pm. For further information please contact us at eventsandmedia@freud.org.uk or +44 (0)20 7435 2002

13 July 2011

Summer events at London Shh Houses

Looking for something interesting to do this summer? Visit London Shh houses for a range of fascinating events including; concerts, art exhibitions, family workshops, and live theatre.

Enjoy concerts at Handel House in July and August featuring baroque harpsichord and flute recitals. Or perhaps join the Freud Museum on the 28th July to celebrate its 25th anniversary. During the final three weekends in July you can also book tickets to see live theatre in the garden of Keats House dramatising the lives and loves of Britian's most influential romantic writers. See Burgh House's new exhibition on The Life and Art of Helen Allingham which runs from late July until early November. Discover more about the Craven Street bones found at Benjamin Franklin House during a family workshop on 26th July, which is part of the 2011 Festival of British Archaeology. Or learn about woodblocks and textile printing at Kelmscott House at a talk on the subject on the 23rd July.

Our What's on section contains full details about all events, ticket prices and how to book. 

13 April 2011

New London Shh...Houses!

We are pleased to welcome two new houses to the London Shh...group; John Wesley's House located in the heart of the city and Keats House Museum in Hampstead.

John Wesley’s House, built in 1779 is a fine example of a Georgian town house. John Wesley, a Christian theologian and founder of the Methodist movement, resided in this house for the last twelve winters of his life. The house today has retained many of Wesley’s belongings and furniture, including his study chair. The house is open to the public Monday – Saturday 10am-4pm, and on Sundays 12 noon-1.45pm. Admission is free but donations are gratefully received.

Keats House Museum, built in 1814 is dedicated to the life of the poet John Keats and also poetry in general. Keats lived in the house from 1818 to 1820. Whilst residing here he wrote 'Ode to a Nightingale', and fell in love with Fanny Brawne, the girl next door. Keats House Museum works closely with local community groups, museums, artists and schools, and runs popular poetry groups. The house is open to the public in the summer from Easter to 31 October, Tuesday – Sunday 1-5pm, and in the winter from 31 October to Easter, Friday – Sunday 1-5pm. Admission tickets are £5 for adults and £3 for concessions.

Christian Dettlaff, Wesley’s Curator has summed up the importance of joining the London Shh…group; “We are very excited to join London Shh.. The association provides an excellent platform for similar small historic London houses to group together, share expertise and increase marketing opportunities. People don’t necessarily realise how many smaller historic properties are open to the public in London, and their associations with famous people and events. Indeed, some of their former celebrity occupants may have heard of and even known each other as many of them lived at the same time in London, for instance John Wesley and Samuel Johnson in the mid 18^th century, who were close friends and visited each other at home. The houses are thus linked on many more levels than just location, purpose or style and visiting one, more or all of them provides an excellent opportunity to discover lesser-known London and step back in time!”

Details about upcoming events at these houses will be coming soon to the What’s on page.

05 April 2011

London Shh...houses featured on Simon Seeks

The travel guide and holiday review website 'Simon Seeks' selected many of the London Shh... houses including Dr Johnson's House and Freud Museum, in a feature about museums open to public which are dedicated to historical figures.

Read the full article on the Simon Seeks website here.

10 March 2011

Johnson's Garret comes alive

Dr Johnson's Garret is playing host to 'A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson' (now sold out) and the performance has received rave reviews (Guardian ****, Independent**** ).  

In this performance, Dr Johnson is brought alive by actor Ian Redford whilst Russell Barr performs as both James Boswell and many other characters ranging from George III to Johnson's housemate Anna Williams!  The house has been lucky to welcome a guest appearance from Trudie Styler as Mrs Thrale.  Michael Billingham ,writing in Tuesday's Guardian suggested that 'Rarely do a play and its setting match as well as this' and in his four-star review in the Independent, Paul Taylor said the performance was 'seriously site specific' and he 'did not want the evening to end.'

Many of the houses in London Shh provide intimate and quirky venues for a whole variety of performances from music recitals and plays to poetry readings and comedy evenings.

Find out more about 'A Dish of Tea' here and to see all the events at London Shh houses click here.

11 January 2011

Benjamin Franklin House original 'blue' plaque finally to be erected

On 17 January 2011 (7-9pm), in celebration of Benjamin Franklin’s 305^th birthday, and the 5^th anniversary of the opening of Benjamin Franklin House to the public as a dynamic museum and educational facility, the original ‘blue’ plaque intended to commemorate Franklin’s nearly sixteen year tenure at 36 Craven Street, London will finally be erected. One of history’s great polymaths, Franklin is famous for his contributions to science, letters, invention, diplomacy, music, and more.

In 1875, the (Royal) Society of Arts, originators of what became the popular blue plaque scheme to recognise the lodgings of London’s important past residents, commissioned a large terracotta plate surrounded by a wooden frame to honour Franklin, their first international member.  However, they accidentally erected it on the wrong building. 

Prior to two rounds of renumbering and the construction of new buildings on the street, Franklin lived at 7 Craven Street which had become 36 by the late 19^th century.  It was affixed incorrectly, however, to the 7 Craven Street of 1875, but this was discovered too late; it was cemented tight.  In the course of investigations, the Clerk of the London County Council proved by consulting City of Westminster rate-books (which tracked annual assessments) that Franklin’s landlady, leaseholder Margaret Stevenson, had lived two doors from Craven Passage on the east side of the street – number 36 – not at the top of the west side, where number 7 was then located. 

In 1914, 7 Craven Street was demolished to make way for a restaurant (which no longer stands) and the plaque was finally removed.  It was donated to the London Museum, then at Stafford House, St. James’s, the forerunner to the Museum of London.  It eventually came to rest in the Museum’s Hackney storehouse where it has been ever since.  It was kindly donated by the Museum to Benjamin Franklin House last year. 

In 1914, the London County Council put up a new ‘blue’ plaque on 36 Craven Street, a bronze scroll and the only one of its kind, which denotes Franklin’s only surviving residence anywhere in the world.  But soon there will two plaques.

According to Benjamin Franklin House Director Dr. Márcia Balisciano, “For the first time in 136 years, on an auspicious Franklin day, the original plaque [to feature on an interior brick wall] will finally be displayed where it was always intended!”

If you are interested in attending the reception please contact Operations Manager, Sally James info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org.

21 December 2010

Season's Greetings!

Merry Christmas from all of us at London Shh...and have a happy New Year!

08 December 2010

Follow London Shh on twitter and facebook!

Follow London Shh... on twitter and facebook to find out about Shh events, news and secrets!

27 July 2010

The Story of London Festival 2010- 'Ahead of their Time' Event

London Shh...will be hosting an evening of hands-on activities on Tuesday 5 October 6-9pm at Benjamin Franklin House for The Story of London festival 2010- a celebration of London’s past, present and future. Visitors will be invited to discover the innovations of some of London’s most famous former residents. Representatives from each of the seven London Shh…houses will present their former residents’ groundbreaking ideas, inventions, works of art and music which helped shape our capital's future.  Activities including arts and crafts, experiments, talks by specialists and quizzes will be available for all to try in the beautiful setting of an atmospheric Grade I listed Georgian House. The evening is an ideal opportunity to uncover some of the capital's most innovative residents and their historic houses over a socialable after work drink. The event will be funded by Renaissance London.

Tickets: £5 per person, and include a glass of wine

Location: Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF

Booking details: Please visit http://www.eventsbot.com/events/eb112103358 or send a cheque made payable to London Shh to Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF

For more information contact Sally James, Benjamin Franklin House info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org

08 July 2010

Shh... We're having a garden party!

On 15 July, the Freud Museum is delighted to be hosting a Summer Party for London Shh…, a group Small Historic Houses which tell the stories of their fascinating and famous former residents.

Freud once observed "Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts." The garden at the Museum is particularly beautiful, especially at this time of year, when Freud’s beloved rose garden is in full bloom.

All are welcome to come along on the 15^th and discover his home in London, see his extraordinary study, crammed with exotic antiquities, the iconic psychoanalytic couch  draped in oriental rugs and walls lined with countless tomes. 

Tickets to this fundraising event will include a glass of Pimm’s on arrival and delicious canapés, so why not get some friends together and come and see why Freud loved his garden so much.

Also available on the night will be a pay bar, games, two new exhibitions and a fabulous raffle with prizes donated by each house.

Tickets cost £15 / £13 (concessions)

To book, please visit: http://shhgardenparty.eventsbot.com/ or send a cheque payable to London Shh to the Freud Museum20 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SX

For further information please go to www.freudmuseum.org

01 July 2010

Kids Get Crafty at Kelmscott House

“…a danger that the strongest and wisest of mankind, in striving to attain to a complete mastery over Nature, should destroy her simplest and widest-spread gifts, and thereby enslave people to them, and themselves to themselves…”William Morris, 1880

Young adventurers put their creativity into action using William Morris's most-loved design principles.  The half-term workshop was organised by volunteers at Kelmscott House, in what was a delightful sunny afternoon in one of London's greatest hidden treasures. Patterns in nature were translated into patterns in art – a contemporary reflection of Morris's methods. Ornamenting everyday objects also aptly demonstrated how both observation and art can enhance self-empowerment.

In the timeless spirit of the Kelmscott Press, participants designed their own book covers, ready to bind. They moved through three stages of production, which included an intriguing exploration of the gardens, folding their painted designs to witness the intricacy of repeated patterns, and using stamps to add a personal touch. This event is being planned again for the summer, so stay tuned!

02 June 2010

Summer Garden Party Tickets on sale now!

Thursday 15th July, 6-9pm

With spring (if not quite summer) well and truly here the London Shh... gardens are looking stunning!  To celebrate, as well as to do some much needed fundraising, we would like to invite you, our London Shh... supporters to a special evening of entertainment in the garden at Freud’s House. 

Tickets are £15/ £13 (concessions) and will include a free glass of Pimms and yummy nibbles.  If Pimms O’clock lasts longer than just one glass, never fear there will be a pay bar as well.

Buy tickets here.

12 May 2010

Behind the Scenes at the Museum

This three part mini series on BBC4 goes behind the scenes of three small museums in the UK to find out what makes them tick and how they work to keep ahead in the 21st century. 

The documentaries, made by Richard Macer, explore how the museums are striving to reach new and more diverse audiences. 

The first programme (13 May, 9pm) takes place at the British Commercial Vehicle Museum, the second at the Freud Museum (20 May, 9pm) and the third at the National Waterways Museum (27 May, 9pm).

Naturally London Shh... is key to the Freud Museum's efforts to attract new audiences, perhaps less familiar with the man and his work. 

Tune in to discover the people, politics and passions at the heart of these museums!  

For more information, see the BBC4 website or contact info@londonshh.org.uk 

17 March 2010

London Shh... defines 'Museum Chic'

The Times declares London Shh... houses as the place to go for up-to-the-minute interior design inspiration

‘From this day forward’ says Kaya Burgess of The Times Bricks and Mortar Supplement, ‘The Phrase ‘Museum Chic’ will be added to our vocabulary’.  ‘Fashion may be back in the grip of the 1980’s’ he says ‘but interior design is looking back much further, to simpler, less lurid times.  Six homes that once housed London’s most eminent residents (London Shh...) are now...an inspiration for trend-spotters’. You heard it here first!

09 March 2010

Time Out spills the beans on London Shh

 'Some of London's most fascinating museums are its historic houses - thanks to their famous former residents'  according to Time Out's article on London Shh this week (Time Out London, 11-17 March 2010).  London's critical guide to the arts, culture and going out in the capital features a double page spread on London Shh in their family friendly Around Town section.  Complete with stunning images of the interiors, collections, objects and famous residents, each of the houses is featured.   Natasha Polyviou sought out the hidden gems of London Shh, which she found variously 'secreted away in a courtyard' and 'preserved in an atmospheric little square'  and writes that each of the houses 'reveal reams about their one-time occupants and the impact they had on the capital'.

22 February 2010

Free Guided Tours at The Freud Museum

In response to recent requests from visitors, The Freud Museum will be offering free guided tours on the first Sunday in the month, starting on 07 March. The tour starts at 12.30 and will last approximately 40 minutes. You don't need to book, but places are limited, so best to get there a bit earlier.

In addition to the tour, visitors will be able to see the new exhibit, ‘Andy Hope 1930 at the Freud’, which opens 25 February 2010. It is the latest in the critically acclaimed ongoing series of Freud Museum exhibitions curated by James Putnam. The Berlin-based artist Andreas Hofer (b.1963) has created a new series of works ('Andy Hope 1930') for Sigmund Freud’s house that includes paintings, collages, sculptures and site-specific installations.

For more information about The Freud Museum, please click here.

26 January 2010

2 for 1 Offer

Until March 2010, all Listed Property Owners Club Members are eligible for 2 for 1 entrance to all London Shh... Houses! Take advantage of this offer and see where it all started for historical figures such as Freud, Franklin, and Handel. There are 6 houses to choose from, all within London, and each providing a distinct and memorable experience.

To visit a house, click on its name below for more information:

• Freud Museum
• Benjamin Franklin House
• Kelmscott House
• Dr. Johnson's House
• Handel House Museum
• Burgh House & Hampstead Museum

Bring a friend - just show your "Listed Property Owners Club" membership card at the door and their entrance fee is on us!

We look forward to seeing you!

11 November 2009

London Shh... goes live!

The launch of London Shh… and our new website took place last night, Tuesday 10 November, in the atmospheric surroundings of 300 year old Burgh House in Hampstead.  A host of guests from the heritage world, as well as the Deputy Mayor of Camden, Councillor Lulu Mitchell, and representatives of the Mayor of London’s Cultural Campaigns Office, heard architectural historian Dan Cruickshank give a rousing speech, outlining just why these hidden gems of London architecture should be brought out into the open.  Introducing the group, Kate Streeter, General Manager of Burgh House, spoke of the challenges facing small, independent historic buildings. With tiny staff teams and often little or no marketing budget, the London Shh... houses recognise that banding together could help to recession-proof their organisations, and introduce new audiences to their rich histories.

06 November 2009

London Shh... Official Launch: 10 November 2009

On Tuesday 10 November, London Shh... an organisation highlighting the capital's hidden gems will be officially launched at a champagne reception hosted by architectural historian, Dan Cruickshank.  The reception will take place at the stunning and atmospheric 18th century Burgh House in Hampstead.

During the evening, guests will be able to see an exhibition featuring the founding members of London Shh... (Freud Museum, Benjamin Franklin House, Dr Johnson's House, Kelmscott House, Handel House Museum and Burgh House) and staff from these properties will be on hand to answer questions about their houses and future plans for London Shh... 

Earlier this year, a BBC4 film crew began documenting the life of the Freud Museum for a programme to be aired in spring 2010.  The film maker, Richard Macer, has been following the development of London Shh... initiative and will be filming at the launch event, and doubtless joining us in a celebratory drink on the night!