The Soane Museum and What Is To Come Of It?

Dr Bruce Boucher, Director, Sir John Soane's Museum

My title comes from an article published in The Builder in 1859, which summed up the puzzlement of the general public as to the purpose of Sir John Soane’s Museum. Sir John conceived of his house and museum as an academy for the enlightenment of the general public as well as a catalyst for the creation of new art by future generations, and he took the controversial step of promoting a private bill in Parliament to establish it as a new national museum in 1833. In so doing, Soane created challenges that successive trustees, curators, and the public have grappled with for almost two centuries. My talk will focus upon how these challenges were met as well as the synchronicity of between the rehabilitation of Soane’s Museum with the rehabilitation of his reputation as an architect.