The Georgian London Town House

For every great country house of the Georgian period, there was usually also a town house. Chatsworth, for example, the home of the Devonshires, has officially been recognised as one of the country’s favourite national treasures – but most of its visitors know little of Devonshire House, which the family once owned in the capital. In part, this is because town houses were often leased, rather than being passed down through generations as country estates were. But, most crucially, many London town houses, including Devonshire House, no longer exist, having been demolished in the early twentieth century. This book seeks to place centre-stage the hugely important yet hitherto overlooked town houses of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, exploring the prime position they once occupied in the lives of families and the nation as a whole. It explores the owners, how they furnished and used these properties, and how their houses were judged by the various types of visitor who gained access. This book explores London town houses of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, considering the important position they once occupied in the lives of families, the capital, and the nation as a whole. Such buildings have not received the attention they deserve. Scholars have, to date, focused their efforts on the country houses which now form such a significant part of the heritage industry, not least because few town houses have survived. Some have left only fragmentary traces, while others have been completely destroyed and can now be recreated only on the basis of inventories and descriptive accounts. However, many of these buildings were designed or refashioned by the greatest architects of the day. They were lavishly decorated and furnished, and housed nationally – even internationally significant collections of works of art, books, manuscripts, and scientific and natural artefacts. Indeed, many owners concentrated their expenditure on and possessions in their properties in London, where they would spend large portions of the year. One section of this book looks at the processes of creation: the means by which these houses were designed, fashioned, furnished, and collections accumulated. The second focuses on subsequent display; on how these spaces were organised and their contents displayed for the benefit of the family, friends and visitors. These houses formed the backdrop to domestic lives, lavish social events, political machinations, and some even anticipated institutions such as the National Gallery in opening their doors and collections to members of the (respectable) public.