The Linley Sambourne House

Today, I had the unique opportunity to take a trip to the house that Victorian cartoonist/artist Linley Sambourne lived in. Sambourne was an artist for Punch magazine, and completed many political cartoons that are pretty well-known. I found this house signficant not because an arguably well-known artist lived there, but because it is the only house in London that provides an accurate representation of how a middle-class Victorian family lived.

I bet you're saying something along the lines of, "Come now, Darrion, this can't be the only Victorian middle-class representation in London." While that may be true, I will insist on the Linley Sambourne house being the most accurate representation, as everything down to the furtniture and books have remained virtually untouched.

Our tour guide explained all facets of this breathtaking house, including the type of furniture and wallpaper that adorned it. Inside, one would marvel at the Japanese influence of the time, as much of hte furniture and trinkets were from Japan. This is significant because around 1850, Japan had opened itself up for exploration by outsiders, so Japanese products became a commodity.

Additionally, this house contained furniture that was made of the finest material (oak for the dining room, brass for the beds, etc.). This shows that the Sambourne's, though middle-class, had to stay with the times and have the latest style in their home. In fact, one dresser was valued at 65 pounds, which would be about 3250 pounds today (our tour guide told us to multiply by the Victorian prices by 50 to get an accurate view of how much it would cost now). This wasn't a wallet-breaking purchase either, as Sambourne made roughly 2,000 pounds annually for his work. (note: the Sambourne house costs 2,000 pounds, so Linley spent half a year's paycheck to aquire it; his father-in-law was a wealthy stockbroker and paid the other 1,000.).

As one travels throughout this luxury home, one can gain a clear view of what life was like during the Victorian period for a typical family. Though living inside of his means was important, it's clear that the Sambourne's didn't struggle. However, when compared with the gaudy houses built by his 40,000 pound a year-earning colleagues, Sambourne's lifestyle seemed mediocre.

If you actually tour this place, though, it's hard to view this mult-level house as average. Thus, based upon the alternate lifestyles of both Sambourne and his comrades, it's clear to see that middle and upper-class Victorian families were very materialistic. This actually speaks volumes about the society in general, as Victorians were very adamant about appearances (take the structure Tower Bridge for example).

Victorians of the time wanted to eradicate the former way of living and forge their own identity. By cultivating and implementing their own style into Victorian architecture, they were able to forge that identity with ease. All one needs to do is visit the Sambourne house to support that claim.

Overall, the visit to the Linley Sambourne house was very interesting and very informative. Not only did I finally get to see at least one accurate representation of the past, but I learned much about the era that went beyond teachings in books and beyond the surface level. If you ever have the chance, I recommend this site for a true representation of one of London's greatest eras.

Darrion