Kristian Mercer

Kristian's Rarefied Regency Tour
Day Three: London - the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)

I love the V&A. It's just that simple. Turning me loose there is a little bit like allowing a child to wander through a toy store--there's so much I want to see, so much to absorb, so much great stuff in the museum shop!

But I digress. For those of you who may not have had the opportunity to visit, the V&A is a museum devoted to the decorative and applied arts. In other words, it is an absolute treasure trove of what people created, what they found beautiful--how they lived. There are hundreds of galleries, devoted to stained glass, to paintings, to sculpture, to clothing and textiles...

And then there are the British Galleries. According to the guidebook I purchased, the galleries "display the V&A's unrivalled collection of British design and art from the Tudor period to the Victorian era" (for more information, see Dinah Winch's The British Galleries, 1500-1900).

Wow. Who could resist? I headed straight for the galleries devoted to 1760-1900. And when I stepped inside, I had to stop and catch my breath. There was the library cabinet I wanted for my hero, there was my heroine's favorite chair, there was the silver tea service they would have used...basically, there was something amazing everywhere I looked.

Fortunately the V&A allows photography, as long as you disable the flash. I took over 100 photos, and I would have snapped more if I hadn't run out of time. The objects on display are that fantastic. Here, for example, is a panel designed by Robert Adam for the Glass Drawing Room of Northumberland House. Yes, that's right - a room panelled entirely in glass. Can you even imagine how magnificent it must have looked, glittering and golden in the candlelight?

Well, if you're like me and you need a little help visualizing, the V&A created a miniature of the Glass Drawing Room in 2001. This replica, shown here on the right, really gives a sense of the grandeur of Georgian interiors--not to mention a better understanding of how richly ornate was Adam's neoclassical ornamentation. The accompanying description noted how the detail flowed from the ceiling to the walls, and was even mirrored in the pattern of the carpet.

The galleries were devoted to far more than furniture. I was fascinated by the display in this photo, which represented the "elegant pursuits." On the far left, at the bottom, is a work box for needlework; it dates from about 1815. In the middle is a firescreen. At first glance it looks as if it had been covered with beautiful embroidery, but that is really a design created from rolled paper. And finally, on the far right, take a look at the gorgeous floral arrangement under glass. I was stunned to learn that the "flowers" in the vase aren't flowers at all - but an artful arrangement of seashells collected from all over the world. So this was how Regency women were expected to spend their time!

Well, I could have spent all day in the galleries, but I also wanted to check out the special exhibit on James "Athenian" Stuart. This was a real treat, as Stuart was a contemporary of Sir John Soane and was responsible for a large portion of the interior design in Spencer House. A brilliant, visionary designer, Stuart's study of Greece led him to pioneer the Neoclassical movement in England. His designs graced a number of stately homes--including Kedleston Hall, which I really wanted to visit--but he was also quite a character. His employers often complained of his tardiness in executing work, and his later years were marred by rumor and ill health.

Of course my visit would not have been complete without a turn 'round the gift shop. I found some great books, plus some postcards of men and women in Regency dress. My journal sums up this visit in one word: blissful.

Recommended reading: 18th Century Buildings and Interiors
The British Galleries, 1500-1900, by Dinah Winch