A special programme of exhibitions, art and events marks 100 years since Leighton House opened as a public museum.
Described as Kensington’s own ‘national treasure’, Leighton House in Holland Park Road, London was once the home of Victorian artist and former president of the Royal Academy, Frederic Lord Leighton.
A new exhibition opening in October, Leighton House: A Journey Through 100 Years, will chart the museum’s transformation over the last century, using never-before-seen archive material and original photographs.
Safeguarded first by Lord Leighton’s neighbour and biographer, Emilie Barrington, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea acquired the house in 1926 and opened it as a public museum. It took on various forms throughout the 20th century including a children’s library and a theatre museum before careful restoration of its famed decor began in the 1980s.
Its diverse interiors have been the backdrop for several productions including Poirot, Spooks as well as music videos such as Spandau Ballet’s Gold and the Stranglers’ Golden Brown.
Other highlights for group visits
To mark the anniversary, contemporary artists will create new works for Leighton’s historic rooms. Ghost Objects: Summoning Leighton’s Lost Collection, a commission by artist Annemarieke Kloosterhof, will recreate four missing objects from the original collection as life-size paper replicas, including a carved shrine and large brass cistern.
After Leighton’s death in 1896 his collection was sold off and while many objects have been painstakingly recovered and returned, some remain missing.
Completing the autumn programme is the exhibition The View from Here: contemporary art from the Middle East and North Africa.
The celebrations will continue in spring next year with The Arab Hall: Past and Present, the first major show to focus on this unique room which was based on the 12th century palace of La Zisa, Palermo. The centrepiece of Leighton House reflects Leighton’s fascination with the Middle East and features tiles he collected from Turkey, Egypt and Syria.
Combine a visit with Sambourne House
Down the road is Sambourne House, 18 Stafford Terrace, once home to Victorian Punch illustrator and photographer Edward Linley. His extraordinary collection of 30,000 images, which inspired his cartoons, remain in the museum’s archive. The house appears much as the Sambournes left it and is considered a fine example of aesthetic design.
Daniel Robbins, senior curator of Leighton House and Sambourne House, said: “With a focus on contemporary voices while celebrating the historic richness of the interiors and collections, the centenary programme brings together every aspect of Leighton House that makes it distinctive, significant and still relevant 100 years later.”
Group tours and discounts
Groups can book a self-guided tour of both houses and parties of more than 12 people receive a discounted rate with group leaders given a free ticket.
To book, or for more information about Leighton and Sambourne House, visit www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/group-visits
