The Soanes at Home, Susan Palmer

Written by the Museum's Archivist, Susan Palmer, this book gives a fascinating insight into the social and domestic life of the Soane family. It paints a detailed picture of the Soane's houses at Nos 12 & 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields - how the buildings were heated, the servants' daily duties, what meals were cooked, wines purchased and teas drunk - even the fate of the family's pet dog. The family life with their two children - in many ways as difficult as modern offspring - is brought vividly to life and the below-stairs relationships of the servants are poignantly recorded. The evening whirl of visits to theaters and supper parties is chronicled, and the description of seaside holidays on the Kentish coast, when Margate was in vogue, depicts the social niceties of promenades and dances. Eighty-nine illustrations, mostly in colour, from the extensive Museum archive produce an enthralling view of this London family's life and surroundings. Complements Tim Knox's 'Sir John Soane's Museum London' to give the life behind the facade.