In this section, discover the highlights of Sir John Soane’s world-class collection.

One of the most successful British architects of his era, Soane was also a passionate educator, elected as a Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy in 1806. This provided Soane the initial motivation to collect: he states that upon his appointment “I began to arrange the books, casts, and models, in order that the students might have the benefit of easy access to them.” By the end of his life, Soane had amassed many thousands of objects. The articles below introduce the highlights of this extraordinary collection.

To learn more about the Museum’s collections, you can also browse the Museum’s collections online, or explore the Museum from home with our Highlights Film.