Taking Care: Exploring the Building Archive at Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane, one of England’s greatest architects, built and lived in the Soane Museum more than a century and a half ago. It has been kept as it was since his death, displaying his collection of art, antiquities, models and drawings. This talk explore how the building itself has been cared for through the materials in the relatively unknown building archive.

Comprising materials such as dust, stones, nails and coloured glass fragments, the building archive collects the stuff that testifies to the life of a building – and how buildings transform over time. This largely unseen, yet constant care is what unifies museum professionals, particularly those committed to preserving architecture. In a lunchtime talk followed by a Q&A, Soane Museum Deputy Director and Inspectress Helen Dorey will lead a virtual tour through the building archive, telling the fascinating and moving story of the Soane Museum’s care.