Opening up the Soane: A Triumph of Restoration

[@truthseeker444]

The mind boggles at the successive curators, who, given one brief "Do not change anything", set about making disastrous changes!

[@victorianidetch]

And doing it with such abysmal taste.

[@melodymacken9788]

Yes. I hope they are alive to see the repairs of the disaster they created.

[@herschelmayo2727]

Well, the English do have the precedent of the post mortum execution of Cromwell, so there's that option available.

[@rilesh8692]

Helen's passion for this project is clear and the monumental effort taken to return all of this history simply could not have been done without her! What an incredible asset she has been for the Soane.

[@SN-sz7kw]

For Soane - every night was overnight at the museum. What a lucky visionary man.

[@Norfolk250]

What part of "do not change anything" did the initial curators not understand?!?

[@KA-su9ww]

Soane was a genius and the modern day restorers are his apprentices,This a must see film it will take your breath away.

[@ohmindgobeyondyourlimitedp3846]

If you go to London, you must take the time to seek out this little museum, you will not regret it. Lovely, exciting, surprising and intriguing. I was there in 2012 without knowing what to expect and with insufficient time to relish its treasures. I will go there again as soon as possible.

[@Maryarosi]

It’s such a wonderful place.

[@TinaMarie869]

I am grateful for KZbin so I can see it because I will never be able to go to London or anywhere really

[@Maryarosi]

What a wonderful record of your fantastic restoration. Very uplifting to watch.

[@tardismole]

There aren't many who can say they have recreated a piece of art. This team can. The result is beyond magnificent.

[@Jude74]

I really enjoyed this series. We’re going to be in the UK in December and we’ve already added this museum to our list. Job well done to all involved.

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

Watching the guy with tiny column made me realise why I would never make a restorer. Whilst I understand the need to keep as much of the original as possible, the temptation to just level the broken piece off and stick it onto the new bit would have been overwhelming for me! Respect sir!

[@cornelia9778]

Wonderful restoration, wonderful film. Thank you. Bravo to the restoration team!

[@katherinep.8919]

This series is incredible. An unexpected side effect of watching it has been my growing hatred of James Wilde. The man was a menace.

[@divaden47]

Hear! Hear! It's unbelievable what he did, and one wonder's why he was permitted to make such radical changes and going against Sir John's wishes. Thank goodness such wonderful, detailed drawings and notes were left to enable the restoration to be done so beautifully.

[@raymondminnaert7363]

A real joy to see this series about the restauration of the Soane Museum. Being an art historian one could wish to see more of this kind of masterly done documentaries.

[@catchingthemoon]

Wow, beautiful.

[@creatifrankenstein]

The brown floral tapestry is so beautiful 🤩

[@Villanieux]

This series has been a joy to watch, and it's so fabulous to see the acknowledgement of the collaborative efforts of varied artisans carrying on traditional work, and how it really takes a village to get the best results. The Soane is now on my bucket list for when I visit England!

[@jeanhawken4482]

Wonderful effort

[@thomasdeansfineart149]

One of the glories of late-Georgian London. Something not to miss.

[@AndromedaG637]

Very interesting video, I had no idea how much restoration was done!

[@georgepbucklin189]

An absolute must when one has a day in Londo to pay a visit..it will be one of the most interesting,informative and worth while you have ever done..see it especially now!

[@museumoflosttime9718]

I absolutely love this film, I've always adored the house and I wasn't disappointed by this, well done, and thank you.

[@tomphoenix8697]

Magnificent insights into this walk-in work of art that is Sonae's house. Thank you!

[@Veronika-js8no]

Thank you! Can't wait for my next visit to London to step into this amazing museum!

[@Suz-e-K]

This is incredible. The restoration of the models was fascinating. Kudos to everyone who worked on this magnificent project 🎉

[@jamieknight326]

This is stunning. Thanks for sharing so much insight into what it takes to restore such a complex space!

[@tyeteames7192]

It is always comforting to know and understand that in so many museums, that admiration shall always take the best rooms as their own and totally disregard the wishes of the donor.

[@jenniferpeters3702]

Absolutely glorious. Will watch it again. Thank you.

[@jf7243]

What a fascinating documentary. Next I am in London (from Aus) I shall add it to my list! (The guilding of the frame and its manufacture was the highlight for me!)

[@golden1789]

Extraordinarily wonderful. As an Art Historian my favourite museum for over 30 years. Thank you so much for this magical tale.

[@cherylnagy126]

Invoking the concept, the belief in, magic ✴️

[@johngreally9599]

Wonder? Delight? Joy!

[@caseycragg8552]

Thanks very much for uploading these! Fascinating

[@SN-sz7kw]

One of the many charms of this type of series is the discovery of artisans & specialties I never knew existed. I might have gone to my grave ignorant of Cork Modellers. And been far poorer for it. Seriously.

[@victorianidetch]

Nicely done, what a labor of love for all.

[@satsumamoon]

I think they were paid.

[@j.d.4697]

What an unbelievable gorgeous place... 🥰

[@TheSchkings]

Loved this series. This is my absolute favorite museum in the world!

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

The amount of research and detail is mind-boggling!!

[@oldthudman]

Model makers often use a pressure pot to extract the bubbles.......There are professional Pressure pots and the kitchen kind (Pressure Cooker) that come in a number of sizes....

[@judycater2832]

Magical indeed. I’m looking forward to a visit to see the restorations. ❤❤❤

[@oseasviewer7108]

All due credit to the remarkable team whose energy, craftsmanship, skill and dedication breathed new life into a deservedly magnificent museum

[@gregoryburridge726]

I've added many a thumbs up to the comments and have enjoyed and profited from the video. It remains puzzleing however how people of such hightened devotion to taste , authenticity and refinement ,can acquiesce such a numbing wall to wall background music

[@megaswenson]

Elon Musk's channel is doing the same thing with the overwhelming music. It's too wearying to try to process what's being said, with the music screaming at me, and I won't watch any more of Musk's videos.

[@seattlebeard]

Big thanks to the filmmakers for doing such a lovely job on this program. :o)

[@Benjaminwolf]

Hopefully, I will be able to return to London to see this museum--among other things.

[@chriswitt2596]

I am just amazed at this series! It is wonderful to see this unfold wow

[@LitHouseTieDye]

It's funny how they just totally disregarded the order to not change anything. The person who dismantled the model room was really clueless though. That's like the alter to Soane's profession. Good job with the restoration. What a fun project though. From decades of folly from past curators a whole new generation of craftsmen and tradespeople got to experience the old ways to put it back. So that's alright then. 😀

[@wac8516]

shows how little those left in charge that he trusted cared of the man and hes wishes. also wondering if the robbery of paintings from here were done before or after all this work. they had up dated the security and had 2 or 3 paid guards on site where it took more then one step to get in plus there were points that guards could set off alarms had someone gotten in. BUT, one guard didnt do as he was suppose to and by passed these security measures so thiefs got in tied up guards and had most of the night to go around and cut paintings from frames and get away. i think crooks may have been dressed as cops and instead of calling the station to check on them being there they just let them in.

[@jeanhawken4482]

Such exciting research.

[@deirdregahansuttle5698]

Fantastic work.

[@satsumamoon]

Im curious, was Wilde ever reprimanded or penalized for destroying a whole section of a museum that he was entrusted to look after? Thats a whole story isnt it!

[@Shortfilmsyou]

I love a good diorama model. Phew wish my hands could churn out wonders

[@tsbrownie]

"Familiarity breeds contempt," seems to apply to some curators.

[@heaven-is-real]

Who cut the model of Pompeii in half? Outrageous.

[@cherylnagy126]

fortunate that the crafting skills continue to be practiced

[@leemackie8434]

Thank you so much for this 💗👏👏💕🇦🇺🇦🇺💗💗💗💗💗💗💗👏👏👏👏👏

[@GodzHarleyGirlStudio]

Why would someone change everything when the agreement was clearly to leave it as is, but conserving it.

[@UNUSUALUSERNAME220]

Thank you for addressing the Elephant in the room! At what point did someone (or per-usual by committee) decide that ripping this down or throwing away that, or covering this up would be hunky-dory? The hubris associated with making that assessment was apparent! Considering the fact that they eventually came around to doing it all over again, who paid that bill? If it was through donations fine, but if the tax payers flipped the bill, I would be right peeved!

[@Roheryn100]

@@UNUSUALUSERNAME220 Funding is mentioned at the end of the credits, as well as being freely available elsewhere online. No need to get your knickers in a twist - the museum has an large overseas Friends association who fund-raise, especially in the USA.

[@laurenglass4514]

I wonder with his bequest why they were allowed to ruin it

[@MCML50]

It would be interesting to know, are this paintings originals or copies? some of them are sitting on the wall with light from outside, do not they get damaged from the light? I really like this videos well dun.

[@randygeyer7673]

My eyes are welling up.

[@bananaboxcmi]

Was their anything James Wild didn't destroy?

[@MariaTorres-hc5uq]

Now that's what I call "hoarding" with a purpose! 😃

[@richardoleary4516]

I agree that the main structure should be returned to its original design. But maybe sone objects, like the plaster mouldings of arches, could be left in their current state. They're part of the buildings history and should represent what the building has been through in the last 200 years

[@satsumamoon]

Having entire rooms removed was also part of its history .

[@luisnieves8242]

what a shame that people dismantled and or destroyed what was to be kept exactly as the owner left it.

[@debhurd8898]

I wonder what they were thinking to have done that?

[@rebekahbrown4052]

So just how does someone get into cork modeling

[@satsumamoon]

He was bored one rainy afternoon and discovered his fathers scalpel collection in the basement next to the wine cellar.

[@blippityblop2767]

What was up with Wilde? It’s bizarre. I would love to hear what his reasoning was.

[@nexussever]

Does anyone know who did the narration? Whoever it is, he sounds like Stephen Frye.

[@kaibab58]

whoever it is he can't say Soane.

[@paulinemegson8519]

No he doesn’t. Stephen Fry has a deeper voice, and a different delivery…..this guy is a little awkward in places. Just because the guy has an RP accent and is male doesn’t mean they sound at all alike.

[@epluribusunum1460]

Would Victoria and Albert have visited Soane’s home, before or after his death?

[@Roheryn100]

Not likely. They didn’t visit private homes unless they were upper aristocracy. Soane wasn’t.

[@bobolpatrick3789]

c'est passionnant

[@missmurrydesign7115]

Delicious...

[@mikef.1000]

I hope measures are in place to stop people pilfering objects! To say nothing of wretched 'activists' gluing themselves to a painting...

[@cherylkurucz8852]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@daghusebye5041]

🤩🤩🤙

[@Odo55]

Rabbit skin glue ?

[@tinarennett9041]

Looking at the items in the basement especially the placement of the sarcophagus wondered if he was a Freemason and indeed on 1 December 1813 he was initiated into the newly formed United Grand Lodge of England. I know no one will like what I have to say but I think there’s more to why he collected and displayed what he did than meets the eye; perhaps there was a reason beyond practicality why some things were removed or closed off.

[@amhellbent]

i went there in august 2019 and some parts were downright creepy.

[@satsumamoon]

Au contraire, it sounds interesting. I wish youd said more.

[@TheFiown]

Whatever they did to the museum and it's rooms is nothing compared to demolishing the Bank of England !

[@belledobson2007]

I am totally shocked and disgusted that the early curators thought they could go against the wishes of the man who gave this treasure to the people of Britain and destroy the buildings and artefacts he left.

[@cherylnagy126]

exhibits a surgeon's skill

[@paulohmsen]

Seti's sarcophagus should be with him.

[@invinciblecucumber]

The fact that he had ancient Egyptian sarcophagus in his basement is truly despicable and sickening testament of British imperialism and cultural destruction of other nations.

[@Roheryn100]

There are Egyptian artifacts all over Europe, from St.Petersburg to Lisbon. “Imperialism ” was not unique to Britain.

[@DBZluvz]

the only thing i think they should've done was to return Seti the 1st sarcophagus to Egypt where it belongs, far too many Egyptian artifact's where stolen from them and should be returned.

[@satsumamoon]

Llowan?? What an unusual pronunciation !

[@larrysorenson4789]

One can hope that any antiquities of questionable provenance will be repatriated.

[@cawfeedawg]

wealthy dead hoarders. meh.

[@floraposteschild4184]

Maybe you'll learn what Soane did one day.

[@ericastier1646]

While i admire the crafts and craftsmen this spirit of restoration is going too far. I think creating anew in similar style and same technique is more praiseworthy than finicking with glueing missing bits. That is why i like most the parts of this documentary that recreated objects from scratch like the wallpaper, that is absolutely remarkable. In contrast the plaster miniature temple models restoration with columns made of part old broken parts and new casting is ridiculous, it's wrong. The artist should be respected by allowing him to make the whole thing new.

[@twochunkydivas]

Who did these people think they were? Destroying a space that was given with the intent that it was to remain the same. Now they’re having to spend SO MUCH MORE to restore what they carelessly threw away.