Described by David Hockney as “one of the world’s top five experiences”, Dennis Severs’ House, located in Folgate Street in historic Spitalfields, gives a fascinating insight of how a home in this area may have been used and furnished during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Created from the wondrous imagination of owner Dennis Severs, this Georgian home, which Severs bought in 1979, tells the house’s invented but entirely plausible history. Purchased as a building in need of much renovation, it provided the history enthusiast with a blank canvas with which to weave and play out its story. It embroiders the life of the devised Huguenot silk weaver Jervis family who lived at the house from 1725 to 1919. Severs’ friend, historian Dan Cruikshank, stated “It was never meant to be an accurate historical creation of a specific moment – it was an evocation of a world. It was essentially a theatre set.”.
The house contains an eclectic mix of period pieces and home-made props. Indeed, the majestic and entirely convincing four-poster bed, which Severs slept in, was created from pallets and polystyrene.
Sadly, Severs passed away in 1999, however, his ideas continue to influence the visitor experience; last year, an extensive collection of cassettes recording Severs’ thoughts, ideas and tours were discovered at the property. This fascinating and insightful record has been used to create reworked tours of the house, which are conducted by actors.
Eminent London historian Peter Ackroyd describes the journey through 18 Folgate Street as “a journey through time; with its small rooms and hidden corridors, its whispered asides and sudden revelations, it resembles a pilgrimage through life itself.”. We cannot recommend a visit to this wonderful and unique museum highly enough.