Abstract
The IET Archives hold a collection of drawings produced by a firm of consulting engineers, founded in the latter part of the nineteenth century, called Lucas & Pyke. Every drawing in this collection had been catalogued until there was a recent discovery of a small uncatalogued folder containing Lucas & Pyke drawings that had been deposited shortly after the initial donation which had been made in 1976. The newly discovered folder includes a watercolour and many other light fitting drawings, mostly related to a property called The Tower House in West London.
Prior to the First World War, the firm’s work was mainly concerned with the design of mechanical and electrical services for many of the famous houses in Great Britain, along with companies and for several well-known theatres in London and the provinces. In the inter-war years, the scope of the practice became wider whilst still acting for many of their pre-war clients and continuing to design mechanical and electrical services for further great houses in Britain and France.
Most of the newly discovered material relates to a refurbishment project at The Tower House that was undertaken in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Tower House, 29 Melbury Road, is a late-Victorian townhouse in Kensington and Chelsea, London, built by the architect and designer William Burges as his home. It was designated as a Grade 1 listed building in 1949.
Designed between 1875 and 1881, in the French Gothic Revival style it was described by the architectural historian J Mordaunt Crook as, “the most complete example of a medieval secular interior produced by the Gothic Revival, and the last”.
The house was built by the Ashby Brothers, with interior decoration by members of Burges’s long-standing team of craftsmen. By 1878 the house was largely complete, although interior decoration and the designing of numerous items of furniture and metalwork continued until Burges’s death in 1881.
Following a period when the house stood empty and suffered vandalism, it was purchased and restored, first by Lady Jane Turnbull, later by the actor Richard Harris and then by the musician Jimmy Page. The house is beautifully adorned, with the principal rooms having themes such as time, love and literature. Most of the original furniture is now displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum and The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, including The Great Bookcase and the Golden Bed.
This important property is an incredible feat of engineering and design, showcasing an incredible commitment to detail and beauty. Throughout the life of this house, it has been an inspiration to its owners, capturing their hearts and proving itself to be a “stairway to heaven"
