The Good Doctor's House Museum and (63)

The mandatory plaque

There are some really significant and enjoyable small museums dotted around, specific and lovingly curated they offer something of a relief from the corporate generalist museums of the provinces or the machine quality of Kensington's 'big boys'.

They show the value of  something that can be close to an obsession for their founders.


This week after part 5 of the CityLit Intro to Tate Modern (more on that later) I  managed to find myself (by accident) at Dr Johnson's House Museum - the giant of the literary world's former home.

[Very nice Museum staff - I was able to take advantage of National Trust entry fee discount but not the age one!]

So this is a whatnot

A piece of history 

The house has many curios (so that's a whatnot) as well as quite a library - during the Second World War it was used by the Fire service and photo's show the firemen  in residence.

Barber remembered 

One of the reasons that there's the possibility to relate to Dr. Johnson is that his good friend Boswell wrote a biography of him  another key thing about him is that after the death of his wife and with no immediate heir he chose to leave most of his estate to  Francis Barber a former slave who became Johnson's servant and friend (this was in the 18th Century and the story reminded me about the later anti-slaverwork by Wilberforce).

A window in the house showing Johnson

A portrait of possibly former slave Barber.

Barber became a teacher and settled and worked in the Midlands near  Johnson's old  home and was a school teacher.

Doors

Not far from £80 now  (£79.64)

Moving forward with the doors..

Another tree, another door

This must be the jobbing builder's  default door