Opening up the Soane: Restoring the Recesses 

I know what happened to those 5 missing stained glass panels. My grandfather was a carpenter, some time in...the 1950s I think, he was working on a house where the people were ripping out all the "gloomy old stuff." Including stained glass, which they saw as outdated. They just wanted them removed and disposed of. My grandfather took 3 of the little panels home and set them into the little window holes in his front door. A lot of people who work on old houses do that. Because even if the people who hired you don't care about those details, you're a pro and they mean something to YOU. If anyone ever really wanted to locate those panels, all they'd need to do is look up the names of the workmen, then go to the homes they were living in when the work was done. You'll see them there, lovingly installed in their happy new homes by someone who really cared. I'd bet money that's where they are, lol.

There's nothing more disappointing, or outrageous, than covering up the original architecture of a historical building in the making of a museum. Fantastic to see this restored.

Characterizing James Wilde’s alterations as “ill-advised” is a masterly understatement.

This has to be the best £7,500,000 worth I've ever seen. What a sterling achievement.

For me, not an art enthusiast, it’s not so much the art that intrigues me, but the process of the restoring of said art. Love this series.

Absolutely loved this, especially the latter part about the recreation of the charity window. I amalso so impressed that the film was filmed, directed and edited by one man, well done Jonathan Crane.

As amazing as the museum is, it would be hard to continue its care without the skill and dedication of the archivist and the young person working on the painted glass windows. What an inspiration.

Fascinating film. Admire the care & attention to detail from all involved. Many thanks Soane Museum. I'll pay a trip when all this is over.

As a fellow conservator and Restorer, these processes which are unique and difrent to every project are fascinating.

The stained glass panel recreation was so informative and delightful! I had always wondered how historical painting on stained glass worked. I also loved how the pigments were stored in an old Glenfiddich tin! I really appreciated this insightful look into the world of restoration and creation.

This is extraordinary. If I ever make it to England, this is a no-brainer.... just like the guy who rearranged all this stuff that you had to restore...

Bravo Mr Tim Knox to have had such an amazing vision and to have Ms Helen Dorey and Ms Sue Palmer, who probably know more about the Soane collection than anyone, on hand!

I accidentally watched this series in reve rse order. Still speechless. What a remarkable piece of art. The words restoration and recreation do it no justice. I am utterly beyond words.

This series is beautiful, so much love for craft from both the film maker and the crafts people. Great job!

The respect shown to Sir Soanes is impressive. I really enjoyed all videos which are instructive and riveting. Thank you

Thank you to the benefactors for honoring his wishes while we enjoy history.

love restorations like this, very faithful restoration

What an excellent, insightful and well-made documentary!

Would loved to have met this man.I love brilliant minded men. This museum is stunning

Talented people. Amazing...

Yay!! Happy ending! 🎉 Man saved the glass window ❤

Amazing. Such dedication, such commitment. What a marvellous result.

I love these episodes. :)

What a fabulous project - seen three prior videos and this is so wonderful. Thank you to all involved for bringing this back to how it should be for eternity! You Brits sure have an attention to historical detail and a wonderful appreciation of it! Bravo! You all should be so proud of your efforts. And kudos to all craftspersons who used their unique skills and talents to bringing each aspect of this project to fruition! And note the amazing penmanship of the handwriting in those historical books. That is a lost art these days!

Thank you! Utterly priceless and inspiring.

I cannot imagine how furious Sir Soane is.

I thoroughly enjoyed this entire series, and I learned so much. It's so well done. I love the x-ray views.

Respect for the past has been chosen wisely

Bravo to this curator. How dare he!

Beautiful

James Wilde needed to do something else with his life. He had no business being anywhere near any museum, let alone the treasure that is the Soane.

Happy that they were able to restore it but why didn't they adhere to Sir John's original paper stating NOT to make any changes to it??? Luckily this building is in the UK where you can still find these amazing craftsmen to recreate so much of his possessions.

It just floors me that people would simply ignore the stipulations made when the museum was gifted ... James Wilde must've had a god complex to have just come in and started tearing things out

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

It's unfortunate this series of videos is not numbered in any way (except in the vidos themselves,) so they can be watched in correct order. That is very sloppy, coming as they do from a British museum. It's a good documentary but whoever uploaded them to RU-vid left out this critical organizing detail. The sequence I was able to determine is: (1) Restoring the Recesses; (2): Restoring the Private Apartments; (3): A Triumph of Restoration. Watched in this order, they make much more sense. Peace.

I hope that all the paper documents have been digitized and stored off-site, just in case.

Thank the gods that self proclaimed 'de-clutter' consultant were unknown in the 18th century.

Sorry Sir Soane

With the special attention to Shak(e)speare, and with Soane having the need to leave his house exactly as it was (and with Thornton maybe trying to erase crucial clues) couldn't his whole house (the way he wanted it to be left) be a puzzle (like Shakespeare)? With some hidden message for us to find out? Those glass panels for example of Paul, Matthew, Luke and John, in Shakespeare's alcove, they have clear lines that cross at certain points. With Shakespeare that's important. What do they point to? And why isn't Mark there? I might simply not have noticed, but such things could be crucial. I really wonder, could the whole house be meant as a sort of masterpiece in the mind of Soane to convey a certain message that was important to him? Could... of course, anything could..... but the combination of things in this Soane house makes me wonder. Really curious what the lady who has done all the research for all these years and didn't like Thornton with his loo, thinks about this.

That former curator basically vandalized the museum.

17:24 It literally shows that it's a mixture of water and vinegar(acetic acid) which the person who wrote the script being read clearly does not know that acetic acid and vinegar are basically the same thing. Sloppy copywriting with the script.

In a niche for Shakespeare one would expect stained glass characters from his own plays, not from religious fictions. Discordant to say the least. Offensive and decadent as well.

If you don't beleive steel moves you need to be in a different job.

As an American who appreciates the ancient history of the UK I found so much of this video insufferable. The amount of snobbery demonstrated by most of the Soane employees (?) was distracting to the wonderful building and collection. I am now going back to watch an old episode of Time Team, now was is a great show.

The villa in Hamburg is the Jenisch Haus, isn’t it?

Why on earth was James Wilde allowed to make such disastrous changes?

Well done, chaps: skills to do the necessary. You might enjoy Dolcedo Art of the Thunderbolt 2 videos about an ongoing gallery.

Thank you for uploading these!

A fascinating and well-made documentary!

I seems as though the recesses were sacrificed to make room for the skylight for the ante room. That particular curator was more concerned with his own vision than curation.