Home

Explore Collections

Browse

Books
Archives

The Collections

Sir John Soane's Museum comprises his collections and personal effects, acquired between the 1780s and his death in 1837. Our collections contain many important works of art and antiquities, architectural drawings, historical volumes, historical architectural models as well as important examples of furniture and decorative arts.

Search The Collections

Advanced Search

return to Basic Search

General search

A Google style search across all fields

Title

Museum number

Searches by the Museum's Reference No. for an item, e.g. M470, Adam Vol 17/157, 4415

Name

Searches for names of people or organisations associated as creators of items

Earliest date

Search for items made on and after a date by entering the year in the Earliest date box. For items made in a specific year enter the same year in both Earliest and Latest date. Use both date boxes for items within a range of dates.

Latest date

Search for items made on and before a year by entering the year in the Latest date box. For items made in a specific year enter the same year both Earliest and Latest date. Use both date boxes for items within a range of dates.

Sort by

Collections

Use the checkboxes to choose which Collections the search will cover

Works of Art and Antiquities

Drawings

General text search

A Google style search across all fields

Title

Object Name

Artist

Earliest date

Search for works on or before a date by entering year in the Latest date box. For works made in a specific year enter the same year both Earliest and Latest date. Use both date boxes to search for works made within a range of dates.

Latest date

Search for works made on and after a date by entering the year in the Earliest date box. For works made in a specific year enter the same year in both Earliest and Latest date. Use both date boxes for works made within a range of dates.

Museum number

Searches by the Museum’s Reference No. for an item, e.g. M470

Materials

Provenance

The history of ownership prior to acquisition by Sir John Soane or the Museum

Sort by

You can choose whether to restrict your search to only those works for which we have images.

Only items with images

General search

A Google style search across all fields

Purpose

Hand

Searches for the draughtsman associated with the drawing

Search within set

Earliest date

Search for drawings made on and after a date by entering the year in the Earliest date box. For drawings made in a specific year enter the same year in both Earliest and Latest date. Use both date boxes for drawings made within a range of dates.

Latest date

Search for drawings on or before a date by entering year in the Latest date box. For drawings made in a specific year enter the same year both Earliest and Latest date. Use both date boxes to search for drawings made within a range of dates.

Reference number

Search by the Museum’s Reference No. for a drawing, e.g. SM 12/5/4

Sort by

You can choose whether to restrict your search to only those drawings for which we have images.

Only items with images

General search

A Google style search across all fields

Title

Creator

Property

Searches for all the archival items associated with a given property or building

Earliest date

Latest date

Search for items on or before a date by entering year in the Latest date box. For items made in a specific year enter the same year both Earliest and Latest date. Use both date boxes to search for items made within a range of dates.

Reference code

Searches by the Museum's Reference Code for an item.

Sort by

Archive order sorts records into the order they are arranged within the archive

You can choose whether to restrict your search to only those items for which we have images.

Only items with images

General search

A Google style search across all fields

Author

Title

Earliest date

Search for books published on and after a date by entering the date in the Earliest date box. Use both date boxes for books within a range of dates. For books published in a specific year enter the same date in both Earliest and Latest date.

Latest date

Search for books published on and before a date by entering the date in the Latest date box. Use both date boxes for books within a range of dates. For books published in a specific year enter the same date in both Earliest and Latest date.

Place of Publication

Publisher

Subject

Additional names

Notes

Searches for copy specific information such as binding materials and techniques, e.g. gilt lettering

Binding

Reference number

Searches by the Museum’s Reference No. for an item, e.g. 4115

Sort

You can choose whether to restrict your search to only those books for which we have images.

Only Books With Images

The Collections

Featured objects

In 2022-23 the Museum is restoring John Soane's drawing office where his architectural pupils worked and were trained in the profession, learning draughtsmanship and studying the classical language of architecture. Featured here are casts that surrounded and inspired them as well as items used in the Office.