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Preliminary designs and finished drawings for two alternative designs for an organ case for the music room, April-May 1781 (4)

Notes

Brettingham's music room was located on the parlour (ground) floor, on the south front, adjacent to the great dining room. It received a new ceiling by Adam in 1781 (Adam volume 14/77), and survived until the demolition of the house in the early twentieth century. There is no evidence as to whether any of Adam's other designs for the music room - including the organ case designs - were executed.

The contents of Cumberland House were sold at Christie’s in 1793, and this included two organs, but it is not known if either had a case designed by Adam. If an organ case had been executed according to any of these drawings it would have been Adam’s finest. According to Stillman the delicacy of this design (Adam volume 25/18) is typical of the mature Adam style, especially when compared with earlier organ case designs for Home House and Kedleston Hall.

Beard has noticed a slight resemblance between Adam’s designs for an organ case for Cumberland House, and James Wyatt’s (1746-1813) 1790 organ case for Heaton Hall, now in the Manchester City Art Gallery.

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Contents of Preliminary designs and finished drawings for two alternative designs for an organ case for the music room, April-May 1781 (4)