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Day Books

1791 - 1837
The Day Books record the details of the workings of Soane's architectural office on a daily basis. They cover the period from 1 January 1791 to Soane's death on 20 January 1837, with gaps where volumes have not survived between 16 April 1793 and 8 October 1794, 27 August 1795 and 27 March 1796, 22 October 1796 and 1 Jan 1797 and 20 April 1803 and 31 December 1805.

In January 1791 when the first surviving Day Book in the series opens, Soane's office was operating from Albion Place, inherited from his wife's uncle in 1790, but moved to Great Scotland Yard, Whitehall in April 1791 and again in January 1794 to a purpose-built office attached to the back of his newly rebuilt house at No. 12 Lincoln's Inn Fields. In 1808 the office moved from the back of No.12 Lincoln's Inn Fields to the back of No.13 Lincoln's Inn Fields.

Each day, Mondays to Saturdays, has a single page (half a page towards the end of the series when Soane's practice was winding down) on which are recorded in two columns any callers, messages left, letters written, drawings sent, any financial transactions and what each pupil or clerk was engaged on under the heading of the name of the client, to allow clients' bills to be made up at the end of the job, or under the heading 'Mr Soane' where the work was not to be billed to a client. Instances of work not billed to clients include training exercises for new pupils, and, from 28 March 1806 (DB/11), when Soane was appointed Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy, details of the numerous drawings prepared by the pupils to illustrate his annual lectures to the students of architecture at the Royal Academy.

Absences of pupils through illness or for public holidays are recorded, and, from 17 May 1806 (DB/11) the daily time of arrival of each pupil in the office, though this is patchy after 1818 (DB/18 onwards).

As with the Order Books (q.v.), financial transactions are lightly crossed through in ink after they have been entered into the Account Journal, which is recorded as being done periodically.

Entries are in the main in the hands of the pupils, with additions by Soane himself, often recording journeys undertaken or personal expenditure.

As with the Order Books (q.v.), each volume has a printed label affixed to the inside of the front board recording: 'This is the Property of Sir John Soane's Museum' usually signed by Arthur Bolton, Curator 1917-45. In addition, DB/30 has notes in Arthur Bolton's hand taped to the front free endpaper, detailing significant entries.

The volumes are parchment-bound, with inscriptions on the spines and front boards in black ink. The exceptions to this are DB/4, which has marbled-paper covered boards and a vellum spine; DB/17 which has red leather labels with gold borders on the spine and front board inscribed 'No.3/1815', and was presumably originally intended for another purpose, and Soane's own engraved bookplate affixed to the inside of the front board, probably by Arthur Bolton, Curator 1917-45; and DB/23-31 which are bound in dark brown leather with decorative blind stamping with the spines stamped in gold '1' to '7'.
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