Dance's design for the front of East India House was probably made in 1796 when the East India Company, having grown out of the building designed for them by Theodore Jacobsen in 1726-9, acquired property on the east side of the building and were thus able to expand. Richard Jupp had been the Company's Architect and Surveyor since 1768 but the Directors, uncertain whether he was up to the mark, asked for suggestions from some of the leading architects: Henry Holland, Dance, Wyatt and Soane. Soane's name was dropped after Jupp objected, being fearful that the ambitious young man would in some way gain the commission for himself. Meanwhile, Jupp wrote to the Directors imploring them not to pass him over and adding that 'in the designs of the building... I have not only exerted my utmost ability, but I have taken the judgement of those Architects of eminence whom I know are my friends, that I might give to the designs that simplicity and dignity which a building of that magnitude demands' (letter of 5 August 1796 quoted in Stillman, 1988, p.422, from India Office Records, E/i/95, fol.60-60b). Jupp's request was agreed to, he was asked to prepare designs and, on 23 September 1796, was directed to carry them out. He did so until his death on 17 April 1799 by which time construction was substantially complete and Holland was appointed to finish the interior of the building. The credit for the design of the exterior has been given to Holland: his 'alleged participation in its design must be regarded as unsubstantiated' (Colvin p.567) but the elevation labelled by George Bailey (Soane Museum curator 1837-60) 'Henry Holland Archt. / 1796' ([SM 13/6/3]), while neither signed nor dated, hardly differs from the executed design.

Jupp's misgivings about Soane were justified, as can be seen in letters to and from Dance [SM Priv.Corr.III.J.12.1-10]:
If I had the dimensions of the present house / & the extents of the Ground I should be tempted to / amuse myself can you tell me how to get them without / going to Leadenhall Street (No.2, 17 June 1796, Soane to Dance)

I know of one rule that comprehends / all moral duties, do as you would be done unto. / Under the influence of this principle I cannot do what you desire, I feel that I ought not. / ... I wish / from my soul you wou'd not add to the / mortification of the individuals - you do / not want such means to forward your / reputation ... I am sure you will not / conceive that any motives that relate in / the smallest degree to myself activate me / in offering you this advice - at any rate / let me not have anything to do with it ... (No.3, not dated Dance to Soane)

Dear Soane / If you do nothing but what you will reflect / upon hereafter yourself without wishing it undone / there can need no justification of your conduct to any one / especially to me who profess a sincere regard for you. I / am strongly impres'd w^h the idea that you are wrong to / pursue this thing w^h so much heat; and as your real / Friend I am bound to tell you my sentiments - if you persist I / think I foresee more mischief as to the opinions of the world / than you are now aware of - I am sure no good can arise / from it and I cannot help being persuaded you are too warm / to view the subject w^h that sort of impartiality necessary / to a cool & wise determination - "Oh Gentle Son, upon the Heat and flame of thy distemper Sprinkle cool patience" / there is nothing in what has pass'd to touch your character; / rather the reverse, his fear of you is a high Compliment / and it is perfectly natural that a man in his situation / shou'd take every step in his power to defend himself from what / he fear'd - Now how in the name of common sense can this / transacton affect your character unless it tends to / increase its consequence - I am aware that you / suspect he has been urged & prompted from advice / of those who are not friendly to you but if that be true / I am clearly of opinion you should hold your head high / enough to overlook, not stoop to examine w^h microscopic / nicety - there is nothing to be gain'd but a contest / unworthy of you, replete w^h all that is disagreeable. / I am alone, shall not stir from home and wish you / wou'd eat with me at 5 O'Clock if you are still / a miserable Bachelor - it will be charity to / Your true & sincere Friend / Geo:Dance / Tuesday 20 Septr.96 / Upper Gower St. (No.10)

Dance's wise and diplomatic advice is admirable. No doubt it could have been offered to Soane on any number of occasions. The quotation 'Oh Gentle Son ...' comes from the speech of Hamlet's mother to her son.

Drawings
The puzzle is why these three drawings were made. If Dance's first drawing ([SM 13/6/1]) existed on its own, it might be seen as a friendly gesture in helping Jupp to achieve a front of 'simplicity and dignity'. Jupp's mention of taking 'the judgement of those Architects of eminence whom I know are my friends' conjures up a picture of the kindly Dance drawing out his own solution for the older man's benefit. But then why the highly finished elevation ([SM 13/6/2]), not drawn by Dance but with revised details that must have been authorised by him? Then, there is the finished elevation ([SM/13/6/3]) of Henry Holland's design drawn to the same scale as [SM 13/6/2] but by another hand and virtually the same as the executed design. All three drawings are now filed in Soane's (not Dance's) collection but George Bailey's inventory of January 1837 (Ab,p.328) lists a 'Rough Sketch of a design for the Front of the / East India House in Leadenhall Street / Fair drawings of ditto' as among the contents of slider 4 of Dance's drawing cabinet (see 'Provenance of the Dance drawings in the Soane Museum', p.21). Walter Spiers's inventory of 1907 (D, p.93) gives three drawings for East India House, 'a Sketch and Drawing by / George Dance and a Drawing by Henry Holland'. However, A. T. Bolton's 'Catalogue of Drawings forming part of the / Architectural Library / as reorganised 1917-25' (p.24) has them with Soane's own designs in drawer 13/6, where they are now.

Soane wrote (1831, p.54) 'In 1796, the Court of Directors of the East India Company determined to make considerable additions and alterations in the India House ... I had the honour to be named by the chairman (Mr. Scott), as were Mr. Dance, Mr. Holland, and Mr. Wyatt ... to make Plans for the intended Improvements, but without any eventual prejudice to the Company's Surveyor, the late Mr. Jupp ...' Now if Soane's account is to be trusted, the architects were asked for drawings and perhaps the second of Dance's elevations and Holland's elevation were made for the Directors. Wyatt's may be lost or he may have decided not to bother and Soane, of course, was excluded though this did not stop him from making designs both in 1796 and later. In 1799, after Jupp's death, the Surveyorship came up again and Cockerell, Holland and Soane were candidates. Soane's description of the ballot (p.55) and its publication so many years later shows his tenacious and unforgiving nature. As Soane went through Dance's drawings in the two months between their arrival at his home and his own death on 20 January 1837, what mixed feelings they must have conjured up for him.

Filed with the three drawings catalogued here are seven of Soane's variant designs for East India House, drawn by Soane office hands and dated 1796 and 1798 ([SM 13/6/4-10]).

For other drawings by Soane for East India House see [SM 61/6/1-17; vol.62, 24-6; vol.69, 24-5. See also Soane, 1831, pp.55-6.

LITERATURE. J. Soane, Designs for public and private buildings, 1831; D. Stroud, Henry Holland, 1966, pp.140-41; Stroud pp. 176-7; D. Stillman, English Neo-classical architecture, 1988, vol.2, pp.422-4; G. Darley, John Soane, 1999, pp.133-5.