Real Estate: Marylebone, London, Upper Bracket

Still time to wrap things up (so to speak) before Christmas. Hint, hint.

From Tatler, December 7:

Palatial Robert Adam-designed townhouse that was an embassy, a film location and the site of Wolf of Wallstreet-esque aristocratic debauchery is on sale for £75 million

18th century Marylebone mansion – 33 Portland Place – has served as an abode to everyone from The Earl of Abergavenny to convicted fraudster and socialite Edward Davenport

A historic Grade II listed home has been put on the market for the princely sum of £75 million. 33 Portland Place has endured centuries of interesting owners, scandals and even served as a backdrop for a classic Hollywood film. Built in 1775 by noted architect Robert Adam, and completed in 1779, the home was first owned by Colonel John Montresor, a military engineer and cartographer in America. The soldier recently made his way back to England after fighting in the American Revolution, where he lived in the house with wife Francine. After Montresor, the house was owned by several intriguing aristocrats including Sir Richard Bulkeley Philipps and The Earl of Abergavenny.

In 1892 Lord James Blyth, 1st Baron Blyth bought the house in 1892. At the time, he was director of W. & A. Gilbey & Company Prime Ministers Archibald Primrose and Herbert Asquith both dined at the house under Blyth’s ownership. Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert was also a popular fixture at the house....

....MUCH MORE

We haven't mentioned Robert Adam enough.

April 2023:
"Universalised Ugliness"

The author of this piece, Theodore Dalrymple (Anthony Malcolm Daniels, M.D.) writes with attention to both detail and to his surroundings, as one would expect from a British prison doctor and psychiatrist.

*****

The subject of this essay is, as Dalrymple points out, no starchitect but rather a very industrious professional designer. I thought we would have posted something on Robert Adam, the list of just the houses he designed runs to pages and pages but a quick search of the blog only turned up a couple references, one on Ogilvey's Rory Sutherland and his purchase of an Adam house (Gr.I) and one which was a mention of Adam's fireplace mantels.

They're nice mantels, even one from his time "in the style of" will set you back nearly $100,000 but that's pretty much all we have. And speaking of industrious, the list of articles, essays and opinion pieces by Dr. Daniels, just at the New English Review, has to be seen to be appreciated.

The Sutherland piece may be of interest, he is a raconteur's raconteur. December 2018:

Ogilvy's Rory Sutherland Has Some Thoughts