Apsley House, 2

Apart from the Prado, is there a room in any museum anywhere that has four (4) Velazquez paintings? The Louvre has none (0). And there are many more artworks at Apsley, most acquired, I conjecture, as a result of Wellington's command during the Peninsular War, when he and fellow Brits ridded Spain of the Bonapartes. Below is the merest sample. The picture gallery--the great hall--is hung floor to ceiling with works of the masters (not to mention the hinged Versailles-type mirrors).

Velazquez, A Spanish Gentleman

Velazquez, Two Young Men Eating at a Humble Table

Velazquez, Pope Innocent X; muy famoso

Velazquez, The Water-seller of Seville (reputedly the
one that led to Velazquez' appointment as court painter)

Three Jan Breughels

Guido Reni, St. Joseph

Never miss a Claude Lorraine

One of several Jan Steens, The Egg Dance

Steen, The Dissolute Household

In the great hall...$9mm cost over-run, in today's dollars

Equestrian

Josephine, too

Yet another

One of the annual celebratory Waterloo dinners

One of the great hall's mirror/windows

Among the Rubens...

Grand staircase

In the basement, much historical/military stuff

Departing a very impressive place

Apsley House, 1

With Apsley House, the Duke of Wellington's London abode, you get a three-fer: 1) a fine 18th-19th century urban great house, now maintained by English Heritage, 2) Wellington, victor of Waterloo and scores of lesser battles, long-time politician/statesmen and twice Prime Minister, 3) Wellington's truly priceless collection of art, much of which came as gifts from grateful foreign leaders. Consequently, our visit to Apsley will require two posts, especially to reflect Wellington's strange obsession with his French adversary. The house was designed originally by Robert Adam, but thoroughly re-done later, to Wellington's wishes, until a 300% cost-over-run brought the re-build to an end. English Heritage has a fine website on Apsley House, here.

Of course we had to stop by one of the royal abodes along the way

Entrance to Apsley House, just outside Hyde Park, astride
the Wellington Arch...

Atop the Wellington Arch

Throughout the house, mementoes of Waterloo and its annual celebrations

Also throughout the house, portraits and other mementoes
of Napoleon...

Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

Napoleon's army advances across the Danube to the battle of Wagram

Large room with fine porcelain, silver, gold, etc., largely gifts from
grateful European rulers who did not like Napoleon very much

Actually a table center-piece

Under the grand staircase, one of the real curiosities:
a more-than-life-size statue of Napoleon, commissioned by himself;
turns out Napoleon did not like it, and it somehow came to 
Wellington, to be displayed in perhaps the most prominent place
in the house

More Napoleon

Ditto

Not Napoleon

At this point, barely into the house, you're beginning
to wonder whose house it is...

The only depiction of Waterloo Wellington ever acquired (Sir
William Allan, 1843): "yes, not too much smoke" was Wellington's
comment; also "would look great over the stripey couch"

Assorted uniforms: he thoroughly mixed politics with military 
leadership throughout his long career, occasionally purchasing
rank or benefitting from the success of relations...his brother was
the Governor of India for a time, where Wellington had his first
great military successes (he much later described the Battle of
Assaye as his finest victory)(not Waterloo) 

Among the many life-sized portraits

Some more of the silver on display, another center-piece

Music room (?); pictures everywhere, not insignificant ones too
(see next post)

Crossness Engines, 2: The Engines; And More

After the introductory and educational phases of the tour, we donned our construction site hats and were led into the engine building itself, which is divided into several floors. The scale of the engines is overwhelming.

Study and master this explanation of how the engines worked...from
boiler to flywheel to arm to pump, etc.; alternatively you may watch
one of several YouTube videos, e.g., this one; definitely on the quiz

Now on the upper floor of the engine building, contemplating the
enormity of it all; two of the massive arms in view

Looking at one of the enormous flywheels and shafts

Now in the central area, all the paint and decor restored from the
opening in 1865; the four engines were named for the queen, the
prince consort, and two of their children

The decor on the columns and elsewhere manifests some great
Victorian humor: leaves and berries from various plants well known
for relieving constipation; and diarrhea

Metropolitan Board of Works

The original 1865 pumps were replaced with three pumps each--
allowing more efficient re-use of steam (see the video); the
original pumps could flush 6 tons of pee and poo per stroke;
even Trump would be impressed

Another of the four great flywheels

To be honest, it was the decor (and novelty) that first attracted us

Crossing

The four great arms weigh some 47+ tons each

Back in one of the education buildings, a map showing the extent
of Basalgette's colossal drainage system

The great man

The tour done, we are walking back by the Thames to Abbey Wood
and the train back to London and Pimlico; where we have encountered
the mother of all blackberry patches

It went on for a mile or more; unfortunately, the berries were guarded
by nettles here and there

In Abbey Wood, more British humor