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From: Wendy Hawksley
<gw @ whawksley. fsnet. co. uk> 
Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 
 

We were in London a few weeks ago and took a few photographs of The Studios at Tite Street for you. Unfortunately we met with a number of problems. The road is quite narrow, there were quite a few cars parked (obscuring the view) and the adjoining property (no. 31- we assume) seems to have been very recently demolished (note scaffolding on left side). The light on the day we took these was also very poor. Despite the fact that we hoped to send you much better images. We have decided to send these somewhat poor ones to you anyway - as you might still find them of some personal interest. 

Kind Regards,  
 
 From: "A Tite Street Resident"
<name and e-mail requested withheld> 
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005

I am a resident of Tite Street and came across your [webpage] when I was looking for some info about the street.  I thought you might like to know that number 31 is actually John Singer Sargent’s residence.  The scaffolding you see is actually the current owners restoring the house to its original state.  Previous owners had taken the four storey building of number 31 and converted it into five stories by putting a mezzanine across the studio room (and its window) and adding a mansard (removing the original gabling).  The new owner has reproduced the gabling and restored the inside to its original four storey state (almost complete).  Another resident of Tite St (also a famous artist) had the original columns from Sargent’s studio put into his own studio when they were removed for the conversion of 31 to five storeys.  These columns have apparently been replicated and the reproductions are being used in the restoration of number 31.

In addition, number 29 Tite St, which was demolished, I think in the 70’s, is being rebuilt by the owners of number 31 and behind it’s  facade numbers 29 and 31 will be a single dwelling.

John Singer Sargent I believe lived at 31 (the house had a “blue conservation plaque” prior to the remodeling, but his studio was 33.

If you are REALLY REALLY interested, the plans for the changes the new owners are making (and possibly even their names if you go far enough back) are available from the planning office.  The planning office is located through www.rbkc.gov.uk - you can find all the approved plans in outline (very vague) online, but the exact detail is in paper form only.

Hope you find  this of interest.

(Editor's Note --  Michael Del Priore, in his letter of  July 2004, told me the new owner is Lady Rothchild.)  

Notes 
Special thanks to Wendy & Gordon Hawksley of Sheffield, England, friends of the JSS Gallery, for sending me these images.  
 

• See Tite Street Studio