The seven wonders of the Geffrye Museum

Tea drinking became popular in England in the second half of the seventeenth century and was all the rage amongst the middle classes. In fact, Dr Samuel Johnson publicly declared himself to be a ‘hardened tea drinker… whose kettle scarcely has time to cool’. Having a silver teapot such as the one above was a mark of status and wealth, indicating how highly prized the humble brew was at the time. Due to the high price and heavy taxing of this luxury good, tea leaves were often locked away to stop servants (and dodgy guests) from pinching them. As prices lowered and tea became an accessible drink for all classes it was not uncommon for some of a servant’s wages to be paid in tea.

Flocked wallpapers were popular with the middle classes in the '50s as cheaper alternatives to velvet textiles, and were usually based on Italian damask designs. This section of wallpaper was taken from the living room of artist and teacher Frank Stanton and his partner Leigh Underhill. Decorating the home himself – as it was in poor condition when he bought it – he felt the improvements made his home feel ‘rich, expensive and glamorous’. It's of particular interest as it appears in one of Stanton's paintings, which is on display in the museum right next to the wallpaper itself.

During the eighteenth century, rushes dipped in fat were the cheapest way to light a home. The rush was stripped of its tough peel and then left to dry before being covered in leftover cooking fat. Held in the middle by a pincer, usually only one end was lit at a time, but sometimes they’d burn the candle at both ends for extra light, and thus a phrase was coined. Unsurprisingly these most rudimentary candles were messy and made your house smell like a greasy spoon, so those who could afford to would use other lighting options for when they were entertaining.