One of the last Victorian houses

On a day trip to Bournemouth yesterday we visited a really cool art gallery/museum which was built between 1897 and 1901, and thus is one of the last Victorian houses constructed in the UK.

The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum was originally built as a family home and to house the collections of a world-travelling couple.  As their collections grew, they redeveloped the house to display their items and eventually donated the house to the city of Bournemouth as a museum and art gallery.  As well as being full of fantastic art and sculpture, the historic rooms of the older part of the house are really decorative and elaborate.

I suppose it is roughly the same era as the Willowcrest house is supposed to represent, so here is some eye candy from the interior.