Sigmund Freud only spent a year at 20 Maresfield Gardens before his death in 1939, but the building is still home to a vast collection of books and precious archaeological finds that once belonged to the famous psychoanalyst, who was a keen collector of historical artefacts. After he passed away his daughter Anna continued to live in the house till her death in 1982, after which it would become the Freud Museum, therefore what we see here is really Anna’s house rather than her father’s. Nevertheless fans of Freud will find plenty of interest, from his taste in furniture to the curious embroideries with plastic dolls created by Anna.
Freud lived in Vienna up until his departure for London, where he fled to as a refugee from the Nazis. His unconventional theories meant that he and his colleagues were in Hitler’s firing line; the Nazis had little time for psychoanalysis and his books were routinely destroyed. Despite this he initially refused to move, until Germany took control of Austria in 1938. His first London home was a stone’s throw from Maresfield Gardens, at no 39 Elsworthy Road, a rented property where he was visited by Salvador Dali. A couple of months later he moved into his own home, which he would use as workspace as well as family abode, having been lucky enough to be able to smuggle most of his belongings out of the country, amongst them his infamous couch
Although Freud’s theories were revolutionary and certainly controversial throughout most of the 20th century, inspiring everyone from to W H Auden, his philosophies concerning sexuality being the primary force behind all human actions are now deemed outdated, and his belief in cocaine as a cure-all was proved to be utterly flawed long ago. As a result the Freud Museum has suffered - it was even featured in the BBC series ‘Behind The Scenes At The Museum’, a three-part programme featuring a different museum each week that is having problems staying relevant to its audience. Film screenings, events where Viennese pastries are served in the garden and even dating nights have taken place in a bid to re-engage with the public, and it seems to be working as plenty of visitors (many of whom are tourists) meander around the modestly-sized home on any given weekday.
\n\nSo what exactly is there to see here? Well, don’t expect to be given a lesson in psychoanalytical theory, as there is little to delve into here aside from the numerous books Freud collected on the subject (which are mostly displayed behind a rope so that you can’t touch them) and quotes of dreams that patients had described to him along with his interpretations. Instead you will find the couch where his patients relayed everything that came to their mind during their sessions, stunning chests of drawers and cupboards by Biedermeier, Persian carpets, 18th century paintings and other highly discerning day to day objects. Freud was an avid collector and visited many archaeological sites, and antiques from Egypt, Rome and Ancient Greece are displayed on shelves, including figurines of Egyptian gods, Buddhist paperweights and oil lamps made of precious stone, even the covering of a mummy containing hieroglyphic text stands proudly – in short, it’s like a compact-sized taster of the British Museum. His library includes tomes by Edgar Allan Poe and Flaubert as well as countless books on psychoanalysis, both his own works and those written by his fellow analysts. A more curious object is the spittoon that sits on a chest of drawers near the staircase, placed here because of Freud’s need to clear his throat while ascending the steps due to his increasing throat problems, something which incurred the wrath of his concierge until the receptacle materialised and was made use of.
While the ground floor is mostly taken up by his study along with its prized possessions, the upstairs shows us more about his youngest daughter Anna, also a psychoanalyst. As well as another exhaustive selection of books, taking pride of place in her former bedroom is a large loom, which outshadows even her very own analytic couch. Anna was an enthusiastic weaver, and some of her works are displayed here, in particular the quilts embroidered with miniature baby dolls (her life’s work was focused on child psychology).
\n\nThe house itself is beautiful, and large windows on the landing let in the sunlight and have been decorated with plastic butterflies that appear to be taking flight. Also of note is a sketch of Freud by Dali, made without him noticing during a visit the Surrealist painter made. A mutual friend who had introduced the two was given the sketch but never showed it to Freud as he felt it portrayed him as a man on the cusp of death. And indeed, almost exactly a year to the day he moved in, Freud died of cancer of the palate, a disease he had suffered from for 15 years, and which he blamed on his cigar habit - he smoked around 20 a day. After his death his wife, sister-in-law, Anna and a maid continued to live here. The house was turned into a museum at Anna’s request after her death, and opened to the public in 1986.
The house has been preserved as it was during Freud’s time living here with the exception of the kitchen and bathroom which are now part of the caretaker’s living quarters. While you may not find yourself any closer to understanding how cathartic therapy works, the museum does give a glimpse into the life of a man revered and distrusted in equal measures for his ideology.
