How to woo Sugar Kane. Upton House, Warwickshire, England.
In the 1959 film ‘Some like it Hot’, Tony Curtis tries to woo Marilyn Monroe’s character Sugar Kane by pretending to be the heir to the Shell Oil fortune.
In 1927 the Upton estate had been acquired by the real-life heir, Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted, then the Chairman of Shell who owed his fortune to the fact that his father Marcus Samuel was the founder of the company. Though the 30’s he and his wife transformed Upton House into a beloved country home, filling it with art collections and completely remodelling the gardens.
By the end of his life the world had changed immensely. Lord Bearsted wanted the collections and gardens he and Lady Bearsted lovingly created to be kept together for future generations to ‘love, appreciate and respect’, so in 1948 gave them and Upton House to the National Trust for the enjoyment of the public.
Perhaps uniquely among country houses owned by the National Trust, its significance lies principally in its art collection. The house is presented more as an art gallery than as a private home, although care has been taken to restore the house to how it looked in the 1930s. It contains a unique Art Deco bathroom and a collection of early Shell advertising posters, together with some of their original artwork, by such artists as Rex Whistler.
The collection was assembled by Lord Bearsted, helped by his being a Trustee of the National Gallery. Lord Bearsted's sister Nellie Inonides also became an avid collector. The collection at Upton includes English and Continental old masters: Tiepolo, Anthony Devis, Francesco Guardi, Jan Steen, Melchior d'Hondecoeter, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, Tintoretto and Rogier van der Weyden.
How to woo Sugar Kane. Upton House, Warwickshire, England.
In the 1959 film ‘Some like it Hot’, Tony Curtis tries to woo Marilyn Monroe’s character Sugar Kane by pretending to be the heir to the Shell Oil fortune.
In 1927 the Upton estate had been acquired by the real-life heir, Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted, then the Chairman of Shell who owed his fortune to the fact that his father Marcus Samuel was the founder of the company. Though the 30’s he and his wife transformed Upton House into a beloved country home, filling it with art collections and completely remodelling the gardens.
By the end of his life the world had changed immensely. Lord Bearsted wanted the collections and gardens he and Lady Bearsted lovingly created to be kept together for future generations to ‘love, appreciate and respect’, so in 1948 gave them and Upton House to the National Trust for the enjoyment of the public.
Perhaps uniquely among country houses owned by the National Trust, its significance lies principally in its art collection. The house is presented more as an art gallery than as a private home, although care has been taken to restore the house to how it looked in the 1930s. It contains a unique Art Deco bathroom and a collection of early Shell advertising posters, together with some of their original artwork, by such artists as Rex Whistler.
The collection was assembled by Lord Bearsted, helped by his being a Trustee of the National Gallery. Lord Bearsted's sister Nellie Inonides also became an avid collector. The collection at Upton includes English and Continental old masters: Tiepolo, Anthony Devis, Francesco Guardi, Jan Steen, Melchior d'Hondecoeter, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, Tintoretto and Rogier van der Weyden.