Our collections help tell the story of the Charterhouse; both the charity and history of the site itself.

About the Archive
The Sutton’s Hospital, Charterhouse records are deposited at The London Archives and includes Thomas Sutton’s personal papers, Pensioners’ and Scholars’ Records, Estate and Manorial Record, Deeds, and other material dating from the period from 1611 to 1993.

About the Charterhouse Collection

The Charterhouse also looks after a collection of around 2000 objects relating to the history of the Charity and the site itself. There are 120 objects in our museum display which starts in the modern period and travels backwards in time to tell the fascinating history of the site through a curated selection of objects. The display also includes 35 loans from Charterhouse School, London Museum, and Victoria and Albert Museum. It is free to visit during opening hours. The rest of the collection is either displayed in private areas of the site for the enjoyment of the residents or kept in storage.

Archaeology
One of the most significant medieval pieces found on the site is a substantial fragment of a painted statue of St Catherine originally installed in a medieval side chapel and discovered following bomb damage during the Blitz. There are also two fragments from the tomb of Sir Walter Manny, founder of the monastery on this site, whose funeral in 1372 was attended by King Edward III.

Art
There are over 1,000 paintings, photographs, postcards, prints, and drawings in our care. These include a set of portraits of 17th-century Governors including Charles II and James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, painted by leading artists of the day such as Sir Godfrey Kneller, Louise Hollandine, and Sir Peter Lely.

An extensive collection of 19th- and 20th-century photographs and postcards depict changes to the historic interiors and the results of bomb damage during the Second World War.

Also in the collection is work created by current and former residents of the almshouse including Walter Greaves, a close friend of James McNeill Whistler; Robert Medley, whose work is represented in the Tate collection; and Syd Cain, former Art Director on the James Bond films.

Books

The Bible collection is comprised of 50 volumes dating from 1549 to 1932. It includes Prayer Books related to our historic Chapel, which was adapted over the years to accommodate growing congregations of monks, Tudor nobles, almshouse residents, and schoolboys.

The Sutton’s Hospital collection describes the history of the Charterhouse and forms an important reference collection which adds to our knowledge of the site. It includes several copies of Domus Carthusiana: or an account of the Most Noble Foundation of the Charter-House by Samuel Herne, an early history of the site published in 1677.

The Thackeray collection of works by and about William Makepeace Thackeray, a pupil at Charterhouse School, and was bequeathed to the charity in 1963.

Silver
The silver collection is displayed in the Old Library, and  includes a 1640 Charles I Alms Dish used for the collection of offerings from the congregation, a Hanoverian gravy spoon, and a set of six George IV Salt Cellars dating from 1825.

Social history
Since opening our doors to the public in 2017 an increasing number of visitors have discovered a connection to the Charterhouse in their family tree. We have grown our social history collection through generous donations which include a pre-First World War memoir about life at the Charterhouse, a collection of 14 polaroid photos showing the life of European au-pairs who worked on-site in the 1960s, and a collection of Sutton’s Hospital crockery with hand-painted designs.

Textiles
The tapestry collection was purchased by the first Governors of the Charterhouse in 1615 to adorn the walls of the Great Chamber. Originally a set of eight purchased from London merchant Edmund Traves, six of the Flemish tapestries remain. The principal piece depicts the Queen of Sheba meeting King Solomon surrounded by courtiers bearing gifts. They were fortunately saved from the flames of the fire that destroyed much of the Charterhouse during the Blitz in 1941.  Having hung on the walls for many years,  the tapestries were cleaned and restored in early 2020 as part of a National Lottery Heritage Fund project.