- The Last Muster - Wikipedia Commons
Hubert Herkomer was born on May 26 1849 at Waal, some forty miles from Munich. His grandfather was a mason who had ensured that his sons had reputable trades. As a result, Hubert's uncle Anton became a weaver, his uncle Hans a carver and his uncle John, a turner. His father Lorenz became a cabinet maker. Their professions were later to prove essential to Hubert's plans to build a spectacular home.
Lorenz married the daughter of a local schoolmaster and they had only one child, Hubert, on whom they lavished all their love. To improve his chances they emigrated first to America and then England, suffering considerable hardship to ensure that nothing was denied to young Hubert. Fortunately, their faith in his talents was justified and having attended art school in Southampton, Munich and South Kensington (London) he became first a book illustrator and then a painter.
Hubert Herkomer's Successful Career
With a steady income from engraving illustrations for the Graphic magazine, Hubert found fame as a painter both of realistic social scenes and as a portrait artist. His future was assured through a picture entitled The Last Muster, depicting the quiet demise of an old soldier. The painting won him a gold medal in France and sold for £1200.
Hubert moved to the village of Bushey in Hertfordshire, stetching along the old Roman road of Watling Street. Here in 1873, he bought Dyreham Cottage. His plans were ambitious - to build an art school and to provide for his parents. He also married although the marriage was to prove a considerable strain as Anna, his wife, fell sick needing constant time and attention. They produced two children, Siegfried and Elsa before Anna's unhappy death in 1882. During her illness Anna was nursed by Lulu Griffths with whom Herkomer fell in love and later married. Tragically she died two years later following an accident while she was pregnant.
Lululand
Lulu Griffiths was undoubtedly the love of Herkomer's life and thereafter he built his planned house in her memory. To this end he called upon his father and uncles to lend their skills.
The construction of Lululand, locally dubbed Herkomer's Castle, caused much speculation. It was described in the Victoria County History as a 'large building of red and white stone with a slate roof. The style is perhaps Byzantine rather than any other.' It was in fact mainly Bavarian with materials imported from that region but in many ways the entire project was unique. The building site behind the existing Dyreham cottage and covering two or three acres of ground contained: 'an enormous wooden shed ... fitted up with a complete set of machinery of the newest pattern, just imported from America, including a twelve h.p. gas-engine, circular saws and turning lathes.' There was also a blacksmith's forge, printing and drying rooms and a laboratory.
With the help of his father and uncles, Herkomer intended to build the entire house by hand, to carve the woodwork, master bricklaying, forge ironwork. The Continent was scoured for any examples of art or craft that might enhance the whole. By taking photographs, sketches or plaster casts, he then set out to create his own version of the admired object. Then began the task of making furniture and fixtures for each room. Every spoon and fork were individually crafted and thanks to Uncle Anton's skills as a weaver, all the tapestries and brocades for the chair backs and sofas were made by the talented family members. Amazingly, by 1894 the task was finished.
In writing of his own creation, Herkomer put the nature of the house down to "my temperament, my training and my race." He acknowledged his love of Gothic architecture and believed that he had brought it into the modern world. He was helped by the enthusiasm of an American architect H H Richardson who advised him in the actual construction.
It was Hubert's wish to bring the pine forests of Bavaria inside and the design did not meet with universal approval for it was regarded as dark and cavernous with stone pillars and heavy wood carvings. The atmosphere of the Brothers Grimm and the adjective Wagnerian were applied to the result. There was however plenty of space, while electricity and hot water were on hand for the comfort of guests, of which there were many. Outside an elaborate gate was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott who was later to find fame as architect for Liverpool Cathedral, Battersea Power Station, and the iconic red telephone kiosks. A proposed tower was abandoned.
Herkomer married a third time, having two more children with his wife Margaret, sister to his beloved Lulu. In 1914 he died, leaving Lululand for future Herkomer generations but having been in existence for less than forty years, in 1939 it was demolished.
Source:
Life and Letter of Sir Hubert Herkommer by J Saxon Mills MA. Published by Hutchinson 1923.
