The Russell-Cotes museum

East Cliff Hall was built between 1897 and 1907 - during the heyday of Art Nouveau style - by Annie and Merton Russell-Cotes. The architect was John Frederick Fogerty. It was always intended that the house would function as a museum, to display the many articles the owners collected on their travels. Today it is managed as The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum by Bournemouth Council. At the entrance is this floor mosaic with a monogram formed of Annie Russell-Cotes's interlocked initials. Around it are geometric tiles (which also feature in the conservatory) and rich-coloured encaustic tiles on the walls.

The house has a number of other mosaic, tile and glass features. I should point out that flash photography is not allowed in the rooms of the house, to protect the artifacts. Continue down the page for the mosaic fountain.

This fountain is in the main hall of the house, overlooked from the balcony. The three pools are lined with red, gold and orange tesserae in a sunburst motif. tiles in the Russell-Cotes museum stained glass in the Russell-Cotes museum

back to list (mosaics in the south of England)