The Salomons Museum

The Salomons Museum celebrates the lives of three generations of the Salomons family: David Salomons, a campaigner for Jewish civil rights; David Lionel Salomons, a noted scientific innovater in the later 19th century; and David Reginald Salomons, who was killed in the First World War.

The museum occupies two rooms of the family's country house - Broomhill, set in nearly forty acres of picturesque Wealden countryside near Tunbridge Wells. Now known as the Salomons Estate, this operates as a conference and events venue.

The museum is usually open to the public, free of charge, but the house, as a whole, is sometimes booked for weddings or other events. While the musuem would still be open, visitors can feel as if they are intruding. If you were thinking of visiting it might be worth checking first with Reception on 01892 515152.

This website seeks to tell the story of the Salomons for those unable to visit the museum.

Discover the story of the Salomons here.

The museum was created in 1937/38 when Vera Bryce Salomons, the last of her generation, donated the house and its grounds to Kent County Council for use as a convalescent home. She intended it to be a memorial to her brother, killed in the war, her father and her great-uncle; and she changed its name to 'David Salomons House'.

She specified that two ground-floor rooms be set aside permanently as 'memento rooms' - open to the public and displaying mementoes of the three Davids. For over eighty years, and through three changes of ownership (see more), her wishes have been followed.

The museum offers a glimpse into the home life of a comfortably well-off family between the early 19th and the early 20th centuries. It also provides an introduction to many of the key political, economic and social issues of the time.

From 1925 Vera worked actively for Palestine and Israel, and was especially keen to promote mutual understanding between the communities there (see more).

Note: The museum collection is relatively static, comprising mainly those items left by Vera. Over the years, though, it has received a number of additional items. Some were given by members of the family; but mostly they came from the wider Salomons community, who lived and worked on the estate in its many roles. Most of the images shown in the section 'After the Salomons' were received in this way.