Murder at the 'Love hut': at home with Elvira Barney

Alexa Neale uses the case study of an alleged murder in a mews in Knightsbridge in 1932 to investigate the ways in which the home was interpreted beyond its immediate judicial context. The ‘prodigally furnished’ home of wealthy socialite Elvira Barney, Alexa argues, demonstrates that the boundaries between public and private, home and the street, could be pushed, tested and negotiated. Beyond the luxurious curtains and matching wallpaper, the ‘bijou cocktail bar’ and outrageous artwork, the little house known as ‘Love Hut’ allowed residents and visitors to enjoy experiences of home denied to neighbours and contemporaries.