Unabridged Dover (1997) republication of the work published by Young & Benson Publishers, Troy, New York, in 1865. Introduction. 382 figures (714 illustrations) on 52 plates. 112pp. Introduction by John Gloag. Over 100 illustrations. xix + 304pp. 9.375 x 12.25 inches. Paperbound. ISBN 0-486-29878-7.
First published in 1865, this handsome architectural sourcebook differed in one major respect from its predecessors: its finely detailed drawings were done on a scale large enough so that even non-architects could comprehend their forms and construction. Containing over three hundred eighty designs and more than seven hundred illustrations, the volume depicted a wide assortment of ornamental features for country and city buildings.
The illustrations include elevations of attractive building fronts, homes and stores incorporating decorative elements that are also depicted separately. Among these are designs for elegant residential entrances and exterior finishes for windows, graceful representations of cornices for street fronts and suburban buildings, elaborate plans for curved roofs, a dormer window, and much more. For each plate, an explanatory caption describes the illustration, gives measurements, suggests helpful construction details, and gives the scale of the drawing.
Beautifully reproduced from an extremely rare edition, this impressive collection will be indispensable to preservationists, restorers, and urban archeologists. It will also serve as a valuable archive for architectural historians, providing a window into the planning and construction of authentic buildings of the mid-Victorian era.
Cover design by Frank J. Moore.
(The above commentary is provided by Dover Publications, Inc.)
This website is sponsored by Mitchells Publications.
Copyright © 2003–2012 Patricia B. Mitchell.