London: T. McLean, 1841-1848. Hardcover. English architect Charles James Richardson (1788 - 1875) studied under Sir John Soane and designed the Earl of Harrington's mansion in Kensington Palace Gardens. He also conducted multiple design studies while traveling around England including this impressive set which features drawings of architectural elements such as stairways, entrances, ceilings, and ironwork, as well as decorative pieces of furniture, vases, silverwork, etc. from multiple English Mansions. Some of the mansions were studied while in disrepair or partial ruin. Includes the Gorhamburg House in Hertfordshire, Montacute House in Somersetshire, Old Town Hall in Nantwich, Charlton House in Wiltshire, and many more.
Elephant Folios. All four volumes are bound in matching quarter red leather over green moire cloth covered boards with gilt titles to spines. Ex-library with remnants of white markings to spines and inconspicuous number stamps to top margins of title pages in each volume. All volumes have wear and rubbing to joints, edges, corners, and spine ends. Rubbing and minor soiling to boards and spines. Foxing to margins of many pages, heaviest on first and last few pages of each volume. A few non-consecutive plates in various volumes have dampstaining to margins, which suggests this may have occured prior to binding. Occasional smudge marks and spots of soiling. Occasional small pencil markings to margins. Star sticker partially covering penned ownership name to each front pastedown. Partial loss to edge of front pastedown in fourth volume. All plates have tissue guards; however, some are creased and some have small tears.
The first volume includes a small bound in descriptive four page booklet that offers details about each of the unnumbered 25 plates. (It accounts for 25 plates; however, one of them is actually a double plate.) The other three volumes include plates with descriptive text of the mansions depicted bordered with architectural details. Aside from the booklet in the first volume, there are no lists of plates, the plates are unnumbered, and there is no pagination. Some plates are in black and white; however, most are in duotone and a few are in color. Volume I: title page, dedication page, 25 plates (including a double 2 page plate); Volume II: title page (full color), dedication page, 35 pages; Volume III: title page, dedication page, 38 plates (including a double or 2 page plate); Volume IV: title page, dedication page, 37 plates. Size: 19.75 x 13.5 inches. Unpaginated. ARCH/122623. Very Good. More