New Designs In Architecture, Consisting Of Plans, Elevations, And Sections For Various Buildings, Comprised In XLIV Folio Plates; Designed And Engraved By George Richardson, Architect. ... Nouveaux Desseins D'Architecture, ou, Plans, Elevations, Et Coupes De Divers Bâtimens; Compris En XLIV Planches In Folio, Dessinées Et Gravées Par George Richardson Architecte.
London,: Printed for the Author No. 105 Great Tichfield-Street,, 1792.
Physical Description
[ii], ii, 40 p., engr. t.-pl., engr. dedic., 44 pl.; , 521 mm. (Folio).
General Note
The British Library copy has two additional plates, hand-coloured and numbered 1 and 2, and giving perspective views of the houses shown in plates 2 and 3. They are dated 5 April 1788, and were possibly issued with some copies of the first part.
Contents
[Engr. t.-pl., engr. dedic.] - List Of The Subscribers; [advertisement] - Introduction - Description of the Plates [incl. six dated Estimates of the Designs] - [Plates].
Responsibility Note
All the numbered plates are signed as designed and engraved by G. Richardson and Son (i.e. William Richardson).
The work is dedicated by the author to Henry, Earl of Gainsborough.
References
RIBA, Early printed books, 3 (1999), no. 2756, p.1641-2; National Gallery (Washington), Mark J. Millard, II (1998), 69; E. Harris and N. Savage, British Architectural Books (1990), 741; J. Archer, Literature of British domestic architecture (1985), 284.1; Life in England in aquatint and lithography ... library of J.R. Abbey (1953/R1972, 1991) no. 59, p.43-4. I.G. Brown, '"The fittest place in Europe for our profession": George Richardson in Rome', in Architectural heritage, 2 (1991), p.29-40.
ESTC, T090835
Summary Note
The dated imprint-lines of the plates, and the six cost-estimates included in the Description, show that the work was first issued in six parts:
[1] March 1788: pl. 1- 7, pp. 1- 6 of Description;
[2] November 1788: pl. 8-14, pp. 7-12;
[3] December 1789: pl. 15-21, pp. 13-18;
[4] January-April 1790: pl. 22-28, pp. 9-[26]);
[5] February-March 1792: pl. 29-35, pp. 29-34;
[6] February-March 1792: pl. 36-44, pp. 35-40, with list of subscribers, introduction, dedication and title plate.
The text is in English and French, apart from the dedication and list of subscribers.
Plates 1-32 show plans and elevations of cottages, small country-houses, farm-houses, gateways, lodges, stables, coach-houses, garden temples, pavilions, greenhouses, orangeries; plates 33-37, of villas or country houses; plates 38-9, of town houses; plates 40-44, interior elevations and architectural ornament. The plates are among the earliest examples of the use of aquatint for book illustration in Britain.
As well as the Library of the Royal Academy the list of the subscribers includes several Academicians or Associates - Francis Bartolozzi, Joseph Bonomi, George Dance, William Hamilton, Paul Sandby, B. West and James Wyatt.
Provenance
The Royal Academy is listed among the subscribers. This copy was produced in Council by the Treasurer on 6 July 1792 (RA Council Minutes II, 167).
Binding Note
19th-century half calf, black watered-cloth-covered boards; rebacked and recornered in 20th century (retaining much of the earlier materials), red morocco spine-label lettered 'Richardson's Architecture'.
Subject
Architecture, British - Houses - Gates - Gatehouses - Lodges (caretakers' houses) - Rural housing - Garden structures - Country houses - Villas - Great Britain - History - 18th century - Neoclassical
Plans - Elevations - Designs - Pattern books - Great Britain - 18th century
Pictorial works - Aquatints - Great Britain - 18th century