The British architect; or, The builder's treasury of staircases : Containing, I. An easier, more intelligible, and expeditious method of drawing the five orders, than has hitherto been published ... II. Likewise stair-cases ... III. Designs of arches, doors, and windows. IV. A great variety of new and curious chimney-pieces ... V. Corbels, shields, and other beautiful decorations. VI. Several useful and necessary rules of carpentry ... The whole being illustrated with upwards of one hundred designs and examples, curiously engraved by the best hands on sixty folio copper plates

Swan, Abraham, Meadows, William, -1760, bookseller, Piers, H., active 1742-1759, bookseller, Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection (Library of Congress), C. Hitch and L. Hawes (Firm), bookseller · 1758 · London, Printed for and sold by the author, near the George in Portland Street, Cavendish Square; by Mr. Meadows, over-against the Royal-Exchange; Messrs Hitch and Hawes, in Pater-Noster Row; and H. Piers and Partner at the Bible and Crown, in High Holborn, 1758. · 57 pictures

A London architectural pattern book of 1758 by Abraham Swan, published for builders and craftsmen, offering engraved designs for the five classical orders, staircases, arches, chimney-pieces and carpentry. Its copper-plate pages show measured elevations and details drawn in fine line, with column capitals, cornices, mouldings and rosettes labelled with reference numerals, useful to a designer wanting classical ornament vocabulary and precise proportional structure.

Architecture · Early works to 1800 · England · London · Staircases

Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections Division · No known copyright restrictions · More from this library