The Victorian Country House Revised & Englarged Edition by Mark Girouard

The Victorian Country House Revised & Englarged Edition by Mark Girouard lands on the shelves of my shop.

Yale University Press, 1979, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Jacket illustration: From the cover of a book commemorating the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales, and Princess Alexandra to Cragside in August 1884. Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Facsimiles; Colour Photographs; Black & White Drawings; Illustrated endpapers and blanks; Plans;

From the cover: The great wealth of nineteenth-century Britain led to an astonishing boom in the building of country houses. These houses were generally of an enormous size and complexity, and exhibited a remarkable variety of design. Mark Girouard, author of Life in the English Country House, displays his vast knowledge and critical insight in a wide-ranging approach to this fascinating subject. He deals not only with the houses themselves but also with the architects involved, the social and economic conditions that made such massive structures possible, the cumbersome domestic organization that dictated their design, and the ingenious technological developments in plumbing, heating and construction that enhanced the comfort of country living.

The book begins with a perceptive, analytic essay in which the author describes the social climate of the Victorian era and its influence on the architecture. From this perspective, he presents an in-depth look at thirty individual houses great establishments of the aristocracy, Gothic and mediaevalist follies, grandiose fantasies of the industrial rich, and ruins of houses too eccentric to survive each in a different way epitomizing the prosperity, individuality and self-assurance of the age. The book concludes with a catalogue of all the most important houses as well as biographical notes on the major architects.

Originally published in 1971, this book has become established as a classic study of Victorian architecture. For this new edition, the author has substantially revised the text and written two new chapters. The original illustrations are augmented by thirty-three new colour plates.

Writing with his distinctive blend of scholarship, fluency and wit, Mark Girouard has achieved a lucid and engrossing mixture of architectural and social history, of interest and importance not only to serious scholars but to anyone who is curious about the attitudes and way of life of a past generation.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. Price Clipped. Previous owners’ inscription to the head of the title page. Pages very gently age-tanned.

Red boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 467 pages. Index. 10¼” x 8″.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Wartime Kitchen and Garden by Jennifer Davies

The Wartime Kitchen and Garden by Jennifer Davies lands on the shelves of my shop.

British Broadcasting Corporation [B.B.C. BBC], 1996, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Facsimiles; Colour Photographs; Black & White Drawings;

From the cover: The Wartime Kitchen and Garden tells the story of the days when onions were as rare as diamonds, when it wasnt unusual to have shares in a pig, and when, so the tale goes, a housewife asked her butcher for: A whale steak, please, and the head for the cat.

It was the time when Hitlers U-boats stalked the Atlantic and shipping cargo space for imported foods was limited. In those Second World War years the Home Front became a part of everyday life for the men, women and children left behind. People who had never gardened started to dig for victory and those who manned a kitchen had to cope with rationing; fuel cuts; new foods like Spam and finding recipes for nettles.

The Wartime Kitchen and Garden, which accompanies the BBC television series of the same name, recounts how Britains wartime homes played their part in the success of the Home Front. It uses the personal memories of Ruth Mott and Harry Dodson (affectionately known for their respective roles as BBC Televisions Victorian cook and gardener), and tales and anecdotes from many men and women whose work or day-to-day life brought them into contact with wartime cookery and gardening.

Jennifer Daviess book is a wonderful reflection of her talent for unearthing something unique from those whose memories of an era live on. It will bring untold pleasure to everyone interested in the war at home between the years 1939 and 1945.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper.

Green boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 224 pages. Index. Bibliography. 10″ x 7¾”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

The English Mediaeval House by Margaret Wood Mrs. E. G. Kaines-Thomas

The English Mediaeval House by Margaret Wood [Mrs. E. G. Kaines-Thomas] lands on the shelves of my shop.

Bracken Books, 1985, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Contains a glossary of terms. Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Facsimiles; Black & White Drawings; Diagrams; Tables; Plans;

From the cover: This is the first major book on medieval domestic architecture for over a hundred years a volume substantial in content as in appearance, massively and finely illustrated, in every sense worthy of its great subject.

It is only in the last decade that mediaeval archaeology, so long confined to ecclesiastical buildings, has come into its own. Now fresh discoveries are constantly being made, especially about the houses of ordinary people; organisations investigate and record mediaeval houses below Great House scale. Margaret Wood here records the results of her own and other workers meticulous research, and presents an absorbing study of the evolution rtf the English house.

The period covered is from the Norman Conquest to 1540. The scope of entertaining, the status of various members of the household, national and local politics, the familys relations with its neighbours, its living standards, taste in decorations and recreations, all influenced the style and construction of dwelling houses, many hundreds of which are cited as examples. Some of these homes the public may see for themselves; others built of more flimsy materials or, for some reason, subjects of attack, have long vanished, but archaeological evidence has enabled their form and appearance to be deduced in detail.

After an introductory summary of the recent work on excavation and recording and a chapter on the main types of mediaeval house, the author devotes a separate chapter to each architectural feature The Kitchen, The Central Hearth, Windows and so on. The many examples cited are listed in references at the end of the chapters with their dates. A glossary, bibliography and index are included. Sixty pages of beautiful and instructive photographs include many taken by the author in the course of her excavations and research. There are also approximately 150 plans, diagrams and drawings, enhancing a book that has established itself as the definitive work on the subject for many years to come.

Introduction by: Sir Mortimer Wheeler

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Dust wrapper very slightly rubbed at the edges. Top edge of the text block spotted. Text complete, clean and tight.

Red boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [XXX] 448 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9½” x 7½”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!