English Precedent for Modern Brickwork: Plates and Measured Drawings of English Tudor and Georgian Brickwork, With a Few Recent Versions By American ... the Spirit of the Old Work (Classic Reprint)

Introduction THE establishment of a material on its proper basis as a factor of good building is recognized by every keen observer of architectural development as one of the most far-reaching of the results brought about in the last few decades by architectural training and intelligent study of the past great eras of building. As a means of architectural expression, every building material seems to have experienced a period of treatment which at one time or another not only forced an abandonment of sound basic usage but even imposed a stigma of unworthiness which prejudice was slow to remove. Brick as a medium of architectural expression has a worth} tradition, yet during the nineteenth century architects and builders, in their mistaken zeal for mechanical perfection brought its use into discredit. Happily the Gothic revival helped to restore brick treatment to sound traditional lines, and it has since steadily developed in architectural quality. Brickwork detail is a refinement which appeals particularly to the cultured eye of the architect. It has a wealth of possibilities and, held within reasonable bounds, can be effected at comparatively small cost. The numerous examples of northern Italy show possibilities of beautiful treatment; theN etherlands are full of suggestion, and the work ofT udor and Georgian England has much of value for modern inspiration. It is to point out the beauty and adaptability ofT udor and Georgian precedent that the illustrations and text of this book have been gathered and compiled. It has been the endeavor throughout to picture the spirit of this old work, because it was the product of enthusiastic design and the best brick craftmanship, both of which are essential to architecture. Brick design permits, first, a wide choice in variation of surface tone from a wall of diversified color effect to one of quiet monotone of any shad
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)