The Beauties of Modern Architecture

New York, Philadelphia: D. Appleton & Company. Geo. S. Appleton, 1849. New edition. Hardcover. Good+ to very good+ condition. Quarto. 80pp., (48) 48 plates. Rebacked retaining original dark brown leather at spine and corners over brown cloth. Illustrated by forty-eight original engraved plates, designed expressly for this work; all plates with descriptive, printed text on facing pages.

Lafever claimed that his "Beauties of Modern Architecture" was the first book "intended exclusively for the operative workman," and would enable him to "perfect" the skills outlined in patterns books like Asher Benjamin's. Having apparently encountered criticism (truncated) for his previous works, he pleads in his preface that no-one prejudice the public against this book without examining it "fairly and justly." Contains sixty-eight pages of extracts from "Elme's Dictionary" on the history of architecture from the time of the Flood to the Roman Empire, followed by a glossary of names and terms used in architecture and forty-eight plates of plans for doors, windows, entablatures, capitals, ceilings, etc., with descriptors on facing pages.

This copy was the property of "Brainerd & Bunidge, " whose names are inked to the title page and the first page of the glossary. Research did not produce data on such a partnership. I. T. Fray acquired the volume in 1897, and it remained in his collection until the 1940s when Clarence Ward purchased it. Contains I. T. Frary's book plate and small stamps. Crudely rebacked with some wear along edges. Block lightly age-toned with engraved plates in very good+ condition. (Inventory #: 49373)