Pictorial Archive of Early Illustrations and Views of American Architecture (Dover Pictorial Archives)

Rating:
Summary: Engaging engravings of everything
Review: Dover does it again with an enormous offering of impressive engravings. Each of the 742 illustrations is labelled with name, location and date. Chapters are organized by function and then chronologically. These beautiful renderings by contemporary artists reveal the magnitude of architectural views published throughout the 19th century in the various methods available before photographic illustrations took over. Spanning 249 cities in 27 states, all major architectural period styles are covered. Although landmark buildings and leading architects are represented there is a full sprectrum of streets, squares, town views, public and private buildings. Each work is accompanied by available information including the name of the building and date. A bibliography lists the sources.

One cannot help but be pleased with this excellent collection which shows not only the buildings but the surroundings peopled with contemporary figures adding charm and interest. This valuable resource depicts everyday life as seen by contemporaries, clearly reflecting the prevailing sense of civic pride. I recommend this edition wholeheartedly.