Houses from Books : treatises, pattern books, and catalogs in American architecture, 1738-1950 : a history and guide by Reiff, D.D - 2000

Pennsylvania State University Press, : University Park, first edition, 2000. Cloth, 4to, 29 cm,. xi, 412 pp, ills (some colour), plans,. From the blurb: "The impact of pattern books and mail-order catalogs on American architecture has long been recognised, but there has been no comprehensive assessment of the phenomenon. Houses from Books provides the first thoroughly documented and illustrated survey of the profound influence of published designs on the styles, motifs, and sources of houses in villages, small cities, and suburbs in America from 1738 to 1950. Daniel D. Reiff grounds his investigations in a solid social and historical context. He explores the people and firms who produced these books, the ways in which architects and builders used and adapted these designs, and the rise of architectural training during this period. Examining 118 books and booklets, ranging from Palladio's I Quattro Libri (1570) to Aladdin's Readi-Cut Homes (1952), Reiff discusses designs from seventy-six books representing forty-six different authors or companies whose house designs can be found built in America. As architectural publication evolved into a major professional undertaking in America, published plans played increasingly prominent roles in the design and construction of homes. Particularly in villages and smaller cities, which often did not have professional architects, these publications proved invaluable as resources for builders and carpenters, especially after the 1830s. In essence, these published plans opened a dialogue between architects and builders of all levels of expertise. Houses from Books reconstructs this dialogue through a systematic examination of the links between the plans and the houses themselves.. The last portion of the book is a catalog that can function as a guide for those attempting to locate a model and date for a particular design. Near Fine in Near Fine dustwrapper.