Joseph Gwilt – författare

Sir William Chambers (1722-96), architect and furniture designer, wished to further his career in the 1750s by publishing on architecture. He also became the Prince of Wales' architectural tutor, architect to the office of works, then head of the royal works (comptroller and surveyor-general from 1782). Notably, he remodelled Buckingham House (1762-73) and designed Somerset House (1775-96), but Chambers' reputation rests also on his Treatise on Civil Architecture (1759), which he revised and expanded in 1791 as A Treatise on the Decorative Part of Civil Architecture. It is regarded as one of the standard English texts on classical architecture, and remains essential reading. This reissue is of the two-volume edition of 1825, annotated by the architect and writer Joseph Gwilt (1784-1863). Volume 1 contains Gwilt's prefatory material, including an analysis of Grecian architecture's development, followed by Chambers' systematic treatment of the orders of architecture.

Sir William Chambers (1722-96), architect and furniture designer, wished to further his career in the 1750s by publishing on architecture. He also became the Prince of Wales' architectural tutor, architect to the office of works, then head of the royal works (comptroller and surveyor-general from 1782). Notably, he remodelled Buckingham House (1762-73) and designed Somerset House (1775-96), but Chambers' reputation rests also on his Treatise on Civil Architecture (1759), which he revised and expanded in 1791 as A Treatise on the Decorative Part of Civil Architecture. It is regarded as one of the standard English texts on classical architecture, and remains essential reading. This reissue is of the two-volume edition of 1825, annotated by the architect and writer Joseph Gwilt (1784-1863). Volume 2 focuses on the application of the orders as well as smaller architectural features, including doors, windows, balustrades, chimney-pieces and ceilings.

An architect like his father before him, Joseph Gwilt (1784-1863) is best remembered for his published work. His most celebrated achievement, reissued here in its first edition of 1842, was this hugely popular resource, which went through several further editions. The work draws extensively on French sources, although its success owes much to its accessibility and organisation into three thorough sections. The first looks at the development of architecture, using examples from various countries and regions, with a particular focus on Britain. Architectural theory is then explored with reference to construction, building materials and detailed illustrations. Lastly, Gwilt turns to praxis, looking at rules and styles of architecture and how these have been implemented in public and private buildings. Over 1,000 wood engravings, based on drawings by the author's son, accompany the text. The Architecture of Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (1826), Gwilt's English translation, is also reissued in this series.