Original Designs In Architecture: Consisting Of Plans, Elevations, And Sections, For Villas, Mansions, Town-Houses, &c. And A New Design For A Theatre. With Descriptions, and Explanations of the Plates, and an Introduction to the Work. By James Lewis. Book I. (II.)
London.: Printed For The Author., M DCC LXXX. (- MDCCLXXXXVII)
Physical Description
2 vols.; 523 mm. (Folio).
General Note
Vol. I: [2], 13, [1] p., 22 pl. - Vol. II: [4], 13, [1] p., 40 pl. (1 fold.) [i.e. 41 pl., as there is a bis pl. 12].
Contents
Vol. I: . - Vol. II: [T.p.] - List Of Subscribers - Preface - Description and Explanation of the Plates - [Plates].
Responsibility Note
In Volume II all plates are signed by J. Lewis as architect and engraved by T. Miller or J. Roberts.
References
RIBA, Early printed books, 2 (1995), no. 1885; E. Harris and N. Savage, British Architectural Books (1990), 494; J. Archer, Literature of British domestic architecture (1985), 178.1, 2.
J. Harris, The design of the English country house, 1620-1920 (1985).
ESTC, T90188
Summary Note
Volume II title page reads, 'Original Designs In Architecture; Consisting Of Plans, Elevations, And Sections Of Various Publick And Private Buildings: Executed, Or Proposed To Be Erected, In Different Parts Of England And Ireland. With Descriptions And Explanations. By James Lewis, Architect. Book II. London: Printed For The Author By Cooper And Graham, Wild Court, Wild Street, Lincoln's-Inn Fields. 1797.' The publication-date 1796 is carried by all plates in Volume II.
The plates of Volume I show designs for eight villas or houses, three attached town houses and a theatre. Those of Volume II show a market and storehouses, three villas, four houses, a casino, two temples, a greenhouse, a theatre, a park entrance, a museum, a hospital and alterations to a house.
In the Preface to his first volume Lewis praises the ancient Greeks and describes the Rome of Augustus as the meridian of the arts, yet deprecates a 'servile attachment to any system'. In Volume II he berates contemporary architects for capriciously departing from 'established orders, proportions and general principles', yet declares that the 'character, the situation, the destination of the work proposed ... will afford ample room for the exercise of the taste and judgement and even fancy of the artist'. His own designs owe more to Roman and Palladian than to Greek models. In his plates he does not include landscape scenery, but several of his descriptions in Volume II show his concern for the integration of buildings with their surrounding country - a concern which was shown also by Soane, Repton, R.P. Knight and J. Plaw.
The format of these two books follows the example of Paine's Plans, elevations and sections (1767) and Robert and James Adam's Works in architecture 1773-9). Lewis was not an established architect, and the work was possibly intended to attract new clients - as may be inferred from the Italian text and the inclusion of members of the Russian imperial family among the subscribers.
Provenance
The Royal Academy is listed among the Subscribers in Volume II; but the second volume was presented to the Academy by the author in 1797, and acknowledged 26 August 1797 (RAA CM, II.333).
Copy Note
Imperfect; lacks Volume I.
Binding Note
18th-century half calf, marbled-papered boards; rebacked and recornered in 20th century, red morocco spine-label lettered 'Lewis's Original Designs In Architecture'.
Architecture, British - Houses - Country houses - Villas - Theatres - Hospitals - Great Britain - Ireland - History - 18th century - Neoclassical
Plans - Elevations - Sections - Great Britain - 18th century
Pictorial works - Great Britain - 18th century