Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture: Image and Text Collections

Adam, Robert. Ruins of the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro in Dalmatia

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.AdamRuins

Ruins of the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro in Dalmatia (1764) is the first publication of Robert Adam, the celebrated eighteenth century architect and designer. Adam, an influential proponent of Neoclassicism, was inspired by works of classical architecture during his 1754-7 Grand Tour. His travels included a 5-week sojourn in Spalatro (now Split in Croatia) where he visited and studied the palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, built around AD 300. By publishing this volume documenting the palace, Adam demonstrated to the public his knowledge of antique monuments and his consequent preparedness to design commissions in the classical style. This book is an impressively large folio volume. It contains a short text explanation and 61 numbered and additional unnumbered engraved plates, some of which are two or three joined pages. For our online facsimile, we did not scan blank pages; feel free to contact us for pagination information if needed. The 1764 original edition from which this digitization was made (UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, WIR AD12 Cutter Flat) is lacking four illustration plates. Plates III, VI, VII, and XXVII are made available through the courtesy of the University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware. Digital images of these four plates were taken from their copy of the same title and edition.

Arrowsmith, H. W. and A. The House Decorator and Painter's Guide; containing a series of designs for decorating apartments, suited to the various styles of architecture

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.ArrowHouse

H. W. and A. Arrowsmith's The House Decorator and Painter's Guide; containing a series of designs for decorating apartments, suited to the various styles of architecture (1840) provides 61 illustrations of wall decoration along with a lengthy essay chronicling the history of domestic decorative styles from classical antiquity to modern France. The plates, some in color, show full room or wall views, as well as large-scale details. Plates have accompanying commentary. The text of the historical essay is distributed between the illustration sections, sometimes merging (rather confusingly) with the plate descriptions. Nonetheless, both portions of this volume by Henry William and Aaron Arrowsmith, "decorators to Her Majesty," are valuable for those studying decorative arts and material culture of the early 19th century. The patterns provide design evidence, and the essay gives insight into the historical understanding of styles and revival usage. This book is part of the collection of the UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, WSH AR6 Cutter.

The Art Journal Illustrated Catalogue: The Industry of All Nations, 1851

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.IllusCat1851

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations was held in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, in 1851. This Art Journal Illustrated Catalogue depicts hundreds of examples of decorative objects, items of furniture, and ornamental designs presented at this historic international exhibition of manufactured products. Over 6 million people visited the exhibition, resulting in a stimulated market for manufactured decorative arts as well as the international transmission of design ideas and industrial techniques. To locate illustrations within the catalogue, consult the section entitled Engravings of Works Exhibited. This section lists names of exhibitors alphabetically, also providing city locations, types of objects displayed, and page numbers for illustrations. Use the "Go to page" option to jump to a desired page in the electronic facsimile. Keyword searching can also be used to locate terms appearing in the text surrounding the illustrations. The volume digitized here is a presentation copy in memory of Helen L. Allen, Professor of Related Art and Design, and is located at call number NK510 L6 A5 1851 of the Ruth Ketterer Harris Collection, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Benjamin, Asher. The American Builder's Companion

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.AsherBenj

Asher Benjamin's The American Builder's Companion... (Boston, 1806) is the second book by this New England architect and was written in collaboration with Daniel Raynerd, a stuccoist. Benjamin's earlier 1797 publication, The Country Builder's Assistant, has been called the first original American architectural pattern book. In this second, better organized and illustrated 1806 pattern book, he continues his attempt to encourage a distinctive American architecture suited to the materials and labor available locally. Benjamin's volumes provide an American counterpoint to British publications popular at the time, including those by William Pain. The volume digitized here is housed at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, NA2610 B4 1806.

Bigelow, Jacob. American Medical Botany

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.BIGELOW

Jacob Bigelow (1786-1879) was a Harvard professor of materia medica, the forerunner discipline to pharmacy, when he compiled American Medical Botany. This work in six parts, later bound into three volumes, appeared in 1817-1820. Within it, 60 colored illustration plates and their associated text depict and describe native American plants of interest to medical practitioners. As, debatably, the first American botanical book (in a close tie with William Barton's "Vegetable Materia Medica"), this title is of interest to historians of science. It is also of interest in the decorative arts and material culture since the work represents the state of early American book illustration. It not only provides color illustrations of the specimens to aid in plant identification, it is innovative as the first book containing illustrations printed in color. Prior books were customarily hand-colored after printing in a secondary process. As a "first" on many levels, this online book should be of value to researchers across multiple disciplines. The original text for this electronic facsimile is available at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, Thordarson T 286-288.

Bonaparte, Charles-Lucian. American Ornithology, or, The Natural History of Birds Inhabiting the United States...

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.AmOrnBon

Charles-Lucien Bonaparte (1803-1857) was nephew to Napoleon I and the eldest son of Lucien Bonaparte, Prince of Canino (Italy) and known as a collector of paintings and antiquities. The young Bonaparte shared his family heritage of involvement with politics and art, but he also pursued an active career as a zoologist. In the United States from 1822 to 1828, Charles-Lucien Bonaparte contributed a 4-volume addendum to Alexander Wilson's compilation list of American birds. Bonaparte's American ornithology, or, The natural history of birds inhabiting the United States, not given by Wilson: with figures drawn, engraved, and coloured, from nature was published initially in Philadelphia, 1825-33. Two copies of this important early work are available on the UW-Madison campus. The volumes digitized are from the UW-Madison, Biology Library Rare Book Collection, PE B64 Cutter.

The Book of Trades

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.BkTrades

The Book of Trades; or, Familiar descriptions of the most useful trades, manufactures, and arts, practiced in England: and the manner in which the Workmen perform their various Employments (undated, copy inscribed 1829) provides the reader with concise descriptions of fifty-four trades. Originally intended for young people, this volume reflects the education of children regarding craft professions, as well as providing clear descriptions of the historical work processes for the contemporary reader. This small volume (less than 4 x 6 inches in size) also contains 18 illustrations. The volume is held at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, HD2346 G7 B63. See another book of this type titled "Artificiana, or, a key to the principal trades..." (1819) also at Special Collections, Thordarson T 129.

Bowles, Carrington. Bowles's Florist: Containing Sixty Plates of Beautiful Flowers…

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.BowlesFlorist

Carrington Bowles (1724-1793) belonged to a prominent dynasty of London print and map dealers whose publications ranged from artist instruction manuals to coach fare guidebooks, with illustrations ranging from maps and topographic engravings to portraits and political cartoons. A botanical-themed book was published under Bowles' auspices in 1777. The full title conveys its scope and purpose: Bowles's Florist: Containing Sixty Plates of Beautiful Flowers, Regularly disposed in their Succession of Blowing, To Which Is Added, An accurate Description of their Colours, With Instructions For Drawing and Painting them according to Nature. Being A New Work Intended for the Use and Amusement of Gentlemen and Ladies Delighting in that Art. This small volume, hand-colored and ornately bound with gilt edges, intended for the "amusement of gentlemen and ladies," exemplifies the refined taste of 1777 London. The original text digitized here is available at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, Thordarson T 346.

Brookshaw, George. A New Treatise on Flower Painting

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.BrookFloPai

Brookshaw, George. Groups of Fruit: accurately drawn and coloured after nature…

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.BrookGroup1

Brookshaw, George. Groups of Flowers: drawn and accurately coloured after nature…

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.BrookGroup2

Brookshaw, George. Six Birds, accurately drawn and coloured after nature…

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.BrookGroup3

George Brookshaw (c. 1751-1823), also known as G. Brown, was once thought to be two separate people. His early career was spent as a London cabinet-maker specializing in painted furniture, often with floral decorations. His commissions in the 1780's included furniture for the Prince of Wales and other British nobility. After a later decade in which he taught the art of flower painting under an assumed name, Brookshaw resumed his own identity in 1804 and became known for his painting instruction manuals and illustrated natural history publications. A New Treatise on Flower Painting, Or Every Lady Her Own Drawing Master, was originally published anonymously in 1797 and reissued after 1816 under the name Brookshaw. Digitized here is the 1818 London edition belonging to the Chipstone Foundation. (See the online exhibit Women and Nature, featuring a similar copy held at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, Thordarson T 422.) Brookshaw also published supplementary drawing manuals on fruit, flowers, and birds. Digitized here is a single volume containing three Brookshaw manuals bound together, all dating from 1817. Titles include: Groups of flowers: drawn and accurately coloured after nature, with full directions for the young artist: designed as a companion to the treatise on flower painting ; as well as Groups of fruit : accurately drawn and coloured after nature...; and Six birds, accurately drawn and coloured after nature... The source text for this electronic facsimile is available at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, Thordarson T 418.

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Catesby, Mark. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.CateNatHis

Mark Catesby's The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, Volumes I and II, were the first texts to be added to this digital collection. This 1754 edition contains both volumes of flora and fauna as well as a map and appended account of the region. Catesby's text represents eighteenth century interest in exploration and scientific discovery; and the books, beautiful as well as informative, were valued possessions. Originally sold on subscription, the work was possibly the first accurate (or at least, not fantastic) depiction of the flora and fauna of the British Colonies in North America. Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands is one of the natural history books in the Chester Thordarson Collection in the UW Madison, Memorial Library Department of Special Collections. Thordarson had a special interest in ornithology, well represented in Catesby's works. For more information about the Thordarson Collection or the history of science holdings in Special Collections, please visit Special Collections' website at http://specialcollections.library.wisc.edu. Because the text in these volumes was printed in a font difficult for optical character recognition software to read accurately, no keyword searching of the full text is provided. However, section titles are searchable; and all pages of all volumes are viewable online.

Caylus, Anne Claude Philippe. Recueil d'antiquities Egyptiennes, Etrusques, Greques et Romaines

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.CayRecAnt

Caylus' Recueil d'antiquities Egyptiennes, Etrusques, Grecques et Romaines (Collection of Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek and Roman Antiquities) was published in Paris, in seven volumes, between 1752 and 1767. Anne Claude Philippe, Comte de Caylus, amateur engraver, antiquarian, patron and writer, traveled to Italy and Turkey to view for himself the ancient sites few Europeans visited. In Recueil, he published the illustrated catalog of his own collection of coins and artifacts. The volumes digitized here are the property of the Chipstone Foundation. They are of special historical interest in that they were formerly owned by Josiah Wedgwood and contain annotations and drawings which may be related to the Wedgwood studio. (See Tome I, plate LVII or Tome II, plate X or plate LXXXI for examples of annotations.) Because the text in these volumes was printed in a font difficult for optical character recognition software to read accurately, no keyword searching of the full text is provided. However, section titles are searchable; and all pages of all volumes are viewable online.

Chambers, Sir William. Desseins des edifices, meubles, habits, machines, et ustenciles des Chinois

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.ChambersDesseins

Sir William Chambers' 1757 publication, Desseins des edifices, meubles, habits, machines, et ustenciles des Chinois, was based on first-hand observation during his travels in Canton. The 21 plates of illustrations depict architecture, ornamental details, furniture, costume and more. Although the taste for chinoiserie was already well established in England by the 1750's, Chambers' book became an influential source for Chinese design in France and Germany. Thomas Jefferson's library also contained this title. The copy digitized here is held at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, NA1540 C5; and a microfilm copy of the English edition is available at Memorial Library Microforms Media Center.

Chapman, J. G. The American Drawing-Book

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.AmDrawBkChap

J. G. Chapman's The American Drawing-book: a manual for the amateur, and basis of study for the professional artist: especially adapted to the use of public and private schools, as well as home instruction became a standard manual for self-study and drawing instruction in nineteenth-century America. Chapman (1808-1898) studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, was elected a member of the National Academy in 1836, and was commissioned to paint "The Baptism of Pocahontas" for the Rotunda of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. His drawing instruction book was originally published in 1847. The electronic facsimile included here was taken from the 1870 new edition, revised and corrected by the author. The volume is held at the UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, WM C46 Cutter.

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Chippendale, Thomas. The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.ChippGentCab

Thomas Chippendale's The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director was the most widely-owned furniture design book in America during the eighteenth century. The first edition (published in London in 1754) contains 160 engraved plates of designs for household furniture "in the Gothic, Chinese and Modern Taste." A second edition with no substantive changes was published in 1755; and an enlarged third edition with new plates was published in 1762. For electronic facsimile, we chose the first edition volume acquired by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2001 in celebration of the library's acquisition of its six millionth book. The volume is now housed in the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, CA 15463.

The Craftsman (1901-1916)

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.HomeDesign

In 1901, Gustav Stickley, a premier proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement in North America, along with United Crafts of Eastwood N.Y. published the first issue of The Craftsman. The monthly journal was dedicated to the products, ideals and philosophy of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The Craftsman espoused the ideal of simple, functional design and the "necessity of producing good art as a means to improve public morals and further public happiness" (Foreword from v.2, no.3, 1902). Topics include furniture making, domestic architecture, interior design, landscape design, decorative arts, textiles, industry and social commentary. There are also numerous articles by and about major artisans and proponents of the Arts and Crafts Movement, such as William Morris, John Ruskin, Charles Binns, Irene Sargent, Frederick Law Olmsted and Harvey Ellis. Full of illustrations and photographs, The Craftsman provides a multifaceted and detailed look into the movement and its beginnings in North America. The journal ceased publication in 1916.

Presented here is a full-text digital facsimile of The Craftsman (1901-1916), made from the holdings of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Steenbock Library and Kohler Art Library. The full text is keyword searchable within the limits of optical character recognition software. The contents for each issue can also be browsed; and thumbnail images of pages in sequence can be displayed using "gallery view." Indexing of The Craftsman in commercial sources is available via "Readers' Guide Retrospective" online by the H. W. Wilson Co., and the print volume: "The New Craftsman Index," by Marilyn Fish (Lambertville, NJ: Arts and Crafts Quarterly Press, 1997).

de Wolfe, Elsie. The House in Good Taste

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.deWolfeHouse

Elsie de Wolfe (1865-1950) is credited as the first American woman to make a professional career in interior decoration. After a background in theater and set design, she began to take commissions for home decoration from wealthy clients. Her series of articles in "Good Housekeeping" and the "Delineator" formed the basis for The House in Good Taste, (1914) digitized here. Elsie de Wolfe's design principles of simplicity and light (light colors, daylight, reflective mirrors) countered the prevailing Victorian style and shaped the taste of the early twentieth century. Several copies of this title are available on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, including a 1913 edition in the Cairns Collection of American Women Writers.

Edwards, George. A Natural History of Birds; Gleanings of Natural History

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.NatHistEd1

English naturalist George Edwards (1694-1773), like his contemporary Mark Catesby, made a major contribution to the eighteenth century's understanding of world flora and fauna via his illustrated publications. Edwards, a fellow of the Royal Society and Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians, spent over 20 years compiling the seven volumes presented in digital format here. He began A Natural History of Birds with volume 1 issued in 1743. Three subsequent volumes appeared in 1747, 1750, and 175l. Under the new title of Gleanings of Natural History, three additional volumes were issued in 1758, 1760, and 1764. Illustration plates, 362 in all, present nearly 600 subjects in natural history. The volumes digitized here are the property of the Chipstone Foundation of Fox Point, Wisconsin.

Edwards, John. A Select Collection of One Hundred Plates: consisting of the most beautiful, exotic and British flowers which blow in our English gardens

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.EdwardsHerbal

John Edwards (1742?-1815?) was a British botanical artist whose career flourished during the period 1763-1812. A member of the Free Society of Artists, he exhibited at the Society of Artists as well as the Royal Academy. Aside from his "fine art" endeavors, Edwards was also active in the decorative arts through his designs for textile printers. His book publications began in 1769/1770 with a work issued in monthly parts called "Edward's British Herbal." The 1775 publication presented here has the more extensive title: "A Select Collection of One Hundred Plates: consisting of the most beautiful, exotic and British flowers which blow in our English gardens: accurately drawn and coloured from nature, with their botanic characters, and a short account of their cultivation, their uses in medicine, with the Latin and English names." The book's intent is at once aesthetic, educational, and practical. Our copy bears a 1785 inscription from a grandmother to her grandchildren, suggesting that such herbals could be used for the enjoyment and teaching of children. Alternatively, suggestive of a more scholarly audience, Joseph Banks, an eminent figure in British natural history, mentions Edwards' British Herbal in his 1797 "Bibliography of Natural History" [Catalogus Bibliothecae Historico-naturalis Josephi Banks]. Note that the book's page arrangement is slightly complex. Two illustration plates are followed by several pages of descriptive text, then more descriptive text pages precede the relevant illustrations. For your convenience, our online Contents subdivides the book into sections of two plates and associated text. The volume from which this online facsimile was made is held at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, Thordarson T945.

Gleadall, Eliza Eve. The Beauties of Flora

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.BeautFlora

In The Beauties of Flora (1834), Eliza Eve Gleadall combines poetry, prose and illustration to convey the sentimental/emblematic as well as scientific and aesthetic aspects of flowers. The author was an instructor of young ladies at a Yorkshire school offering tutelage in English grammar, history, reading, "fashionable works," French, Italian, music, drawing, dancing, writing, geography, and astronomy. The book is intended as a "chaste recreation" for such suitably educated youth. The 1834 volume contains 20 lithographed plates and was privately published by the author at Heath Hall near Wakefield. A second volume, not available in our collection, followed in 1836. The digital facsimile provided here was made from the 1834 volume held at the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, at Thordarson T 1722. It is featured in a local exhibition entitled "Women and Nature," documented online at: http://specialcollections.library.wisc.edu/exhibits/womennature/sectionpages/floralsentiment.html

Grigsby, Leslie B. (Leslie Brown). The Longridge Collection of English Slipware and Delftware

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.Longridge

The Longridge Collection, one of the finest private collections of British delft and slipware in the world, is documented in a detailed two-volume catalogue written by Leslie B. Grigsby with contributions by Michael Archer, Margaret Macfarlane, and Jonathan Horne. With permission of the copyright holder, the UW-Madison libraries are happy to provide an online facsimile of this catalogue, The Longridge Collection of English Slipware and Delftware (London: Jonathan Horne, 2000), and make the scholarly information it contains available to researchers. The text is fully searchable to the limits of optical character recognition software. The volumes scanned are held in the collection of the UW-Madison's Kohler Art Library, at NK3740 L66 G75 2000. [In addition to the digitized full text, photographs of the Longridge ceramics are accessible in the searchable image collection of the Digital Library for the Decorative Arts.]

Halfpenny, William. Useful Architecture

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.Halfpenny

William Halfpenny's Useful Architecture...in Twenty-five New Designs, with...Instructions...for Erecting Parsonage-Houses, Farm-Houses, and Inns... (London, 1760) provides designs "at the most moderate expence." This builder's pattern book includes 21 plates, 20 of which provide plan and elevation views for houses and related farm buildings and one which provides designs for trussed bridges. Comparative cost estimates for brick or stone construction are also given. William Halfpenny was the pseudonym for Michael Hoare, a prolific architectural writer. Twelve titles by this author are recorded as being available in the American colonies before 1776. The electronic facsimile was created from the volume housed in the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, WF45 H13 A Cutter.

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Hepplewhite, George. The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.FurnDesHepp

George Hepplewhite, the London furniture designer, died in 1786. No documented furniture from his workshop is known today. Two years later, his widow Alice Hepplewhite published The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide, containing designs for chairs, sofas, beds, tables, and a wide variety of case furniture reflecting the then-prevailing Adam style. Revised editions appeared in 1789 and 1794. A century later, when this furniture style was enjoying a revival, the 1794 edition was re-printed and published in 1897. The 1897 facsimile reprint is digitized here, consisting of a short text introduction and 128 leaves of plates showing nearly 300 designs. The book is located at the UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, NK2542 H5 1794a.

The Housekeeper's Book...

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.LadyHouseBk

The housekeeper's book: comprising advice on the conduct of household affairs...prepared for the use of American housekeepers... (1837) is a compendium of useful information on housecleaning, servants, cooking techniques and recipes, flowers, laundry and more. Although the volume's author is cited merely as "a Lady," this book has been attributed to Frances H. McDougall (i.e., Frances H. Green). A 10-page contents section provides detailed access to the extensive collection of recipes and hints. This detailed level of household information is useful for the historical study of material culture and everyday life. Since the book was published in Philadelphia in 1837, it thus gives important insight into the material culture of the early United States. The original of this volume is located in the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, at TX715 H832 1837, as part of the Cairns Collection of American Women Writers.

The Illustrated Catalogue of the Universal Exhibition, 1867

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.IllusCatEx

The Illustrated Catalogue of the Universal Exhibition held in Paris in 1867 was published in London, in association with the Art Journal. This publication is lavishly illustrated with wood engravings depicting examples of decorative arts and furniture on display from manufacturers in the United States, Egypt, and throughout Europe. The volume digitized here is held at the UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, call number W 2AR7 Cutter (Cage). To locate illustrations in our online version, see the Table of Contents: Exhibitors of Works Engraved. This index, organized by type of object (Carpets, Damasks, Fans, Furniture...), lists page numbers for objects submitted by each exhibitor. Use the "Go to page" box to locate a specific page in the electronic facsimile.

Johnson, Thomas. One Hundred and Fifty New Designs

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.Carver

One Hundred and Fifty New Designs, by Thomas Johnson, Carver, contains 53 plates of carving designs useful for ornamentation of mirror and picture frames, tables, stands, chimneypieces and ceilings in the Rococo style. Originally published in London in 1758 in an untitled folio, the titled second edition (London, 1761) is reproduced in electronic facsimile here. The volume is held in the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, Thordarson 3431.

Jones, Owen. The Grammar of Ornament

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.GramOrnJones

Jones, Owen. Examples of Chinese Ornament Selected from Objects in the South Kensington Museum and other Collections

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.JonesChinOrn

Owen Jones (1809-1874), English designer and architect, began a Grand Tour in 1832 that exposed him not only to the classical architecture of Greece but also Islamic design influences in Turkey, Egypt and Spain. Jones' first publication was a study of the Spanish Alhambra, and his own early architectural work relied heavily on Islamic sources. In the early 1850s, Jones began to lecture on the underlying theoretical principles of ornament as well as their historical forms. His thirty-seven axioms of design were expounded in his influential book, The Grammar of Ornament (London, 1856), which includes over 100 color illustrations of historical styles of ornament. Jones' later publication, Examples of Chinese Ornament Selected from Objects in the South Kensington Museum and Other Collections (London, 1867), provides an additional 100 color plates based on objects from the London museum we know today as the Victoria and Albert. For digitization we have chosen a 1910 reprint of Grammar, housed in the UW-Madison Kohler Art Library at NK1510 J7, where two editions from the 1860s are also available. The 1867 edition of Examples (plate V. missing) is available as Kohler Art Library NK1483 J7.

Krafft, J.C. (Jean-Charles or Johann Karl). Plans des plus beaux jardins pittoresque.../Plans of the Most Beautiful Picturesque Gardens...

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.KrafftPlans

Krafft, J.C. (Jean-Charles or Johann Karl). Recueil d'architecture civile...

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.KrafftArch

J. C. (Jean-Charles or Johann Karl) Krafft (1764-1833) was a naturalized French architect and designer, originally born in Germany. His illustrated works on gardens and their architectural elements disseminated then-modern design for the edification of his contemporary audience. Today, these works provide continued documentation on gardens and ornamental features that may no longer exist. The 1809 first volume of Plans des plus beaux jardins pittoresque.../Plans of the Most Beautiful Picturesque Gardens... is presented in digital facsimile here. The volume contains text in French, English and German and presents 96 engraved illustrations of gardens and garden buildings. A second companion volume, not digitized here, was published in 1810, including an additional 96 illustrations. The 1809 volume is held on the UW-Madison campus at the Kohler Art Library, SB471 K82.

A second publication by Krafft, entitled Recueil d'architecture civile... (1812), provides 121 leaves of engravings depicting ground plans, elevations and ornamental details of buildings and estates near Paris. Although the short descriptive text in this volume is entirely in French, the illustrations would have interested those Americans with an interest in France and French design. Thomas Jefferson owned a similar title in his library, described in the inventory as "Plans de Maisons de Paris, par Krafft et Ransonette, fol." The volume digitized here is held at UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, NA 1041 K8..

Langley, Batty. The City and Country Builder's and Workman's Treasury of Designs

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.CityCtryLang

Batty Langley and his brother Thomas, combining the skills of architect, gardener, drawing master, and engraver, collaborated to produce a popular compendium of architectural and furniture designs, some of which were copied from other pattern books of the time. The City and Country Builder's and Workman's Treasury of Designs (London, 1740, 1745, 1750, 1756, 1770) was advertised for sale by booksellers in eighteenth century Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. Copies were owned by William Buckland, John Mercer, and Robert Carter of Virginia and by Peter Harrison of Newport. The volume's 200 engraved plates illustrate designs for columns, windows, even decorative fences, as well as furniture. The 1756 edition digitized here is held in the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, Thordarson T 3496.

Lear, Edward. Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots: the greater part of them species hitherto unfigured, containing forty-two lithographic plates, drawn from life, and on stone

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.LearParrots

Edward Lear (1812-1888) began his art career while still a teenager. Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots (1832), containing 42 large-format ornithological illustrations, was published before he was 20 years old. The volume is remarkable for its folio size and for content focused on a single family of birds. Under the patronage of Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby, Lear was able to travel abroad and develop his talents as a landscape painter. He traveled extensively for the remainder of his life, making drawings and sketches of the places he visited. Between 1841 and 1860 he published seven books illustrating his travels. During the 1850’s his oil paintings were exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution in London. Aside from his career as a topographical painter, Lear was also famous for his wit and wordplay. He authored a number of popular books of limericks and nonsense rhymes, often with humorous illustrations, including “The Owl and the Pussycat.” The original volume scanned for our online facsimile is held at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, at Thordarson T 3524.

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LeRouge, George Louis. Detail des nouveaux jardins a la mode

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.RougeDet

Georges-Louis Le Rouge (Parisian cartographer and map dealer, active 1775-1788) published a series of portfolios on garden designs under the general titles of Jardins anglo-chinois ou details des nouveaux jardins a la mode. Having a wide distribution, these portfolios were influential in disseminating information about new styles of gardening to an international audience. The entire collation consists of 496 illustration plates issued in 21 parts over a span of a dozen years. Complete sets are very rare. Cahier VI (30 plates) is presented in digital facsimile here although blank reverse sides of the illustration plates were not scanned. Cahier VI includes gardens of Windsor, Kew, Renelagh, Darmstadt, St. Cloud, Marley, Trianon and others. Illustrations depict garden plans and views, including structures such as bridges, fountains and garden buildings.The original publication (Cahier VI only) is housed at the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, SB465 L45 1777.

The Masterpieces of the Centennial International Exhibition Illustrated, 1876

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.MastCent

The Masterpieces of the Centennial International Exhibition Illustrated (1876) is a 3-volume catalog presenting highlights of the fine art (vol. I.), the industrial art (vol. II.), and the history, mechanics and science (vol. III.) on display in Philadelphia at this major international exposition celebrating the U.S. Centennial. The second volume, by Walter Smith, is of particular interest for students of decorative arts. To locate specific illustrations, use the section entitled Contents of Volume II: Illustrations of Industrial Art, at pages v through x, to identify page numbers for illustrations. Then use the "Go to Page" navigational function to specify the page number you select. Illustrations in other volumes are similarly indexed. Note that the third volume contains an essay on the history of the exhibition. Three copies of this catalog series are available on the UW-Madison campus, along with many additional publications associated with the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.

The New Path

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.NewPath

The New Path (May, 1863-December, 1865) was a short-lived but significant journal published in New York by the Society for the Advancement of Truth in Art. The society and its journal espoused the aesthetic principles of John Ruskin and the English Pre-Raphaelite movement. The journal is of interest for its content and provides an example of one of the earlier art journals published in the United States. The full text is searchable here, relying on optical character recognition software to analyze the scanned pages. This journal is also among those indexed by the UW-Madison licensed resource, Index to Nineteenth-Century American Art Periodicals. The original text volume is available at the UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, AP N532 P297.

The Mirror of the Graces...

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.MirrorGraces

The mirror of the graces; or, The English lady's costume: ...with useful advice on female accomplishments, politeness, and manners.... by a Lady of Distinction... (1811) is a readable and informative "conduct book" directed to young women of the early 19th century. It covers dress, deportment, and dancing, as well as providing recipes for making creams, soaps and cosmetics. There are four colored plates depicting women's costume for morning, evening, promenade, and the opera. This detailed level of information on behavior and personal adornment is useful for the historical study of material culture and everyday life. The original of this volume is available at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, at Thordarson T2194.

Pain, William. Pain's British Palladio

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.PainPraHouse

Pain, William. The Practical House Carpenter

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.PainPaBritPall

Two architectural pattern books by William Pain are provided in the Digital Library for Decorative Arts. The Practical House Carpenter helped popularize the Adam Style in Great Britain and America during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The work went through many editions and was published in London and later in Boston. For the electronic facsimile, we used the 1792 fourth edition from the Chipstone Foundation collection. Pain's British Palladio: or the Builder's General Assistant was published in London in 1788. For the electronic facsimile we used the copy held in the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, call number NA 251 P2. Both it and the Practical House Carpenter contain tables showing prices for labor and materials.

Papworth, John Buonarotti. Hints on Ornamental Gardening

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.PapworthHints

John Buonarotti Papworth (1775-1847) was one of the leading British architects of his time, as well as a landscape gardener, artist, and designer of furniture and decorative objects for an international clientele. His Hints on Ornamental Gardening: Consisting of a series of designs for garden buildings, useful and decorative gates, fences, railings, &c. (1823) contains 28 hand-colored aquatint plates with the "General Plan" in Plate I showing "before and after " design versions. The copy digitized here is held in the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, Thordarson T3911. Our online facsimile presents scans of the complete volume, including blank pages. This volume was produced by Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834), the respected London art print and book publisher.

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Percier, Charles. Recueil de décorations intérieures...

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.Percier

Charles Percier and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine's Recueil de décorations intérieures... (1801), was published during the year the two were appointed France's architects du gouvernement by Napoleon and while they were overseeing the decoration of his home Malmaison at the request of Josephine Bonaparte. These French architects and designers are credited with the development of the Neoclassical Empire style. Our electronic facsimile presents the first three portfolios of a set of twelve in a deluxe hand-colored edition. Each portfolio contains six single-sheet colored engravings within a paper folder. The first portfolio (Cahier I) also contains a single-sheet title page and a four-page text describing plates I to XVII. The portfolio set is available in the UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library at NK2135 P4 1801a, Flat Shelving. The complete collection of Percier and Fontaine's 72 designs is available on campus in later uncolored editions and on microform. Also notable is the fact that the Ryerson and Burnham Archives at the Art Institute of Chicago contain a collection of original architectural drawings, prints, and a manuscript, purchased as part of Fontaine's library in 1927.

Plaw, John. Sketches for Country Houses, Villas, and Rural Dwellings

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.CountHousePlaw

John Plaw (1745-1820) was an English, later Canadian, architect who pioneered in designing cottages and farm buildings in the age of agricultural improvement. His Sketches for country houses, villas, and rural dwellings; calculated for persons of moderate income, and for comfortable retirement (1800) was published in London but was also advertised for sale in America immediately after publication. The book opens with comments on terrain and choosing building sites (with one plate illustration), and then provides brief text descriptions and 41 aquatint plates showing ground plans and views of architectural designs. Among the more unusual designs are circular-plan cottages at Plate 4 and Plate 12 and a triangular-plan structure at Plate 32. The aquatint plates, although reproduced here in black and white, are printed in sepia ink in the original. The volume digitized is held at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, NA7562 P6.

A Representation of the Manufacturing of Earthenware

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.RepManEarth

A Representation of the Manufacturing of Earthenware: with twenty-one highly finished copperplate engravings, and a short explanation of each, shewing the whole process of the pottery is the title of a small, ornately-bound illustrated book depicting the production of Staffordshire pottery as of 1827. Authorship is attributed to Enoch Wood, a well-known manufacturer of earthenware of this period. Wood's business provided a variety of wares for export to America. This volume is held in UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collection, Duveen D1372.

Repton, Humphry. Sketches and Hints on Landscape Gardening

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.ReptonSketches

Sir Humphry Repton (1752-1818) was a celebrated landscape designer for the English landed gentry. His first publication, Sketches and hints on landscape gardening... [1794], is digitized here. This publication's content is drawn from material contained in earlier "Red Books." Repton had developed an innovative method for illustrating his designs to prospective clients. He presented them with red-bound volumes outlining suggested improvements to their estates and depicting the ideas in watercolor illustrations. Via tabbed overlays and hinged flaps, illustrations could show landscape views both before and after Repton's proposed modifications. In our online facsimile, illustration plates with moveable flaps are shown in two states; and the complete volume, including blank pages, was scanned. The original is located in the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, Thordarson T 4083.

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Rothschild, Lionel Walter. Extinct Birds

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.RothsExtinct

Lionel Walter Rothschild (1868-1937), second Baron Rothschild, was a British zoologist and lifelong collector of insects, birds, and mammals. He founded the Rothschild Natural History Museum in London; and his collection of bird specimens was sold in 1932 to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. After reading a paper on extinct and vanishing birds before the 1905 IVth International Ornithological Congress, Rothschild was persuaded to compile a more comprehensively illustrated volume on the topic. The result, Extinct birds. An attempt to unite in one volume a short account of those birds which have become extinct in historical times..., was published in 1907 in a limited edition of 300 copies. The digital facsimile provided here was made from copy No. 23, held at the UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, at Thordarson T 1496. Among the volume's 49 plates are a number of theoretical illustrations reconstructing the possible appearance of birds known only from verbal accounts and skeletal remains.

Sloan, Samuel. Sloan's Homestead Architecture

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.Sloan

Samuel Sloan's Sloan's Homestead Architecture, containing forty designs for villas, cottages, and farm houses... (1861) is one of five architectural pattern books created by this prolific Philadelphia designer at the height of his career. Known for innovative hospital and school designs, as well as residential buildings, Sloan was a joint editor of America's first architectural periodical, "Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal" (1868-9), and was made a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Although his reputation suffered in political scandals following the Civil War, Sloan took second prize in the competition for Philadelphia's Centennial Exposition of 1876 and continued to practice architecture in North Carolina until his death. The volume digitized here is held at UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library (Locked Stacks), WIM S63S Cutter.

Speltz, Alexander. Styles of Ornament

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.StyOrnSpeltz

In 1904, Alexander Speltz's encyclopedic collection of ornamental designs was published in Germany. The second German edition (1906), translated into English by David O'Conor, is presented in electronic facsimile here with the complete title of: Styles of Ornament: exhibited in designs, and arranged in historical order, with descriptive text. A handbook for architects, designers, painters, sculptors, wood-carvers, chasers, modellers, cabinet-makers and artistic locksmiths as well as also for technical schools, libraries and private study. Containing 400 plates of illustrations, the volume presents a survey of ornamental motifs from prehistory to the early nineteenth century. A copy of the edition chosen for digitization is held at the UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, NK 1530 S7 1906.

Stickley, Gustav. Craftsman Homes

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.CraftHouseStick

Osceola, WI-born Gustav Stickley (1858-1942) became one of the most important leaders of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the United States. His activities included furniture manufacture and home construction based on his designs, as well as publication of the influential journal, "The Craftsman" (1901-16). The 1909 text digitized here, Craftsman Homes, presents a selection of home designs originally published in the journal. Views and ground plans for the houses, as well as illustrations of interior spaces, are presented. Additional chapters elaborate on the "craftsman idea" as applied to landscaping, room functions and decoration, and also include sections on furniture, metal work, and fabric. The volume chosen for this e-facsimile is held at UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, NA7110 S75.

Studer, Jacob. Birds of North America

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.BirdsNAStud

Jacob H. Studer's Birds of North America (1903, original copyright 1888) contains 119 color lithographed illustrations depicting over 700 species of birds, as well as descriptive text providing a popularized account of the birds' habits and characteristics, a table arranging the birds according to the classification adopted by the American Ornithologists' Union, and an index. At once scholarly and popular, scientific and artistic, this edition was published under the auspices of the Natural Science Association of America and sold by subscription in 1903 for the impressive sum of $40.00. The original drawings were made from nature by Theodore Jasper and revised by John Graham Bell. The volume chosen for digitization is held in the UW-Madison, Biology Library Rare Books Collection, PE ST9 Cutter. Our efacsimile presentation of Studer's late nineteenth century work on ornithology enables scholarly comparisons of illustrations, organization and content with the Catesby and Edwards volumes of the mid-eighteenth century and the Wilson edition from the earlier nineteenth century also presented here.

Thornton, Robert John. Temple of Flora

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.ThornTempFlo

Temple of Flora: or Garden of the Botanist, Poet, Painter and Philosopher is the third and final part of Robert John Thornton's New Illustration of the Sexual System of Carolus van Linnaeus. This project was envisioned to consist of 90 prints, compiled with explanations by Thornton. Thornton, a physician who received a considerable inheritance upon the death of his parents, bankrupted himself in the process and could not finish the work. This 1812 quarto edition from the Chipstone Collection was originally published to raise funds for the completion of the project. It was printed in color using a variety of techniques - aquatint, mezzotint, stipple and line engraving - and finished by hand. The original paintings for the edition were produced by several artists, including Peter Henderson, Philip Reinagle, Abraham Pether and Sydenham Edwards. The illustration of roses was painted by Thornton. More interesting for its artistic rather than scientific merit, the Temple of Flora is a landmark of romantic idealism.

Tod, George. Plans, Elevations and Sections, of Hot-houses, Green-houses, an Aquarium, Conservatories…

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.TodGPlans

George Tod, a British surveyor and hot-house builder, provides color illustrations and descriptions of 26 "glass houses," chiefly of his own design, in the 1823 publication: Plans, elevations and sections, of hot-houses, green-houses, an aquarium, conservatories, &c., recently built in different parts of England, for various noblemen and gentlemen: including a hot-house and green-house in Her late Majesty's gardens at Frogmore. Technological improvements in sheet glass production in the eighteenth century made glass architecture more easily possible; and interest in hothouses was strong on both sides of the Atlantic for agricultural, scientific and aesthetic reasons. Greenhouses extended fruit and flower growing seasons and/or allowed cultivation and study of exotic species of non-native plants. "Winter gardens" could also be social spaces for entertaining guests in human-created Edens. In the American colonies, orangeries were built at Mount Clare and Mount Airy in Richmond County, Virginia, as early as the 1760s. George Washington's preliminary plans and construction notes for an orangery at Mount Vernon still exist. Advertisements in early New York City newspapers suggest that greenhouses were also popular there, allowing urban residents the benefits of nature and the countryside. The electronic facsimile of Tod's designs was created from the 1823 volume in the UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, WIM T56 Cutter.

Wharton, Edith. The Decoration of Houses

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.DecHouseWhar

The Decoration of Houses (1897), by Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman, Jr., has been called the first book on interior design ever written. It stands as a classic text for the field today. Initial chapters are devoted to aspects of house interiors such as walls, windows, and stairs, followed by chapters devoted to functional spaces such as dining rooms and bedrooms. Primarily a written text, this edition is illustrated with 56 photographs and contains a bibliography of books consulted. The 1898 edition (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons) chosen for this electronic facsimile is housed at the UW-Madison, Kohler Art Library, NK 2110 W5.

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Wilson, Alexander. American Ornithology

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.AmOrnWil

American Ornithology is the outcome of Alexander Wilson's ambition to create a comprehensive illustrated book on North American birds. Wilson (1766-1813), an immigrant to the USA from Scotland, developed an interest in ornithology and bird illustration late in his short life. His preparation for this publication included study of other illustrated natural history books, such as those by Mark Catesby and George Edwards, sketching from mounted bird specimens available in Charles Wilson Peale's natural history museum in Philadelphia, and extensive travel and field work done in search of new birds. The original edition of American Ornithology (1808-1814) was sold by subscription, and volumes 8 and 9 were finished from Wilson's notes after his death. The 1828-1829 edition presented here is in four volumes. It marries three text volumes, owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries, with a plate volume owned by the Chipstone Foundation that contains the 76 hand-colored engravings of birds referenced in the text. The digitized edition also contains an essay on the life of Alexander Wilson, who has come to be known as the "Father of American Ornithology."