Soane, Sir John (1753--1837). Designs for Public and Private Buildings - Criticism
Designs for public improvements in London and Westminster, by John Soane. The second impression; with further improvements and explanatory illustrations. By John Soane, ...
London (Place), printed by James Moyes,, 1828.
vi, [1], 2--36, [2] p.; 51 [i.e. 55 ] etch. pl. (1-51, 31 bis, 52--54); 49cm. (2°)

The first edition, based on the unpublished Brief statement of the proceedings respecting the new law courts at Westminster (q.v.), was printed for private circulation in September 1827 (q.v.). Printing of the 'second impression' was in progress by January 1828. (Archives 7/11/15). Two forms of what is in fact an entirely new edition of the text seem to have been intended. The most textually complete version is that represented by the BAL copy, containing 77 pages of letterpress, the latter half containing 'Explanatory Illustrations ...' (fly-title, p. [33]) consisting of often acrimonious notes to pp. 2--31; in this form, probably intended for very limited circulation, there are 51 numbered plates. Both copies in the Soane Museum are a variant in which all after p. 31 is replaced by two separately printed leaves numbered 33--36, including descriptions of three additional plates numbered 52--54, showing Soane's house at Lincoln's Inn Fields and the tomb designed for his wife in St Pancras Churchyard. Some copies include a variable number of inserted plates, for example a bis pl. 31 (later renumbered 21*), as in Soane copy 1. A third edition, consisting of a revision of this version of the text with plates 1--54 and 21*, was published by Priestley and Weale, probably in March 1828, as Designs for public and private buildings (q.v.). For a comprehensive overview of the editions of this work see notes to BAL. BAL, Early printed books, no. 3091.

Copy Notes Copy 1: With fairly lengthy manuscript notes by Soane in the margins, some of them in French quoting Roland Le Virloys' Dictionnaire d'architecture, 1770 (q.v.) and dated 26 and 27 March 1829. Soane may have been contemplating a French edition of his book.
Copy 2: Imperfect; letterpress only, wanting the plates.

Binding Copy 1: C19th quarter black roans, brown paper boards, gilt-ruled and lettered 'Designs For Public Improvemts. &c.'. Copy 2: C19th grey paper wrappers.

Reference Number 6572

Additional Names Soane, Sir John (1753--1837). Designs for Public and Private Buildings - Criticism