DURAND,, Jean Nicolas Louis (1760--1834)
Précis des leçons d'architecture données a l'École Polytechnique, par J. N. L. Durand, architecte et professeur d'architecture. Premier (second) volume contenant trente-deux planches. ...
A Paris (Place), chez l'auteur, a l'Ecole Polytechnique,, 1802 (1809).
2 vols ; 26.9 cm. (4°)
I: [4], viii, 110, [2] p., 10, 22 pl.
II: [4], 102, [2] p., 32 pl.

The 'Petit Durand' was specifically designed as a textbook for Durand's course on architecture at the École Polytechnique, and soon became required reading for architectural students in general. See Werner Szambien, Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand 1760--1834 (Paris 1984). Volume II was first published in 1805; 1809 saw the first of many reprints of both volumes. The name of the printer of vol. I, J. M. Eberhart, is given on p. [112]. The plates in both volumes are double-page. BAL Early printed books, no. 951.

Copy Notes Soane acquired his copy of volume I in 1802, the year it was published, paying Josiah Taylor £1 5S. for it on 25 February 1803. On 12 June 1804 he paid Taylor 5s. for half binding with added blank paper and lettering &c. (Priv. Corr. XVI.E.1.7). Volume I inscribed in ink on title-page John Soane/ 1802, and in pencil abstract/ or/ summary; pencil translations of individual words in the margins and a pencil diagram of an arcade on p. 79. The blank pages were presumably reqested by Soane for notes; however, his earliest surviving notes date from 1809, and translations from 1815 (see Watkin, Soane, pp. 179--183). Soane was surprisingly late in acquiring a copy of the second volume which he bought from Josiah Taylor for £1 7s. 6d. on 3 November 1814. (Archive 7A/15/30). It was some time after that date that the two volumes were bound as one.

Binding C19th diced russia, blind-ruled and gilt-tooled borders, gilt-tooled fore-edges, gilt-tooled, double-ruled and lettered spine.

Reference Number 5043

Additional Names Josiah Taylor; École Polytechnique, Paris