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BREWER, James Norris (fl. 1799--1829)
A descriptive and historical account of various palaces, and public buildings, English and foreign. With biographical notices of their founders or builders, and other eminent persons. By James Norris Brewer.
London (Place), printed for W.H. Wyatt,, 1810.
viii, 323, [1] p., 16 pl. ; 26.7 cm. (4°)

Brewer, a novelist and magazine contributor, was the author of the Introduction to ... the beauties of England and Wales, 1818 (q.v.), Histrionic topography, 1818 and other topographical works. He provided the text for the present work to accompany the plates which were originally engraved for J. Wyatt and published in his periodical, The Monthly Magazine in 1802--3. These plates were reissued in 1809 by a relation, W.H. Wyatt, who in 1810 published the first edition in book form. The buildings considered in this edition are Somerset House, Linlithgow Palace, India House, El Escurial, Windsor Castle, the Seraglio at Constantinople, Cotsea Bhaug, Hampton Court, Monte Cavallo, Warwick Castle, the Fountain of Trevi, Holyrood House, Edinburgh Castle and the Pantheon at Paris. In his preface, dated 1 March 1810, Brewer explains that 'six numbers would form a volume, and would complete the work, unless the encouragement received should be sufficient to induce a continuation, comprehending every public building or palace worthy of observation ...'. In the event he was encouraged to continue the work in a total of 24 numbers which he published complete in 1821. See Bernard Adams, London illustrated (London 1983), no. 137; BAL, Early printed books, no. 377.

Copy Notes Front free-endpaper inscribed in ink ad/b. Although there is no documentation concerning Soane's acquisition of this volume, its binding bears the armorial crest and monogram of the Scottish politician James Stuart (1775--1849), whose extensive collection of books and other effects were sold at auction after his bankruptcy by D. Speare, Edinburgh, 19 November 1828. (ODNB).

Binding C19th citron oasis morocco, gilt roll-tool borders and gilt-tooled spine, upper- and lower-covers stamped in gilt with the crest (stamp 1) and monogram (stamp 2) respectively of James Stuart (1755--1849).

Reference Number 1765

Additional Names Stuart, James (1755--1849)


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