The Country House Book Collector Volumes I & II
A catalogue of books illustrating country houses. This collection of published books which primarily contain the images of country houses in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. The first volume is confined to regional books with views of country houses and the second volume covers monographs, that is guidebooks and collections of prints illustrating single country houses
Above: Wardour Castle. The frontispiece from J.Rutter’s guide to Wardour Castle 1822.
The Country House has a unique place in the social fabric of Georgian Victorian and Edwardian life, which has remarkably survived into the 21st century. The country house combines the art forms of architecture, landscape gardening, pictorial art, sculpture with historical families. The book collection illustrates many country houses and their interiors for those who also love books and their illustrations.
Above: Woodsome Hall. A plate from ‘Six Views of Woodsome Hall Published by W.Cowen in 1851.
It is hoped that this publication will provide a more complete bibliography when added to the two existing bibliographies which have been produced by Michael Holmes of the National Art Library (V&A) called “The Country House Described” and John Harris’s “A Country House Index”. These books are an essential source for students interested in the history of the art architecture and families associated with the country house.
Above: Knowle Cottage. One of four plates from ‘Illustrations of Knowle Cottage Sidmouth. 1823. By John Wallis.
This work seeks to expand on existing bibliographies by including the title page and many photographic illustrations of the books described and their contents. Many books which are indexed in the first volume are not referred to in the previous bibliographies so many more houses are included in the index.
Above: Moor Park. Taken from Robert Bayne’s Moor Park 1871.
There are 110 books listed in the first volume and 237 in the second. They contain a photograph of every book or its title page or plates. The title page to each book is described in full as well as containing information concern the pagination the size and usually a description of the book or house to which it relates.
Both volumes contain an introduction and there is an index in the first volume listing the houses illustrated in the books described.