PAIN, William and James.  PAIN'S BRITISH PALLADIO: OR, THE BUILDER'S GENERAL ASSISTANT....

PAIN, William and James.  PAIN'S BRITISH PALLADIO: OR, THE BUILDER'S GENERAL ASSISTANT....                                             

London: The Authors, 1786. Folio. Later half-calf, marbled boards, (ii), 14 pages, 42 plates, one of which is double. First edition. [Archer, 239.1; Harris, 634; Schimmelmann, Architectural Books, 97].

"This work will be universally useful to all carpenters, bricklayers, masons, joiners, plaisterers, and others, concerned in the several branches of building, &c."  With this pattern book an experienced builder could see a design through, from the plans to execution.  About a third of the plates are devoted to four complete designs for town houses.  The remainder are concerned with the fixtures and fittings: floor and stair framing and numerous moldings, column designs, etc.  Following the plate descriptions in the text is a seven-page detailed "Estimate of prices, for materials and labour, and labour only, adapted to the designs in Pain's British Palladio."  The Pain brothers are credited with spreading the Adams style throughout England and America.  There were copies of this book in the Library Company of Philadelphia, and the Baltimore Library Company prior to 1800.  Bookdealers in New York, Boston, Hartford, Connecticut and Albany, New York: Isaiah Thomas, John Fenno, Barzillai Hudson, Ebenezer Larkin, Samuel Larkin, David West, and James White, all advertised copies of this book in their bookselling catalogues by the end of the eighteenth century.    Professionally rebound in half-calf and marbled boards in eighteenth-century period style, internally very good.

 

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