Bricks were introduced to Britain by the Romans and reintroduced by Flemish craftsmen in the middle ages. Until the early nineteenth century they were made in numerous small brickyards supplying local needs, but eventually increasing demand led to the invention of improved brickmaking machines and kilns. This book gives an insight into the surprising variety of bricks, as well as a brief history of brickmaking, descriptions of hand and machine moulding, drying, the use of kilns and firing. Despite competition from newer materials, brick still holds its own as a facing material and traditional...
Bricks were introduced to Britain by the Romans and reintroduced by Flemish craftsmen in the middle ages. Until the early nineteenth century they were...
The 1960s were intense and dynamic years of change for the visual arts in Britain. Ceramic design felt the full force of a revolution seen first in youth culture and fashion design. The British pottery industry moved away from a dependence upon foreign styles and developed instead the 'British Modern' style. By the end of the 1960s Britain was regarded as a world leader in design. This book examines how ceramic designers and manufacturers responded to challenges ranging from 'The Look' identified by the fashion designer Mary Quant to the Psychedelia of the late 1960s. About the...
The 1960s were intense and dynamic years of change for the visual arts in Britain. Ceramic design felt the full force of a revolution seen first in...
Whether it was 'the batille', 'the spike', 'the work'us' or simply 'the house', the Victorian workhouse was the cause of dread and shame for thousands of men, women and children. This book looks at the principles that lay beind the New Poor Law of 1834, at the design and construction of workhouses, and at the lives of those who entered them.
Whether it was 'the batille', 'the spike', 'the work'us' or simply 'the house', the Victorian workhouse was the cause of dread and shame for thousands...
Originating from jungle fowl, domesticated poultry was kept as far back as 2000 BC, and cockfighting was described by the historian Manu as early as 1000 BC. In more recent times many landowners in Britain bred splendid pure game fowl, but in commercial farming terms the pure breeds of poultry were of little interest compared to the hybrid bird. In the 1950s and 1960s many of the old breeds of poultry dwindled alomost to the point of extinction, but a resurgence of interest came just in time to save them. This book illustrates many of these, describing the historical background and the breeds...
Originating from jungle fowl, domesticated poultry was kept as far back as 2000 BC, and cockfighting was described by the historian Manu as early as 1...
Examines the humble thimble and its many varieties, from the simple workaday type to the rarer and more exquisite examples that gave scope for artists and craftsmen. This work gives an introduction to the possibilities that exist, including the parallel subject of thimble cases.
Examines the humble thimble and its many varieties, from the simple workaday type to the rarer and more exquisite examples that gave scope for artists...
This book provides a concise survey of the development of the longcase clock (popularly called the grandfather clock) in Britain. As well as being an accurate source of reference, the book explains how time is measured, how a pendulum regulates a clock, and what keeps it swinging. It describes the manufacture and characteristics of clock dials, hands and cases in a manner designed to help the reader to identify and date clocks
This book provides a concise survey of the development of the longcase clock (popularly called the grandfather clock) in Britain. As well as being ...
Wrought iron has been used as a decorative element in architecture from the eleventh century to the twentieth. At first a device to strengthen and embellish doors, wrought iron was soon adopted for free-standing screens and railings, examples of which can still be seen in churches and cathedrals. At the end of the seventeenth century iron screens, gates and railings became a fashionable element of country and town houses, resulting in the most creative period of decorative ironwork. The cheaper technique of cast iron led to a subsequent decline in wrought iron, although the latter underwent a...
Wrought iron has been used as a decorative element in architecture from the eleventh century to the twentieth. At first a device to strengthen and emb...
Pillar boxes were first introduced into Britain at the instigation of novelist and Post Office Surveyor Anthony Trollope. Nowadays the red postbox is a familiar sight in any city street or country lane. Because of their sturdy cast-iron construction British letter boxes are very durable, and examples of virtually every type from Queen Victoria's reign onwards can still be found. Pillar boxes, wall boxes of various kinds, lamp boxes and other non-standard specimens are included in this survey. It also describes and illustrates some of those from the Channel Islands, where pillar boxes were...
Pillar boxes were first introduced into Britain at the instigation of novelist and Post Office Surveyor Anthony Trollope. Nowadays the red postbox is ...
This book outlines the medals issued to British soldiers and sailors for military service across the globe. At a time of imperial expansion, British forces were almost constantly in action - against major powers (like Russia in 1854), in wars of conquest (as in West Africa in the 1880s), or in expeditions on the fringes of Empire, such as the North-West Frontier, southern Africa or Burma. Their campagin medals have become a popular field for collectors since, apart from the artistic merit of some awards, most British medals were officially named, making it possible to research the military...
This book outlines the medals issued to British soldiers and sailors for military service across the globe. At a time of imperial expansion, British f...
