Historic Ornament: Treatise of Decorative Art and Architectural Ornament

First edition, first impression. xx, 408pp, plus publisher’s catalogue at rear. Plate frontispiece and 436 further illustrations, a mix of plate illustrations and drawings in text. In green cloth-covered boards with extensive bind embossed decorations, gilt titles on spine. Top edge gilt, else deckled edges. Coloured endpapers. 8vo. Boards rubbed and rounded at corners and spine tips and joints, a few marks, cloth perhaps a little faded. Text block edges a tad darkened, affecting extreme edges of pages. Hinges cracked. The next page spread, and the verso of rear free endpaper, are covered with doodles/ sketches of young ladies in 1960s/Mary Quant style beachwear and evening dress – this may enhance the attraction of the book for some but for others would warrant its downgrading from ‘very good’ condition to ‘good’ only. Pencil markings and some spots on rear endpapers. A little spotting to first and last few pages, else contents clean, neat and tidy. An evocative, vintage volume full of intricate details of design and architecture.