Notes on the Repair of Ancient Buildings 1903 SPAB Batsford 1st Edition William Morris
Notes on the Repair of Ancient Buildings
Issued by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB)
London: Published by the Committee and sold on their behalf by B.T. Batsford, 94 High Holborn, February 1903.
First Edition
A foundational work in the history of architectural conservation, issued by SPAB under the influence of William Morris and Philip Webb.
This manual codified the Society’s ethical approach to the repair and preservation of historic buildings, opposing destructive restoration practices and establishing principles that remain central to conservation today.
Chapters cover every aspect of historic building maintenance and repair — from masonry, roofs, and windows to ironwork, fittings, ivy, and ruins — concluding with the Society’s celebrated Statement of Principles.
Includes several architectural plates and line drawings, such as A Church in Hertfordshire.
Publisher: B.T. Batsford, London
Year: 1903
Edition: First Edition
Format: Small octavo
Binding: Original linen-backed grey boards with printed title
Pagination: 72 pages
Condition:
Clean, solid copy with light wear to boards and spine
Occasional foxing; binding firm
Armorial bookplate of the St Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society to front pastedown
A scarce and historically important SPAB publication, representing the formalisation of conservation philosophy in Britain.
Essential reading for scholars of architectural heritage, preservation, and the Arts & Crafts movement.
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