English Heritage

Danson House; the anatomy of a Georgian villa.

For students of Georgian architecture and restoration practitioners, Lea et al., who worked on the house's conservation and repair, document architect Robert Taylor's Danson House (1762-1766), a Palladian villa built for London merchant John Boyd, who made his fortune in the West Indies sugar trade. They detail the house, the estate, its owners, origins, architect, structure, landscaping, decoration and iconography, and restoration by English Heritage between 1995 and 2002 after a long period of neglect, including how the building evolved from construction, wings that were added and demolished, and how the interiors were modified to accommodate Victorian standards. Drawings, diagrams, and photos are included. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

John Madin.

This monograph examines the work of twentieth century English architect John Madin and discusses his contributions to the post-war development of public buildings in Birmingham. Much of Madin's work is considered inelegant by modern critics and municipal leaders and several prominent examples have been demolished. This volume is published in conjunction with the Twentieth Century Society, a group seeking to preserve out of favor contemporary architectural structures for future generations. The text is supported by a nice selection of photographs and illustrations. Clawley is a Birmingham architect. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)