The Country Houses of Robert Adam: From the Archives of Country Life

Robert Adam is the only architect whose name appears in the Oxford English Dictionary to define a distinctive style, not only of architecture, but also of furniture and interior design. Given his preeminence, it is not surprising that barely a year has passed since 1913 in which Country Life did not feature at least one article on Adam’s work, and the magazine has accumulated an unrivaled archive of photographs of his buildings and their interiors. This book sets out to provide a pictorial survey of Adam’s country and town houses arranged in chronological order to show the development of his genius, including designs for furniture and interior fittings, as well as temples and estate buildings. The way in which the use and presentation of Adam’s houses has changed over the course of the past century also emerges, providing a record of social change as well as architectural achievement. Ten of his most important town houses are covered, as well as a variety of other buildings from Croome Church to Kedleston’s Fishing Temple. No visual survey of Adam’s work on this scale for the general reader has appeared for more than 30 years; the superb quality of the photography and reproduction make this book an unmatched record of one of the most versatile and productive architects of the 18th century.