The Seats of the Nobility and Gentry in Great Britain and Wales in a Collection of Select Views, Engraved by W. Angus. From Pictures and Drawings of the most Eminent Artists with Description of each view

Angus, William

Published by W. Angus, 1815

In good condition. Gorgeously bound in full leather. Stamped gilt boards with pictorial decoration. Typical edge wear along board with light dryness. A few scuffs and minor abrasions to surfaces. Gilt work is lightly rubbed, but intact. Hinges beginning to split, but intact. Spine extremes lightly rubbed with dryness. Front gutter tender. Armorial bookplate of Sir David Lionel Goldsmid-Stern-Salomon s. Bart. Of Broomhill, Tunbridge, Wells. Interior evenly toned with light foxing throughout, as to be expected. Plates in near presentation quality. Binding tight and intact. Free of marginalia. Please see photos. Engraved calligraphic title, contents leaf and 63 fine copper engraved plates of the country seats in picturesque bucolic settings. A reasonable example of this country seats view book - often compared to the similar work by William Watts (1752 1851). Our book was owned by Sir David Lionel Golsmid-Stern Salomons 2nd Baronet. Salomons was was a British scientific author, barrister and pioneer of road transport. His home north of Tunbridge Wells, Broomhill, is preserved as the Salomons Museum. It is also a part of Markerstudy Group, and is a centre for postgraduate training, research and consultancy. Salomons was interested in electricity from an early age and when he inherited Broomhill in 1873, he set up large laboratories and workshops where he investigated electromotive force and electric conductors and carried out countless experiments. He took out patents for electric lamps, current meters and various improvements to electrical equipment. The workshops were said to contain some 60,000 tools, which could manufacture anything from a watch to a steam engine and also included a huge electromagnet. One of the new technologies Salomons installed at Broomhill was electric light. He had his own coal-fired generator and could produce enough electricity for 1,000 sixteen candle-power (about 60 watt) light bulbs. Electricity was installed on a small scale at first, in the workshops in 1874, where it was used for an arc light and to drive motors. Domestic electric lighting did not come in until about 1877 1880 when Joseph Swan invented a light bulb that could be used in homes, and Broomhill became one of the first to be lit with electricity. Seller Inventory # RAREB1815DTVZ

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Seats of the Nobility and Gentry in ...
Publisher: W. Angus
Publication Date: 1815
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket