Washington on View: The Nation's Capital Since 1790. This item is unavailable.Washington on View: The Nation's Capital Since 1790

The 15x11.5" format accommodates 160 color and 12 b&w illustrations, many of them decidedly horizontal, and accompanying text laid out in two wide (5.5") columns. Before photography, Washington, DC was the subject of numerous engravings, aquatints, and lithographs which were published separately as well as in newspapers and magazines, souvenir booklets, and guidebooks and brochures. A selection of these illustrations depicting buildings or districts, views from public structures, and bird's-eye views is presented along with descriptions of Washington from contemporary published works by journalists, architects, travelers, politicians, and others. Nine chapters review successive periods of growth and identify events that shaped the city's character. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Few histories of urban planning are visually appealing as well as scholarly, but the expert Reps has created a successful blend of well-written text and 172 handsome illustrations, mostly reproduced as plates. Spanning 1790 to 1985, the book is divided into 77 folios, each consisting of descriptions and criticisms drawn from period sources and relevant maps, prints, and drawings. Nine chapter essays divide the folios chronologically. The contributions of Pierre L'Enfant, James Hoban, Benjamin Latrobe, Andrew J. Downing, and Robert Mills, among others, are recorded. Helpful appendixes include definitions of print media and short biographies of writers quoted. Highly recommended for American history, architectural history, and urban planning collections.
- Kathleen Eagen Johnson, Histor ic Hudson Valley, Tarrytown, N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.