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Unabridged and slightly altered Dover (1988) republication of the first edition of Number 500 General Catalogue of E. L. Roberts & Co., Chicago, 1903. 265 black-and-white illustrations. 130 black-and-white photographs. Index. Total of 400pp. 6.5 x 9.25 inches. Paperbound. ISBN 0-486-25697-9.
.When E.L. Roberts & Co. — a Chicago-based wholesale manufacturer of architectural woodwork — issued a catalog of its millwork products in 1903, the firm boasted that the publication included “more novel and useful features … than any sash and door catalogue yet published,” and that it was a book designed to satisfy “critical buyers who demand stylish and tasteful goods.”
The present volume, reproduced directly from a rare turn-of-the-century Roberts catalog, displays a vast assortment of finely-crafted products — from window blinds, brackets, china closets, church fittings, doors, frames, gable finishes, linen closets, moldings and office furniture to parquet floors, sashes, singles, sideboards, side lights, store fronts, wainscoting and windows.
Nearly 300 sharply-defined line drawings and photographs also provide detailed close-ups of exquisitely carved rosettes, head blocks, grilles, arches, and other decorative accents. Included in these illustrations are superb views of late-Victorian interiors finished with ornately carved balusters and newel posts, paneled walls, exquisite filigree, lovely stained glass windows and magnificent fireplace mantels.
Here's a practical source of plans and ideas for architects, students of architectural history, carpentry enthusiasts, preservationists, restorationists and anyone interested in the interior design and furnishings of a bygone era.
Cover design by Paul E. Kennedy.
(The above commentary is provided by Dover Publications, Inc.)
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