Information Centre - Royal Institute of British Architects

Information Centre
Researching country houses
A brief guide to resources within the British
Architectural Library
Updated: June 2015
Contents
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Introduction
Search tools
Collections: Archives
Collections: Books
Collections: Biographical
information
Collections: Drawings
Collections: Journals
Collections: Photographs
Other sources
Information Centre
1
Introduction
Image: Information kiosk, Empire Exhibition, Glasgow, 1938
(©Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Library Photographs)
This document has been prepared by the Information Centre (part of the RIBA’s
British Architectural Library) to assist anyone wishing to conduct research into
country houses, using the collections of the Library. The Information Centre is
available to help RIBA members and the general public answer any questions about
architecture and the RIBA.
www.architecture.com/InformationCentre
The Library is a rich resource for the research into aspects of architecture. Its
collections books, archives, drawings, journals, and photographs contain over four
million items in a variety of languages and formats. Allied subjects such as
construction, engineering, landscape architecture, interior design and decoration,
planning, and construction law are also well represented. The Library is located on
two sites, both open to the public and without charge: the Reading Room at the
RIBA's headquarters, 66 Portland Place, London, and the RIBA Architecture Study
Rooms at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
It is a common misconception that the RIBA is the automatic repository for original
plans. Unless material has become part of the RIBA Library Drawings Collection by
donation or purchase, it remains the property of the architect. Original plans might be
with the architectural practice (if it still exists), with the responsible local planning
office or with the relevant county record office. Information is often available locally
via the local studies collections of public libraries. Alternatively, if a building has been
featured in the architectural press, plans, elevations and sections may have been
published.
For the latest information on the Library and its opening times, access and locations,
go to: www.architecture.com/Library
2
Search Tools
Image: Online catalogue
Available to the public are several tools to search the collections of the Library:
 online catalogue
 card catalogue
 grey books
Online catalogue
Use the online catalogue http://riba.sirsidynix.net.uk/uhtbin/webcat to search and
locate material from the collections of the British Architectural Library at the RIBA.
To ensure that the collections are available to everyone, the catalogue is fully
searchable and available online. If you need help with the catalogue, guides on how to
use the catalogue are available online www.architecture.com/library under ‘Online
catalogue guide’.
Card catalogues
These contain references to material catalogued prior to 1984. There are several
sequences:
 Books by author and title
 Books by classification number with a subject guide
 Periodicals (articles) indexed by subject from the late 1920s-1977 and 19781982 e.g. Houses Great Britain: London: Lambeth etc.
 Periodicals indexed by name of the architect or author involved 1974-1982
 Obituaries from The Builder and biographical files.
Grey books
These provide references to illustrated journal articles on building works by RIBA
members. They are organised by the name of the architect or by building type. They
cover 1920-1974 and are shelved in loose-leaf grey binders against the wall near the
enquiry desk of the Library’s Reading Room, 66 Portland Place. The grey books are
also available on microfiche.
3
Collections: Archives
Image: Illustrated letter from Sir Edwin Lutyens, 1902
(© RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections)
In the Archives Collection are approximately 1.5 million items divided into over 800
individual manuscript collections. The collection is an outstanding body of primary
source material for the study of architecture, architects, and the development of the
architectural profession in Britain. The collection holds material dating from the 17th
century to the present day and comprises of architect's personal papers and job files,
press cuttings, literary papers of architectural writers, records of architectural societies
and the administrative archive of the RIBA
Copies of Architecture in Manuscript, 1601-1996 Guide to the British Architectural Library
Manuscripts and Archives Collection by Angela Mace (London: Mansell, 1998) are available
at both the Library’s sites. The book provides an introduction to the collection and a
detailed guide to its contents and is a starting point for those wishing to consult the
Archives Collection. Country houses are indexed on p572.
Location
RIBA Architecture Study Rooms, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Access
The archives are part of the RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections which
are located in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The archives can be seen in the RIBA
Architecture Study Rooms at the V&A. Advanced booking is necessary. Some parts of
the collections are kept off-site in an outstore, are on loan or undergoing
conservation, so contact the Drawings and Archives Collections to check availability
of specific items.
Opening hours
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am -5pm
4
Contact:
RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections, Victoria and Albert Museum,
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7307 3708 (phone line open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am 5pm)
Fax: +44 (0)20 7589 3175
Email: drawings&archives@riba.org
Opening hours
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am -5pm
Contact:
RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections, Victoria and Albert Museum,
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7307 3708 (phone line open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am 5pm)
Fax: +44 (0)20 7589 3175
Email: drawings&archives@riba.org
5
Collections: Books
Image: Books Collection, Reading Room
The Library houses over 150,000 books and 20,000 pamphlets on architecture and
design; the oldest date back to 1478, the most recent are any of the 100 or so newly
published books that the Library acquires every month. The older books form part of
the Early Imprints Collection of over 4,000 books published between 1478 and 1840
from across Europe and the United States.
Location
Reading Room, British Architectural Library, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London
Access
Books are part of the Books and Periodicals Collection which is located in the
Reading Room of the Library at 66 Portland Place. The building is open to the public,
but a form of photographic I.D. or a RIBA membership card is required for entry into
the Reading Room. Many books are in open stacks; because of conservation reasons
some publications are located in closed stacks accessible only to Library staff or
offsite. These locations are indicated in the online catalogue and such items can be
requested by filling out request forms available in the Reading Room.
Opening hours
Tuesday 10am - 8pm; Wednesday and Friday 10am - 5pm; and Saturday 10am 1.30pm. Closed Sunday, Monday and Thursday.
Contact
British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place
London, W1B 1AD
Tel: +44 (0)20 7307 3882 (phone line open Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm
to 4pm)
Email: info@riba.org
6
Details:
The books designated with the reference 72.03(41/42) are housed in rolling stacks in
the Reading Room Extension. It consists of books on the architecture of Britain and
on particular British counties, towns and cities.
Nikolaus Pevsner’s series of guidebooks to the buildings of England, Ireland, Wales
and Scotland are shelved in this section. Since these are organised on the basis of
county, you should take account of any boundary changes that might have occurred.
The original guides observe the boundaries that existed before 1974 and these have
been retained in the new editions except for the London volumes that follow the
Greater London boundaries of 1965. Also in this section are the volumes of the Royal
Commission on Historical Monuments (RCHM), Iventory of the historical monuments
series, once again, organised by county, and The Survey of London, which is arranged by
parish. Although it is far from complete it is a useful resource often providing
information of the inhabitants of a property. The Victoria history of the counties of England
series is shelved in the large sequence at 72.03(42) // VIC.
Also located in the Reading Room Extension are books on the architecture of
particular periods: 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries. Within each of these is a
section on British architecture (the 20th Century section is the largest). They consist
of books on the architecture of Britain in general in that period, books on particular
architects, arranged alphabetically and books on particular towns and cities.
The section of books numbered 728 covers houses and housing. This can be found in
bays 7 & 8 of the main Reading Room to the right of the enquiry desk. The sections
applicable to country houses are as follows:
728.84
728.84(41/42)
728.84(41)
728.84(42)
728.84.034
728.84.036.1
Country Houses
British Country Houses
Scottish Country Houses (and then subdivided by county)
English Country Houses (and then subdivided by county)
Georgian Country Houses
Victorian Country Houses
Recommended books: Country houses
A few particularly useful books (all available for reference in the Library) are:
 A Country House Index
by John Harris (London: Pinhorns, 1979)
This is an index to over 2,000 country houses illustrated in 107 books of country
views published between 1715 and 1872, together with a list of British country
house guides and country house art collection catalogues for the period 1726 1870. The key is on page 31.
Ref: 016 - Country Houses (BOX) - available on request by filling in a pink 'Closed
Access Request Form'
 The Country House Described: An Index to the Country Houses of Great
Britain and Ireland
by Michael Holmes (Winchester: St. Paul's Bibliographies, in association with the
Victoria and Albert Museum, 1986)
This provides references to books, periodicals and topographical studies.
Ref: 016 - Country Houses – a copy can be found on the shelves behind the
enquiry desk
7
 Researching the Country House – a Guide for Local Historians
by Elton, Harrison and Wark (London: Batsford, 1992)
This seeks to reveal to the reader the wide and varied range of records available to
the researcher of the country house and how to locate and interpret them. It
concludes with an index of country houses and gardens open to the public with the
name of the family most closely identified with them and the main location of the
estate archives.
Ref: 728.84(41/42)//ELT
 The Country House Explained
by Trevor Yorke (Newbury: Countryside Books, 2003)
A basic introduction to the main architectural features (exterior and interior) of
English country houses from 1300 to 2000. Includes a quick reference time chart
listing country houses architects and the notable buildings they have designed.
Ref: 728.84(42) // YOR
 The Tudor & Jacobean Country House: a Building History
by Malcolm Airs (Stroud: Sutton, 1995)
Dealing with how 16th century houses were designed and built, this book is
concerned primarily with the people who created these houses. Architecture
provides the background as Airs examines the motives of the patrons and how the
craftsmen and labourers turned dreams in to reality.
Ref: 728.84(42)//AIR
 English Country Houses: Baroque, 1685-1715
by James Lees-Milne (Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1986)
A general introduction to the period is followed by detailed descriptions of 28
Baroque houses. Milne also includes an illustrated index of a further 48 houses,
complete with references, before concluding with a list of principal architects of
the period and some of their best-known work.
Ref: 728.84(42)//LEE
 English Country Houses
by Christopher Hussey (Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1986) Facsims. of:
1st eds. London: Country Life, 1955-1958.
3 Volumes: Early Georgian 1715-1760 – Mid Georgian 1760-1800 - Late Georgian
1800-1840. Hussey provides a continuation of Lees-Milne’s volume on Baroque
country houses, once again, general introductions followed by detailed illustrated
descriptions of what are claimed to be the houses ‘that best illustrate the
progression of styles and decorations’.
Ref: 728.84(42)//HUS
 Life in the English Country House: a Social & Architectural History
by Mark Girouard (Hammondsworth: Penguin Books, 1978)
Addressing the changing role of the country house, Girouard charts its social and
architectural developments from the middle ages to the twentieth century. Ref:
728.84(42):323.31//GIR
 The Georgian Country House: Architecture, Landscape and Society
by Dana Arnold (Stroud: Sutton, 1998)
With over 100 illustrations, this collection of essays seeks to portray the country
house as the focal point of Georgian architecture, landscape and society, exploring
its meaning through a wide range of examples and approaches.
Ref: 728.84.034(42).8//ARN
8
 The Victorian Country House
by Mark Girouard (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1979)
Using a similar formula to that adopted by Hussey and Lees-Milne, Girouard
includes a map and biographical notes on architects. The catalogue, which
includes all houses in the text plus a few more, gives brief details of illustrations,
plans and further information.
Ref: 728.84.036.1(41/42)//GIR
 The Gentleman’s Country House and its Plan 1835-1914
by Jill Franklin (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981)
This contains a useful catalogue of references to particular houses in Victorian and
Edwardian architectural periodicals and also related manuscript material. It may be
of interest to note that the author’s research notes are held as part of the RIBA
Library Drawings and Archives Collection.
Ref: 728.84.036.1(42)//FRA
 The Last Country Houses
by Clive Aslet (London: Yale University Press, 1982)
Covering the period 1890-1939 this is almost a continuation of Girouard’s The
Victorian Country House. Once again a useful index of references to articles in
periodicals is also provided.
Ref: 728.84.036.6(42)//ASL
 The Country Houses of England 1948-1998
by John Cornforth (London: Constable, 1998)
In this book Cornforth covers the post-war period and assesses the changing role
of the country house and its role within the heritage industry.
Ref: 728.84(42)//COR
Recommended books: Landscape
In addition to books on the country house itself you may wish to consider books on
the surrounding landscape. These are shelved under the reference number 712 in the
rolling stacks of the Reading Room Extension.
 Researching a Garden’s History: A Guide to Documentary and Published
Sources
by Lambert, Goodchild and Roberts (Reigate: Landscape Design Trust, 1995)
In much the same way as Elton, Harrison and Wark reveal the sources available to
the country house researcher, Lambert, Goodchild and Roberts have produced a
guide to garden history resources. It contains simple guidelines for locating
research material and how to use it. It also identifies sources and their values,
providing explanations and key locations.
Ref: 001-Gardens
 The History of Garden Design: The Western Tradition from the
Renaissance to the Present Day
by Monique Mosser and Georges Teyssot (London: Thames & Hudson, 1991)
In this book, a chronological series of essays is accompanied by paintings, reliefs
and drawings as well as figurative illustrations and photographs. It also contains
some specially commissioned plans of the most significant gardens.
Ref: 712.03//HIS
9
 The art and architecture of English gardens: designs from the collection of
the Royal Institute of British Architects 1609 to the present day
by Jane Brown (London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1989)
Brown champions the use of drawings in the study of architectural and garden
history. Each chapter, following the fashions in garden taste from the 17th century
towards the 21st, looks at the gardens of the period with reference to specific
examples taken from the RIBA collection.
Ref: 712.03(42)//BRO (Large)
 The Renaissance Garden in England
by Roy Strong (London: Thames & Hudson, 1979)
Taking the garden of the palace and the great house from the reign of Henry VIII
to the outbreak of Civil War as his theme, Strong reveals the formal gardens of the
Tudors and the Stuarts alongside the great figures of the age, their politics,
architecture, art and literature.
Ref: 712.034(42)//STR
 The Genius of the Place: The English Landscape Garden 1620-1820
by John Dixon-Hunt and Peter Willis (Ed.) (Cambridge, Mass.; London: MIT,
1975)
An introduction to the main ideas of the stated periods is followed by a selection
of extracts chronicling the development of the English landscape garden. Selected
authors include Daniel Defoe, Batty Langley, Alexander Pope, Horace Walpole,
Uvedale Price, Humphry Repton and Jane Austen.
Ref: 712.034/.036(42)(04)//GEN
 Capability Brown and the eighteenth-century English landscape
by Roger Turner (2nd Edition London: Phillimore, 1999)
Turner provides an illustrated discussion of 15 of Capability Brown’s major works.
Others are included in a gazetteer of all known estates and their present condition.
Original plans, 18th century pictures and modern photographs all feature alongside
an account of his life.
Ref: 712.034(42).8:92B//STR
 Humphry Repton: Landscape Gardening and the Geography of Georgian
England
by Stephen Daniels (New Haven; London: Yale University Press for The Paul
Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, 1999).
This is an examination of more than 20 of Repton’s commissions. It also includes a
gazetteer in the form of a county by county catalogue of designs rather than a
guide to what remains.
Ref: 712.034(42).88:92R//DAN
 The Edwardian Garden
by David Ottewill (New Haven, London: Yale University Press, 1989)
Principally concerned with the garden of the Country House, Ottewill presents the
gardens of this period alongside the people, their attitudes and their theories, that
influenced garden design. Includes a useful bibliography of principal sources
followed by a gazetteer of the gardens featured.
Ref: 712.036//OTT
The library also has a number of guidebooks to country houses and gardens. These
are shelved with the previously mentioned books at 728.84 and 712 with the same
sub-divisions.
10
The Early Imprints Collection (books published before 1841)
The Library holds several special collections of books. The Library’s Early Imprints
Collection currently holds over 4,000 books published between 1478 and 1840 from
across Europe and the United States, over half are in English with the remainder
published in other languages. This collection is stored in a staff-only area, for
conservation reasons, at 66 Portland Place. Fill in a green 'Early Works Request Form'
available at the front table of the Reading Room. The completed form should be
handed to a member of staff at the enquiry desk. Staff can normally retrieve these
items on request. A number of them, including pattern books, are available on
microfilm, please ask at the desk.
The collection includes important series of views, elevations, sections and plans of
specific older country houses and ‘seats’. Some images are of a picturesque character,
including:
 John Preston Neale’s extensive series of ‘views’ (1819-1829)
 Samuel Buck’s various collections of ‘views’ (1726-1742)
 The seats of the nobility and gentry : in a collection of the most interesting & picturesque
views, published by W. Watts, Chelsea, 1779
 The seats of the nobility and gentry, in Great Britain and Wales in a collection of select
views, published by W. Angus, Islington, 1787
Among the more detailed architectural works, the numerous volumes of Vitruvius
Britannicus (1715-1842) and its continuations are probably the most useful; this work
has also been published in reduced facsimile, with a separate Guide to Vitruvius
Britannicus by Paul Breman and Denise Addis (New York: B. Blom, 1972) is shelved in
the Library at 72:013(42) // BRE.
All the general works in the collection are indexed in Michael Holmes’s The Country
House Described: An Index to the Country Houses of Great Britain and Ireland and John
Harris’s A Country House Index (detailed in the list of recommended books above), as
are some of those on specific buildings; the remaining works on individual houses can
best be found by using the computerised catalogue, which includes virtually all the
early books in this subject area. In addition, the Early Imprints Collection includes
some books of relevance to the structure, materials and techniques employed in the
building and decoration of country houses, as well as some describing the interior
décor of particular buildings.
11
Collections: Biographical Information
Image: Biographical files in the Library’s Reading Room
Extensive information on architects, past and present, is available at the Library. If
you think you know the name of the architect of your house, try consulting the
following sources:

Biographical files represent more than 20,000 architects and some designers
and engineers, and contain obituaries, press cuttings and ephemera such as
private view invitations. They are listed in the Library’s online catalogue, but
are stored in cabinets accessible to staff only. Fill in a blue 'Closed Access
Request Form' available from the front table in the Library’s Reading Room,
66 Portland Place. The completed form should be handed to a member of
staff at the enquiry desk. Staff can normally retrieve these items on request.

Entries in the database of British architects can be accessed through the
Library’s online catalogue. For a fee, full records of an entry can be requested
from the Information Centre.

The Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 is a printed directory
compiled by the Library. A copy is available for reference at the enquiry desk
of the Reading Room.

RIBA Nomination Papers contain biographical information on members of
the RIBA, these may sometimes include a list of the architect’s works. At the
Library’s Reading Room, 66 Portland Place, those papers from 1834-1925 are
available on microfiche/microfilm and those from 1900-1946 on CD. To view
nomination papers later than 1946 or to see the originals, contact the RIBA
Library Drawings and Archives Collections (contact details on page 14).
12
Collections: Drawings
Image: Charles Robert Cockerell’s montage entitled 'The Most Famous Buildings in the World’,
1880s (© RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections)
As the largest and most important collection of British architectural drawings in the
world, the RIBA drawings collection has a lot to offer the researcher of the country
house. The collection includes designs for and record drawings of English country
houses by Robert and John Smythson dating from the late 16th century. Robert
Adam, Colen Campbell, William Chambers, John Carr and Sir John Soane are also
represented amongst many others.
Currently numbering over 1 million drawings, it celebrates the achievements of British
architects from the Renaissance to the present day. The majority of the collection
dates from the 18th and 19th centuries, however it does include some major
collections of 20th century. The collection also contains important drawings by
foreign architects, most notably nearly 300 designs and sketches by Andrea Palladio.
The collection is available to visitors to the RIBA Architecture Study Rooms located
at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
As well as the Library’s online catalogue, some of the drawings are also listed in the
RIBA Drawings Collections Catalogue which is available for reference at the Library’s
Reading Room (66 Portland Place) and Study Rooms (Victoria and Albert Museum).
This 20-volume catalogue is arranged alphabetically by an architect’s name with a
number of separate monographs. Each architect receives a short biography and
bibliography, a list of drawings with full descriptive details including stage of
realisation, provenance, literary references and exhibitions. The final volume, a
cumulative index, can be searched by place or name and then provides a reference to
page(s) in particular volumes of the printed catalogue. Please note that copies of most
of the drawings listed in this printed catalogue are available to view on microfilm in
the Library’s Reading Room.
13
Location
RIBA Architecture Study Rooms, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Access
The drawings are part of the RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections which
are located in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The drawings can be seen in the RIBA
Architecture Study Rooms at the V&A. Advanced booking is necessary. Some parts of
the collections are kept off-site in an outstore, are on loan or undergoing
conservation, so contact the Drawings and Archives Collections to check availability
of specific items.
Opening hours
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am -5pm
Contact:
RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections, Victoria and Albert Museum,
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7307 3708 (phone line open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am 5pm)
Fax: +44 (0)20 7589 3175
Email: drawings&archives@riba.org
14
Collections: Journals
Image: A selection of journals available in the Library’s Reading Room
Published at regular intervals throughout the year, architectural journals can provide
the most current source of contemporary scholarship on a topic. 2,000 titles are held,
of which over 600 are current journals. The Library holds a comprehensive collection
of architectural journals from all over the world and in a variety of languages. The
Library’s holdings are historic, dating back over 150 years, and include full sets of
Architectural Design, Architect’s Journal, Architectural Review, The Builder, the RIBA Journal
and Country Life.
Location
Reading Room, British Architectural Library, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London
Access
Journals are part of the Books and Periodicals Collection which is available in the
Reading Room of the Library at 66 Portland Place. The building is open to the public,
but a form of photographic I.D. or a RIBA membership card is required for entry into
the Reading Room. Journals are situated in the upper gallery on open shelves and
older editions are bound together in volumes. Due to conservation reasons, some
publications are held in closed stacks or off-site; such items can be requested by filling
out request forms available in the Reading Room. Journal locations are indicated in
the ‘List of Journals’ which is available for reference in the Reading Room on the
front table near the enquiry desk or in the upper gallery.
Opening hours
Tuesday 10am - 8pm; Wednesday and Friday 10am - 5pm; and Saturday 10am 1.30pm. Closed Sunday, Monday and Thursday.
Contact
British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place
London, W1B 1AD
Tel: +44 (0)20 7307 3882 (phone line open Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm
to 4pm)
Email: info@riba.org
15
British journals
The Library has major holdings of all the main British journals:
Journal title
The Architect / The Architect & Building News
Coverage
1869 - 1980
Architects Journal
1919 – present
Architectural Design
1947 - present
Architectural Review
1896 - present
British Architect
(fill in a pink 'Closed Access Request Form - Journals')
The Builder / Building
1874 - 1919
Building Design
(fill in a pink 'Closed Access Request Form - Journals')
Building News
1970 - present
Civil Engineer and Architect’s Journal
(fill in a pink 'Closed Access Request Form - Journals')
Country Life
1837 - 1867
RIBA Journal
1893 - present
1842 - present
1857 - 1926
1897 - present
Photocopies of the annual indexes of The Builder for 1843-1951 are bound together at
the end of the run. Library staff can also provide access to a card catalogue covering
The Builder 1843-1864 and volumes covering references to buildings in London 18421892. The Builder Illustrations Index 1843-1883 is also on the open shelves and
references to illustrated articles can be searched by subject, place and name and will
provide page references within particular volumes.
Twentieth Century Architecture (published by the Twentieth Century Society) produced a
Gazetteer of Modern Houses in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in issue number 2
(1996). This lists the architects responsible for the house together with any published
references that have been identified. This can be made available by filling in a pink
'Closed Access Request Form - Journals'.
Issue No.1 of The Thirties Society Journal (1980) also lists references in periodicals to
inter-war buildings, including houses. This can be made available by filling in a pink
'Closed Access Request Form - Journals'.
16
Architectural societies
There are a number of societies that are concerned with the study and preservation of
architecture. The library subscribes to the journals of several leading architectural
societies:

The Georgian Group
www.georgiangroup.org.uk

Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain Journal
www.sahgb.org.uk

Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
www.spab.org.uk

The Victorian Society
www.victoriansociety.org.uk

Twentieth Century Architecture (formerly The Thirties Society)
www.c20society.org.uk
17
Collections: Photographs
Image: Morris House, Stewart and Ardern Limited car showroom and service station,1934
(© RIBA Library Photographs Collection)
The Robert Elwall Photographs Collection is a rich resource for the study of
architecture and related subjects such as interior design, topography, landscape,
construction and planning. It holds over 1.5 million images covering pre-history to the
present, with a worldwide coverage, available in a wide range of formats: negatives,
prints, colour transparencies, postcards and digital files. Represented in the collection
is the work of acknowledged photographic masters such as Eric de Maré, Tony RayJones, John Maltby, John Donat, and Henk Snoek. The archive of the Architectural
Press, the publishers of the Architectural Review and Architects' Journal, became part
of the collection in 2007.
Many, but not all images, are listed on the Library’s online catalogue, so contact the
Photographs Collection team for more details about items not listed in the catalogue.
Handlists/indexes of individual photographers’ and architects’ archives are available
on request.
18
Location
Reading Room, British Architectural Library, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London
Access
The Photographs Collection is closed to visitors until September 2015, after which it
can be accessed from the Reading Room of the Library at 66 Portland Place. The
building is open to the public, but a form of photographic I.D. or a RIBA
membership card is required for entry into the Reading Room. Items are kept in
climate-controlled stores and are only available during the collection’s opening hours.
An appointment must be booked with the team at the Photographs Collection before
any visit so that requested material can be collected and made available.
Opening hours (after September 2015)
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am - 5pm. Closed Saturday, Sunday, Monday and
Thursday.
Contact
RIBA Library Robert Elwall Photographs Collection
Royal Institute of British Architects
66 Portland Place
London
W1B 1AD
Tel: +44 (0)20 7307 3710 / 3684
(phone line open Monday - Friday 9.30am – 5.30pm)
Email: photo@riba.org
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Other sources
Websites
Other useful websites that you may wish to consult include:
 English Heritage
www.english-heritage.org.uk
As well as giving full details of places to visit and their education programme, this
site holds details about the National Monuments Record, English Heritage’s public
archive containing 10 million photographs and documents describing the buildings,
landscapes and archaeological sites of England.
Their Images of England is a ‘point in time’ photographic library of England’s
listed buildings, recorded at the turn of the 21st century
www.imagesofengland.org.uk
 The National Trust
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Full details of the Trust, the properties and the education services available are
provided.
 Pevsner Architectural Guides
www.pevsner.co.uk
Information on the guides, their history and their coverage.
 Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland
www.rcahms.gov.uk
Providing information about the RCAHMS and the National Monuments Record
of Scotland this site also explains their history and their aims.
 Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments of Wales
www.rcahmw.gov.uk
As well as an explanation of the work, aims and objectives of the RCAHMW, this
site also gives information about the National Monuments Record of Wales and
the extended national database. This database is based on a partnership of Welsh
heritage bodies to create a national index of archaeology and architecture mutually
available to the public.
 SAVE
www.savebritainsheritage.org
SAVE was founded in 1975 to publicly campaign for endangered historic
buildings, including many country houses.
Library folders
At the enquiry desk of the Library’s Reading Room, staff can provide the following
folders:
 The Country Life Cumulative Index 1897-1999
An index to references within the journal to houses and gardens in Britain and
overseas. There is also an index in the front of each bound volume.
 Index to Old English Country Houses (and some Welsh, Scottish and Irish examples)
Prepared before World War II by staff at the British Architectural Library, this
index was an attempt to bring together references in particular key texts.
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 Neale’s Seats
An index to the 11-volume set in the Early Imprints collection.
 An Index to Country Houses in The Gardeners Magazine (1826-1843)
Although the magazine itself is not actually held at the RIBA it may be possible to
access it via the British Library.
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Information Centre
Image: Information sign, Festival of Britain, South Bank, London
(©Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Library Photographs)
For more information about the RIBA, the British Architectural Library, or any
questions about architecture, contact the Information Centre:
Public Information Line:
Tel: +44 (0)20 7307 3882
(phone line open Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm)
Members Information Line
Tel: +44 (0)20 7307 3600
RIBA members only - please give your membership number
(phone line open Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm)
Email: info@riba.org
Website: www.architecture.com/library
Images (RIBApix): www.ribapix.com
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