Rob Higgins shows how taking the aerial route gives unique insights into the history and workings of Britain’s railways. The marvels of Victorian engineering in their construction, their relationships to the canals they replaced as the main arteries of transport, and the communities and industry they spawned along their length can all be seen in detail. This book flies from the Scottish Highlands to Cornwall; from marshalling yards in the centre of the UK to lines hugging cliffs and beache...

William De Morgan was the principal ceramic designer and maker in the Arts and Crafts Movement. Heavily influenced by the art of the Middle East, he was active for nearly thirty years from the 1870s onwards and was never content with an existing technical process if he thought it could be improved. He is famous for his vases and decorative chargers, but it is arguably his tiles – still to be found in homes and museums around Britain and the world – that have made the greatest impact. His t...

The Ruskin Pottery operated from around 1898 to 1935. Founded by William Howson Taylor and his father Edward (Superintendent of the Birmingham School of Art) the pottery used simple forms and new glaze technologies in contrast to highly decorated majolica and earthenware that had been popular in the second half of the nineteenth century. The Ruskin Pottery was one of the most important potteries of the Arts and Crafts Movement, and William Howson Taylor was pre-eminent among a group of ‘ch...

Since the eighteenth century, the hospitals of London have played a leading role in the development of modern medicine. Most joined the NHS on the ‘Appointed Day’ (5 July 1948) but, as medical treatments improved and financial budgets became increasingly stringent, many were considered redundant and closed, despite vociferous protests from local residents. Veronika and Fred Chambers are the first to chronicle a rich history of twentieth-century hospitals that has been hitherto neglected, b...

The Arts and Crafts Movement was a reaction to the brutality of working life and the sterility of industrial design in Victorian Britain. Although Arts and Crafts was initially a mediaeval revival, the movement was always about the artist craftsman and the appropriate use of materials, rather than any single design tradition. The movement was inspired and led by William Morris, whose company was founded in 1861 and produced a full range of interior furnishings, including tiles. These were ...

This book showcases British decorative tiles from 1945 to 1975. ‘Mid-century Modern’ had its roots in the 1930s, with influences especially from California and Europe. Pioneers include the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the USA and, in Europe, the Milan designers Gio Ponti and Piero Fornasetti, who derived inspiration from artists such as Picasso and Miro. British designers hardly had time to embrace the new style before the Second World War, but the decades after 1945 saw it flourish in ...

From gift shop designs for the holiday village in north Wales, Portmeirion pottery evolved to a global business, thanks in large part to the design flair of Susan Williams-Ellis. She captured the spirit of the kitchens and dining rooms of the 1960s and '70s with bold new shapes and designs that could be both modern and traditional. 'Botanic Garden', introduced in 1972, used old flower prints with contemporary shapes and high quality manufacture, and has remained in production for 40 years....

This pocket-sized guide to identifying and interpreting metal and ceramic marks has been improved with the addition of the most recent hallmarks, along with details of the new hallmarking system.Do you attend car boot sales or browse in antique shops in search of bargains? Have you ever wished you knew more about grandma’s silver spoon? Do you envy the experts’ ability to identify and date old hand-me-downs? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, Collins Gem Antique Marks ...

Here is a compact and useful guide, filled with detailed and original drawings, to help put a date to the variety of period buildings we see around us. It covers an immense range of structures and styles from 1500 to 1950. In addition, there is a glossary of architectural terms and a historical time chart. The book will prove an invaluable companion whether visiting grand houses open to the public or simply strolling around the streets of villages, towns and cities.

Living in History reveals the architectural diversity of English period houses through the eyes and beautiful hand drawn portraits of Artist Eli Ofir. Each detailed portrait is accompanied by in-depth historical research from House Historians Jane Davidson and Rosalind Chislett, as well as stories and memories from the people actually living in the houses today. This book is a unique and breathtaking study of the evolution of English house styles from Medieval and Tudor times up to the 193...

The Victorian house comes in all shapes, sizes and materials. The legacy of this hugely influential era can be found in every region of England, from the majestic rows of gleaming white terraces in West London to the grid of red-brick houses in northern mill towns. Using his own drawings, diagrams and photographs, the author, Trevor Yorke, explains, in an easy to understand manner, all aspects of the Victorian house and provides a definitive guide for those who are renovating, tracing the ...

The period from 1900 to 1914—the Edwardian Age—is often thought of as a golden time of country house parties and endless summers. In fact, it was a time of great social change. Wealthy industrialists were building houses for their workers at Port Sunlight (Lever), Bournville (Cadbury) and New Earswick (Rowntree). The garden suburb was also being developed and seen as a way of clearing slum housing from big cities such as London and Liverpool. The Edwardians built a wide range of houses, fr...