Sloan’s Victorian Buildings

Rating:
Summary: Excellent general source for American Victorian architecture
Review: This book is an excellent starting source for those interested in all aspects of Victorian architecture. There are essays on various styles of Victorian architecture, most notably the "revivals" of Gothic, Italianate, Norman, even Oriental styles. There are also discursions on certain techniques, such as joinery. The houses are quite often pictured as front and side elevations, and all are accompanied by floor plans, however some do not include plans of the attics and cellars. For most of the houses, there are complete materials and cost specifications, although naturally these are slightly outdated. All in all, this is a very interesting and informative work for the architectural history enthusiast. It is not very suitable as a source for those who wish to gather design ideas for a modern Victorian-styled house, as the styles pictured here are not those typically featured as "Victorian".