Published by Henry Sotheran & Co: London
4 Volume Set - Lacks Plates. Includes 50/104 Plates As Follows:
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Volume 1 contains 14/26 plates - Published 1869
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Volume 2 contains 8/26 plates - Published 1870
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Volume 3 contains 20/26 plates - Published 1871
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Volume 4 contains 8/26 plates - Published 1872
"The Mansions of England in the Olden Time by Joseph Nash, re-edited by J. Corbet Anderson and published by Henry Sotheran & Co., London, is a grand pictorial and architectural celebration of England's historic country houses and the aristocratic life that flourished within them. Originally produced in the mid-19th century and here presented in a refined later edition, the work features Nash's masterful lithographic renderings—executed by Samuel Stanesby—depicting Tudor and Elizabethan manor houses, their great halls, chambers, and gardens in exquisite detail. Each plate is accompanied by descriptive text that evokes the domestic customs, furniture, dress, and social rituals of England's gentry, blending antiquarian scholarship with romantic nostalgia. The result is both a visual archive and a cultural portrait of an age defined by craftsmanship, lineage, and architectural grandeur.
In this Sotheran edition, Anderson's re-editing refines Nash's commentary while preserving the artist's original vision of a bygone era, where architecture and lifestyle intertwined to form the aesthetic and moral character of old England. The lithographs by Stanesby capture the warmth of oak interiors, the splendour of heraldic glass, and the serene dignity of English estates before the industrial age transformed the landscape. More than a record of architecture, the book stands as a monument to Victorian historical imagination—a tribute to the national heritage that inspired later movements in preservation and the Gothic revival. Today, it remains one of the most beautiful and evocative illustrated works ever produced on English domestic architecture and its enduring cultural symbolism."
This 4 volume set lacks plates. Included are 50/104 original plates. Bindings are collapsed with all pages/plates loose sitting inside covers. The text component of the 4 volume set is largely complete albeit chipped and loose. Some light foxing is present with the vast majority of the contents of all volumes being clean and well presented. A complete set in very good condition would command a price of around $2k AUD so this depleted set presents an excellent opportunity to acquire a taste of the real thing for a fraction of the price!
