The Long Gallery

Pardon Our Plaster Dust as we Build a New Site for TLG

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:13:00 +0000

AN INSPIRATIONAL PHOTO OF THE LONG GALLERY AT HATFIELD HOUSE - COURTESY OF ANGEL + BLUME BLOG

In an effort to build a more attractive and comprehensive site for TLG, we've been re-building the site from the ground up to provide a better look and a much wider range of content. First, we found an exciting new Blogger template, courtesy of Dzignnine, and managed to integrate it with a number of useful widgets and tools.

We are re-working and expanding the book store, enhancing several of our special content areas covering music, food and lifestyle...and generally "tarting up" the site to make it more appealing and inspiring. There is still much to do and many areas to organize, but the effort has begun in earnest and we hope our readers will be happy. Here's all the best for a great 2012!

MS.

ABC's Extreme Makeover Gives Cleveland-area Family Tudor-Revival Home

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:15:00 +0000

With thousands of onlookers lining the streets, the cameras of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" rolling, the principals of Marous Brothers Construction and their sister, Sue Marous, watched as the Paul Anderson's family arrived at their new home on Anthony Street in Willoughby, Ohio. The company was selected to be the builder and general contractor for the project, which took six days to complete with the help of an estimated 4,000 volunteers working around the clock. It was the 177th episode of the popular show.

PHOTO CREDIT: The News Herald.

Sue Marous said the company was "deeply honored" to have been chosen by producers of "Extreme Makeover" to build the 3,500-square-foot, English Tudor Revival style home for a family with special needs. The four-bedroom home replaced the family's modest 50-year-old, 1,200-square foot house. Chris Auvil, who serves as staff architect for Marous Brothers Construction, said the new home has many modern features including fingerprint readers on doors and bar-code readers on kitchen cabinets to identify various food items.

Though many modern examples of revival style homes fall well short in terms of historical accuracy, scale, proportion and visual appeal, we'd have to admit that--based on our initial impressions--this particular home is pretty well done. It certainly appears more authentic than most modern attempts, and although we might have suggested a few alternate choices in terms of some materials and details (like the white columns at the entrance) they basically got it right.

Condover Hall Set to Become Youth Adventure Center

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:20:00 +0000

Condover Hall, near Shrewsbury, is set to become a center for learning next year. The historic property was recently purchased adventure course provider JCA. Previously owned by Priory Education Services, the house was run as a school for young people with autism. That firm decided to sell the four-storey property due to mounting maintenance costs; it's been on the market for just over a year.

JCA officials say they were “delighted” to have purchased it. The company provides residential activity courses for youth and has 13 centers throughout the UK. The company already has approval from Shropshire Council to convert the courtyard building to a dining room and change the use of some of the buildings; external changes approved include adding outdoor games and activity areas, and demolishing an elevated walkway.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shrophire Star.

Happily, about 60 jobs will be created as a result of the project. The hall will also be available for use as a conference destination, featuring a movie theater, swimming pool, sports hall, computer center and multiple meeting rooms.

Lavenham: Where the 15th Century Only Seems Like Yesterday

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 02:30:00 +0000

There's a brief but enjoyable profile in the Sept. 19 Daily Mail about the picturesque town of Lavenham, which is set to be seen on the next Harry Potter film, The Deathly Hallows, scheduled for November release.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mail Online.

"Lavenham is regularly described as Britain's 'finest medieval town', though that doesn't really do it justice. The word ' medieval' triggers images of crenellated walls and towers, dungeons and long-drops - policed by custodians during the day, abandoned at night.

Lavenham is different. It has no castle, no swaggering architectural statement in stone at all - except the church of St Peter and St Paul, a flint-faced beauty with a 141ft tower, built between 1485 and 1525."

Featured in the film will be the Guildhall, which will be cast as the home of Harry Potter's parents. Owned by the National Trust, it's silver lime-washed oak timbers offer a mellow take on traditional Tudor half-timbering.

Hillingdon Council's North Planning Committee Considers Proposals to Knock Down Oakhurst

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 02:10:00 +0000

The fate of a locally listed, Tudor-style home in Northgate (UK) remains to be seen after developers launched an appeal ahead of a decision on plans to demolish the property. Although permission has already been granted to renovate and extend the property - which dates from the 1920s - the developer, Banner Homes, argues that it is in a very poor state of repair.

At least 54 residents have signed a petition that objects "to the wanton destruction of Oakhurst", which was built by local craftsman Frederick Tibbenham. It is also adjacent to another historic property, Tudor House.

PHOTO CREDIT: uxbridgegazette.co.uk.

"Banner Homes has shown scant concern for wildlife and have not given suitable justification to knock down this beautiful property," said petitioner Lesley Crowcroft. "Oakhurst and Tudor House stand together and it will be a great loss to the area if the building is demolished."

Ultimately, the committee rejected the scheme by a universal vote, despite the appeal being lodged in advance.

"We do appreciate the demolition of the house is controversial but the planning appeal system has been established to determine such applications and we await the outcome of the appeal," said Piers Banfield, spokesman for Banner Homes.

Beautiful Laser Images of Gothic Structures are Works of Art Themselves

noreply@blogger.com (Mark S) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:57:00 +0000

A small team of experts at the Glasgow School of Art have have reach a whole new level of sophistication with their innovatine and super-precise laser image modeling techniques, which are millions of times more detailed and accurate than even the best photographs or films. In fact, the images are precise down to a fraction of a millimeter.

PHOTO CREDITS: The New York Times.

Not only are the images of incredible value in terms of documentation and potential restoration, but one look at the images themselves reveals some very unique and awe-inspiring designs. Using their advanced technology, the experts can now imagine what objects may have looked like long ago. With the ability to simulate the effects of climate change, urban encroachment or other natural or man-made disasters, they also have a way to project what a site may look like in the future as well.

After scanning a decaying iron bridge in Dundee, the team eventually took on additional projects, at sites like Stirling Castle and Rosslyn Chapel, the 15th-century Gothic fancy to which The Da Vinci Code has brought a great deal of attention. According to a NYT article:

The basic principle behind the laser technology is simple: A box, with a laser inside, sits on a tripod; as the box slowly rotates 360 degrees, the laser, moving up and down, bounces its beam off whatever is solid in front of it. In so doing, it registers some 50,000 points in space every second. Traditional surveyors might produce a couple of hundred measurements a day, prone to subjectivity and human error. Lasers collect millions of measurements per hour. A scanner can even identify certain materials, determining whether something is, say, made of glass or stone.

The benefits of storing and distributing state-of-the-art views of the world’s most precious cultural and historic sites at a relatively low cost are plain. Canadian-born Douglas Pritchard is the wizard behind the Digital Design Studio at the art school, heading the Scottish laser expedition with David Mitchell, director of Historic Scotland’s Technical Conservation Group. Check out the complete NYT article HERE.

Henry VIII's Newly Rebuilt Love Nest now Available

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:02:00 +0000

A property where Henry VIII stayed with his second wife Anne Boleyn has recently gone on the market after was rescued from a state of near collapse.The red brick Tudor gatehouse on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent is all that remains of Shurland Hall, the Tudor palace owned by a courtier of the King, Thomas Cheyney. Built between 1510 and 1518, it stands on the site of a previous 13th century castle.

The Hall had been described as a "stately residence" and "a manor comparable to that of any gentleman in Kent." It had a private chapel, stables, mews, kennels, offices, gardens and a well house amongst other things. Shurland Hall had been neglected for many years and was in a ruinous state although it now has been finally refurbished by the Spitalfields Trust and put up for sale for £2m.

PHOTO CREDIT: www.shurlandhall.com,

"It is an amazing, unique site which has been occupied since pre-Roman times," said company spokesman Oliver Leigh-Wood. The gatehouse had been unoccupied since World War II and was covered in scaffolding when representatives from the Trust first saw it. The building had no walls or floors, but has been rebuilt into a five-bedroom house with the help of a £300,000 grant from English Heritage.

PHOTO CREDIT: www.sheppeywebsite.co.uk.

In the grounds are the fragments of the great hall of the palace, where Henry and Anne were entertained. According to the local history, Henry VIII and his new wife Anne Boleyn visited Shurland Hall in 1532, while traveling to France to meet Francis I. Leaving London shortly after an outbreak of the plague began, they stayed for two days while Sir William Cheyne was using the hall as his family home. For more information, visit the Sheppy website, and see a short video on the BBC website where Oliver Leigh-Wood describes the gatehouse before it was refurbished HERE.

Homes of the Rubber Barons: Harvey Firestone's Harbel Manor

noreply@blogger.com (Mark S) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Luckily, Akron still has Stan Hywet Hall, but it wasn't the only great English-style home built by one of the city's rubber barons. Though not quite as large, nor as architecturally significant as Frank Seiberling's home, Harvey Firestone's Harbel Manor was still an exquisite house, loaded with many impressive design features. Firestone loved to entertain his many friends there, including Henry Ford, and he died there in his sleep on February 7th, 1938.

Firestone originally built the house in 1912, placing it on 60 acres in West Hill, which was on the outskirts of Akron at the time. Reportedly, he had to borrow the funds for both the land and the house because he was often cash-starved as a result of always re-investing his money back into his tire company. In his book, The American Country House, Clive Aslet noted that Firestone himself once reflected: "Why is it that a man, just as soon as he gets enough money, builds a house much bigger than he needs?"

On her Q&A blog, Highland Square Neighborhood Association Board Member Rosemary Reymann goes on to tell the story of Harbel Manor:

"The Harvey Firestone Mansion, Harbel Manor, was at the site of [the current] Georgetown Condominiums, with the polo field at the site of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church. You can still see the wall for Harbel Manor at the northwest corner of West Market and Twin Oaks. Torn down in 1959, the house was of the Free English Manorial style, designed by architects Harpster & Bliss, with a sensitive addition in 1916 on the north side by architects Trowbridge & Ackerman. The landscape architect was Alling S. DeForest. There is a model of the mansion in the Archives of the University of Akron, housed in the basement of the Polsky's Building."

While it's truly unfortunate that this great home could not be preserved, the loss of the building is really no surprise. Torn down during a time when such huge homes were commonly seen as money-guzzling white elephants - and before it was common to re-use such structures as offices - it's doubtful that the Akron community would have been able to support and maintain two large historic houses like Stan Hywet and Harbel Manor.

Rich Colors, Exuberant Designs on Display in The Tudor Pattern Book

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:02:00 +0000

As a lover of beautiful books and illustrations, one of my favorite resources on the Internet is Bibliodyssey, which features a wide array of works highlighting the art and science of historical book illustration. Curated by Sidney's Paul Peacay, the site is a treasure house of beautiful and exquisite period book illustrations.

Of interest to many of our readers would be this collection of designs from a volume known as the Tudor Pattern Book, (Bodleian MS. Ashmole 1504 ) which includes a wide range of illustrations, including herbal and bestiary images, as well as other decorative motifs. The images are full of imagination, color and detail, and are a great source of inspiration for those interested in Late Medieval and Tudor design. This particular example deserves to be treasured, as the site explains:

"Pattern books were practical tools and also helped to circulate artistic traditions and ideas around the manuscript making community. Because they were working documents, passing between many different people, few medieval pattern books have survived.

Researchers have estimated that this particular book was actually created about 1520; a slightly older (twin) version is now part of the Yale Center for British Art collection, which is housed in New Haven, Connecticut. To see all of the Tudor Pattern Book designs featured in this Bibliodyssey post, you can check out the article, HERE. Paul Peacay is also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BibliOdyssey.

Now - The Steadfast Available Online

noreply@blogger.com (Mark S) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:59:00 +0000

We've been planning this for a while, and now it's happening...each week, we'll be uploading a brand new chapter of The Steadfast online for you to enjoy.

Based in London in 1895, the novel follows the adventures of British architect G. Morris Moneypenny - a talented designer and a true renaissance man - as he is thrust into a new and unpredictable world of deadly anarchists, arms development and political intrigue.

Morris designs houses any fan of TLG would love...sprawling Olde English piles, inspired by the work of his elders like Richard Norman Shaw and Philip Webb, as well as contemporaries like Lutyens. In his plans, his practice and his adventures, he draws upon his creativity, his appreciation of history, and his deeply-embedded sense of propriety to win the day. The new chapters will be available HERE. Have a go...and tell your friends.

Tudor Oak: Using Original Techniques to Create Inspired Reproductions

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Founded in 1970 by Richard Foreman, Tudor Oak is a specialist UK manufacturer of not only fine English Oak reproduction furniture, but also makes some selected pieces in English Cherry, Walnut and Yew wood. The company's high-quality, hand finished pieces are fully distressed and colored to simulate the warmth and character of genuine antiques. Tudor Oak also offers an very comprehensive selection, with over 350 different designs available.

One of the first examples of their work which we'd like to highlight is this excellent #472 bookcase and display unit, which features 6-pane glazed top doors, 3 panelled lower doors, highly detailed hand carving, and bun feet. It's a useful and substantial piece that - while certainly echoing Tudor designs - isn't so period-specific that you couldn't use it in many different situations.

The #5 oak chair we have pictured is a very traditional Late Tudor or Jacobean design, with an ornately-carved back panel. It's solid piece that may not be for every situation, but which would certainly deserve pride-of-place in a foyer or library.

Lastly, we've included the #105 sideboard from their Parsonage Collection, which offers something a little different from their more traditional Tudor-styled furniture designs. Produced in a lighter oak, the design of this range is less ornate and much simpler, yet the general lines we see reflect an appreciation of the arts-and-crafts period, and thus are quite appropriate for Olde English style homes as well as more contemporary interiors.

Tudor Oak can either offer standard or heavy distressing of select pieces, depending on how "old" you prefer them to appear; they can also match color at an additional cost. It's also good to know that in addition to manufacturing fine furniture, Tudor Oak also undertake specialist period architectural joinery - working closely with architects, specifiers and builders to create custom designs using their traditional skills and kiln-dried timber.

To find out more about their lines and pricing, visit Tudor Oak's website HERE.

New Questions About the Site of the Battle of Bosworth

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:55:00 +0000

Even thought the battle that initiated the Tudor dynasty took place over 500 year ago, the actual site of Bosworth Field has never been precisely located, with scholars still arguing about it. Recently, a team of respected historians and archaeologists announced that it has finally determined the real site of the battle - and the site is not exactly where everyone thought might have been.

The group's newly-established battle site is approximately two miles to the south and west of the traditionally-placed site - which is still marked by a stone memorial topped by a plaque. Checking soil samples, analysing peat deposits and carrying out searches with metal detectors, this latest team of investigators have turned to ancient documents and other clues in order to sort out the ancient riddle. Among their finds are over twenty led shot which would have been fired by the crude medival artillery of the time.

To read more about thsis tory, check out a Guardian article here - as well as this interesting article about the contemporary use of artillery in the Mail Online.

Sounds Made for The Season: New York Polyphony

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Come each November, I seem to undergo a slow transformation; the island music which lilts across my backyard pool and the bottles of ice-cold Corona quickly give way to ancient music and dark ales as the holiday season begins to take hold. During the winter months, an idle night will often find me seated in the dining room, listening to old madrigals or ancient drinking songs of one sort or another, trying various ales out in an effort to decide what to serve at Christmas.

PHOTO CREDIT: www.newyorkpolyphony.com.

I've recently come across a new (to me) ensemble, New York Polyphony, which clearly has staked a claim to accompany those efforts this season. The group came together in 2006, and their debut CD, I Sing the Birth, was released on Avie Records in 2007. That disk gained universal praise, and for good reason - the group's clear, rich and engaging a capella sound is well-suited to the works they have chosen to perform. Indeed, the ensemble, which includes Tenor Geoffrey Silver, countertenor Geoffrey Williams, baritone Scott Dispensa and bass-baritone Craig Phillips takes on a wide range of music, from medieval chant to 21st-century liturgical compositions.

The group recently finished a number of Midwest and Rocky Mountain region dates in September, and is next set to appear at the First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta on November 22 and in New York City on December 12th. New York Polyphony is also set to release a CD of Elizabethan-inspired music recorded at Manhattan's Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in spring 2010.

To hear some of this great music, visit the group's website or listen on line at Lala.

FREE STUFF: Enjoy These Very Large Wallpapers

noreply@blogger.com (Mark S) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0000

We've been determined for some time to try and offer some free items for our visitors, and here are some wallpapers we've created as a start. Sized at 1920 x 1200 pixels, they are great for large, wide-screen monitors, and can be easily re-sized to fit smaller-size screens as well. We're working on adding some standard aspect-ratio sizes like 1280 x 1024, and should have those ready soon.

Our first design features a painting titled the Embarkation at Dover, featuring Henry VIII’s English fleet setting sail from Dover en route to the Field of the Cloth of Gold on 31 May, 1520. This painting was created about 25 years later, and one of the ships is probably supposed to represent the Mary Rose, though it did not make that particular trip.

The second design features Rembrandt's well-known depiction of The Night Watch, completed in 1642. The painting may be more properly titled The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch. It is on prominent display in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and is its most famous painting.

The last design features this year's set of Royal Mail stamps, featuring well-known portraits of the Tudor Royal Family.

To download, simply click on the images above, and in most browsers, they will open in a new window or tab. Right-click to "Save As", then go to the folder where you saved them and Right-Click again and select "Set as Desktop Wallpaper." Enjoy all of these, compliments of TLG!

Happy Guy Fawkes Night

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:42:00 +0000

For 400 years, bonfires have burned across England on November 5th to celebrate the failure of the famous "Gunpowder Plot" in 1605. On the very night that the plot was foiled, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night and is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent

To blow up King and Parliament.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England’s overthrow;

By God’s providence he was catch’d

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Hunters & Gatherers: Found Objects

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:27:00 +0000

One of the funnest aspects of appreciating the Ancient Styles is searching for and finding various objects which can be incorporated into a new creation or some room design. I'm not averse to pulling over to the curb when someone sets out an unwanted treasure on trash pickup day, and I'll always stop in at the local Goodwill or Salvation Army store to see what the truck has brought in. Fortunately, most of what I'm looking for is clearly out-of-fashion, and unless it's an antique of some obvious value, the object is usually left sitting on the shelves for me to claim.

This Renaissance-style candle sconce (left) is a great example of just such an item; it's ornate strap work and flourishes modeled in the very best heavy plastic that you could find in 1963, when it was manufactured by Homco. Though I know most would be totally dismissive of anything plastic, this sconce is actually quite well-done; the original finish certainly does not look like plastic, and at $1.50, it was a nice fit for my current budget. My only regret is that I could not find a pair.

The second example I've included here today wasn't really found by me, but obtained as a gift from my best friend, who was a former city councilman. Back in the 1990's a local redevelopment project required a partial demolition of the huge M. O'Neil Co. department store on Akron's Main Street. Though most of the building was thankfully preserved and renovated, the back portion was taken down, and my friend claimed a few of these cast concrete parts from the Italian-renaissance balustrades that graced some of the upper office windows. About 12" long, I once thought to make some type of lamp or candle-base from it, but for now, it remains an interesting and sentimental relic.

If you have any interesting found objects of your own, send us a photo - we'd love to see them.

OLD BOOKS: Sydney Jones' 64-Page Treatise on How to Draw Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Mark S) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:37:00 +0000

I have always been a huge fan of good architectural photography, whether it's Charles Latham's classic house images from Country Life or sharp new work from photographers like Andy Marshall at fotofacade.com. Nevertheless, there is something marvelously evocative about superb architectural drawings as well, and I have always been a big admirer of the work of Sydney R. Jones, who's illustrations for books such as P.H. Ditchfield's The Manor Houses of England as well as many other classics, like Old Houses in Holland, The Village Homes of England, and Thames Triumphant resonate so perfectly within these old volumes.

As a result, I was thrilled to add this tiny volume of just 64 pages to my book collection - How to Draw Houses, which was written and illustrated by Jones and published by The Studio in 1946.

Brief and appropriately illustrated by the author, the little book touches on the proper pencils and papers to use, as well as subjects such as proportion, perspective, light and shade, construction details, composition, textures and even thoughts about the illustration of interiors. Jones explains his overall purpose at the outset of the book:

"Because house and home mean so much to the majority of people, it is not surprising that boys and girls, grown-ups, and quite young children also, often, say, " I wish I could draw my house ". This is a very natural remark to make. But before the wish may end in good results, it is necessary to know how to proceed. John Ruskin once said, and with great truth, that almost anyone could learn to draw by really trying to do so. I therefore hope to show the methods of drawing houses, in order that anyone who wishes to try may succeed in drawing his or her own house, and the homes of other people too."

To see more of Jones' work, I'd suggest visiting the online Internet Archive, where a full copy of The Manor Houses of England (no longer in copyright) is available as a PDF here, as well as a number of other fine period books on architecture.

Appeal to Repair Roof Over Shakespeare's Tomb Continues to Bring in Donations

noreply@blogger.com (Mark S) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:59:00 +0000

The widely reported need for repairs at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon has gained much interest, and reports of new donations are continuing to come in. The main supporting beam of the chancel - the section of the church containing both the altar and Shakespeare’s burial site -needs significant repair work, after the beam’s deterioration was discovered three weeks ago by workmen on the roof.

PHOTO CREDIT: K. Wigglesworth.

On October 20th, a group of 34 American travel agents visited Shakespeare Country to hand over a $200 donation towards the repair of the church roof. The donation had been raised by the Anne Hudgins Shakespeare Class, a group of members who have been reading Shakespeare's works since the group formed in 1931. Members of the group had read in their local paper about the campaign to repair Shakespeare's Church roof and decided to raise money which they could hand over during their visit.

Paull Tickner of Paull Tickner and Associates who had organized the visit, explained, “I’ve brought these very experienced American travel agents for a three night experience of Shakespeare Country so they can discover how the area makes a perfect base for group tours with an interest in gardens, the visual and the performing arts."

SPAB Conservation experts make desperate plea to save two historic tudor-era buildings.

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:10:00 +0000

SPAB (The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) has written to Rochdale Council earlier this month, calling for action to save both Tonge Hall and Hopwood Hall, noting that the state of Hopwood Hall was now ‘utterly deplorable’ and also warning that a hard winter could result in the complete loss of Tonge Hall. Both buildings have deteriorated sharply in recent years, with Tonge Hall suffering a devastating fire in 2007. For its part, Hopwood Hall has seen several attempts at rehabilitation fall through.

PHOTO CREDIT: Flickr user / artaddict2.

SPAB deputy secretary Matthew Slocombe explained that while the fire at Tonge Hall was clearly a tragic event, the effects have been compounded because the the building has not been adequately protected from damage since that time. The complete loss of a truly appealing, original timber frame building could soon result if protective measures are not taken very soon.

PHOTO CREDIT: Panoramio.

As for Hopwood Hall, which is in the council’s ownership, SPAB believes that action must "quickly be taken now to halt further attack and decay." The principal issue with this building is the lack of protective roof covering, which has led to catastrophic water penetration and the ensuing structural problems.

PHOTO CREDIT: Flickr user / tracetone1.

Tonge Hall is generally regarded as one of the finest examples of Tudor architecture in the country and still retains many of its original features, including carved oak beams and inglenook fireplaces. The stately Hopwood Hall also dates back to Tudor times and was the ancestral home of the Hopwood family.

Houses: Elizabethan Manor May Yet Become a Home Once Again

noreply@blogger.com (Mark S) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:35:00 +0000

The Times Online recently highlighted Franks Hall, an imposing Elizabethan manor house in Kent, which was a family home for centuries before it was converted into business offices in 1980. After the last resident left, the house and outbuildings were turned into a grand office space for a publishing company. The house, in Horton Kirby, currently serves as the headquarters for an office supply firm. Today, grand rooms like the Queen’s Bedroom — reputedly once the guestroom for Elizabeth I — is a showroom for high tech fax and printing equipment.

PHOTO CREDIT: The Times Online.

In today's economy, however, it isn't easy to justify the extra expense of having such grand company headquarters. The agent, Knight Frank, believes it is likely that the next buyer of the £5.5 million estate will restore Franks Hall as a great family home. The principal house consists of 15,000sq ft of pure Elizabethan heritage, with Tudor ceiling roses, carved stone fireplaces, and elaborately wood panelled rooms.

“Decoratively, the house is in great shape,” says agent Edward Rook, of Knight-Frank. “It just needs to be updated.”

Found: Digital Library Preserves Decorative Arts Books Online

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:14:00 +0000

We recently came across The Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture, and online image and text collection that forms a part of the University of Wisconsin's Digital Collection. We all know there are thousands of valuable architecture and design resources out there in the from of old books that hopefully will be scanned and organized in the years ahead; this particular collection is a nice example of how these books can be made available online.

PHOTO CREDITS: Univ. of Wisconsin Digital Collection.

The book we've highlighted here is titled The house decorator and painter's guide; containing a series of designs for decorating apartments, suited to the various styles of architecture - by Henry William Arrowsmith. Originally printed in London by Thomas Kelly in 1840, the 120-page book features 61 illustrations, many of which are hand-colored. The full online version of the book can be found HERE.

The Digital Library collects and creates electronic resources for study and research of the decorative arts, with a particular focus on Early America. Included are electronic texts and facsimiles, image databases, and Web resources. Made possible by the Chipstone Foundation, the project is produced at the University of Wisconsin Madison General Library System.

Fribourg Keeps Medieval Heritage on Display with Urban Golf

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:33:00 +0000

Located between Bern and Lausanne, the Swiss city of Fribourg makes a great location for touring other parts of the country. One of the city's most unique attractions is an "Urban Golf" experience that was designed to show off its impressive medieval architecture and many other visual treats. The course's 18 "holes" are dotted around the medieval Old Town, many offering fantastic views of the Gothic cathedral, the old city walls and the Sarine river. Be forewarned though - this is more than just a light stroll – doing the full round involves crossing the town for about four hours. "It's the perfect way to discover the town," said Nicolas Zapf, Fribourg's tourism director.

PHOTO CREDIT: Panoramio.

To take in the urban golf experience, just head down to the tourism office conveniently next door to Fribourg's rail station. Pick up a city map, a special three-headed golf club and plastic ball and head out to do your 18 holes. Marked by flags on the city map, the golf holes are located at points of scenic or historical interest, so be prepared for a major array of urban distractions. The idea is to walk between each golf green and take in the atmosphere and grand architecture. The well-marked greens range from 20 to to about 100 yards from tee box to hole.

PHOTO CREDIT: webshots.

The city features a very impressive lineup of medieval architecture, with 12 churches and monasteries, 14 towers, 11 fountains, a considerable length of ancient city walls and many well-preserved Gothic-style homes overlooking the valley of the River Sarine. Especially inspiring is St. Nicholas Cathedral, which was built between 1283 and 1490. You'll also cross a number of centuries-old bridges that connect the French-speaking Switzerland to the German-speaking part. This really sounds like a fun and original way to highlight a city's architectural heritage, and might be a great thing for other cities to consider.

Clive Aslet Explains: Why the Tudors Still Rock

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:06:00 +0000

I've always loved Clive Aslet's books about country houses - in fact, The Victorian Country House is perhaps my all-time favorite - and this recent Telegraph article about the appeal of Tudor architecture is another superb example. He points out that the Tudors simply loved architecture, having built some of Britain's most memorable homes.

ABOVE: Arreton Manor - Isle of Wight
PHOTO CREDIT: Country Life

In the article, Aslet (editor-in-chief at Country Life) provides some examples of great Tudor houses (some of which are still on the market) pointing out many of the features that keep attracting us to them, even after five centuries. To read the complete article, go HERE.

Cryin' Shame: Yves Marchand & Roman Meffre's Detroit Ruins

noreply@blogger.com (Mark S) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Thanks to Andy Marshall (@fotofacade on Twitter) who brought this online collection of sadly beautiful and provocative photos to our attention. There is truly something fascinating about photos of abandoned buildings; the two examples shown here are most interesting to us because they represent some examples of Tudor-Gothic revival architecture which was popular throughout the Midwest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The economic upheaval we've seen over the past few decades has hit the city of Detroit particularly hard, and part of Yves Marchand & Roman Meffre's photo collection focuses on what they observed there.

ABOVE: First Unitarian Church, Detroit

PHOTO CREDITS: Yves Marchand & Roman Meffre

As the photographers explain on their website, the photo exhibition, titled "Contemporary Ruins" is based on the following concept:

"Ruins are the visible symbols and landmarks of our societies and their changes, small pieces of history in suspension.

The state of ruin is essentially a temporary situation that happens at some point, the volatile result of change of era and the fall of empires.This fragility, the time elapsed but even so running fast, lead us to watch them one very last time : being dismayed, or admire, making us wondering about the permanence of things.

Photography appeared to us as a modest way to keep a little bit of this ephemeral state."

ABOVE: Luben Apartments, Detroit

It's certainly sad to see some of these fine buildings in such sorry condition; while some do not look totally beyond repair, the current state of the economy in Detroit makes it unlikely that most would be saved any time soon. Just as sad is the fact that in many of their photos, you can see useful architectural details, furniture, artifacts, and even in one case, an abandoned school library with hundreds of books rotting on the shelves. Sadly, I would be willing to bet that none of them will be salvaged or reclaimed.

At least Marchand and Meffre have been able to preserve the memory of these buildings. To see the whole collection, go HERE.

Gothic PC Marries Technology with Medieval Style

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Self-styled "Datamancer" - Richard "Doc" Nagy is well-known for his unique and inspirational "steampunk" contraptions, which can be seen on TV shows such as SciFi Channel's Warehouse 13, who contracted with him to have some special props made. Nagy uses a lot of creativity and ingenuity to combine modern technology with turn-of-the-century and medieval-inspired decorative designs--resulting in truly unique and useful art.

PHOTO CREDIT: datamancer.net

One of my personal favorites is the "Archbishop" Gothic PC, [above] a PC/LCD/Keyboard/"Mouse" combo that was built using Gothic design elements. The LCD monitor lives inside a scratch-built Gothic arch with quatrefoil designs and stained-glass doors. The PC case features the same Morisco-patterned glass, brass embellishments, a hinged lid for access to the drives and hardware, and soft, ambient red lighting. Built as a gaming computer - it's a real high-performance PC, not just a showpiece.

While this particular model is sold, Richard will be happy to build another one for you upon request. While "steampunk" inspired design might seem to be at the very edge of what we cover at TLG, the Victorian and Gothic themes used in so many of the designs are quite appropriate to Medieval and Tudor interiors. After all, there can be little doubt that the "Archbishop" PC would look better in your library than a beige box.

To see more of Nagy's work, check out his remarkable website and blog.