Temples Of Convenience
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
What began as a purely functional necessity became, in the hands of Britain's most eccentric architects and craftsmen, an art form of extraordinary ambition — and Temples of Convenience is the gloriously irreverent chronicle of that remarkable story. Lucinda Lambton guides the reader through centuries of lavatorial history, presenting a panorama of ornate water closets, magnificent privies, and elaborately decorated public conveniences that reveal as much about social aspiration and cultural identity as any cathedral or country house. From the hand-painted porcelain of Victorian sanitary ware to the grand architectural statements of public lavatories, the subject is treated with both scholarly rigour and infectious wit. Lambton's unique voice — part architectural historian, part delighted provocateur — argues that the humblest room in the house is, in fact, one of the most honest mirrors of a society's values, its aesthetic ambitions, and its evolving relationship with propriety and hygiene. Rich with period photography and meticulous research, this volume stands as a testament to the ingenuity and artistry lavished upon spaces most would prefer to forget. Whether you are a devotee of Victorian decorative arts, a student of social history, or simply a curious reader, Temples of Convenience will forever change the way you regard the smallest room.
Author: Lucinda Lambton
Format: Paperback
Genre: Antiques & collectibles
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
What began as a purely functional necessity became, in the hands of Britain's most eccentric architects and craftsmen, an art form of extraordinary ambition — and Temples of Convenience is the gloriously irreverent chronicle of that remarkable story. Lucinda Lambton guides the reader through centuries of lavatorial history, presenting a panorama of ornate water closets, magnificent privies, and elaborately decorated public conveniences that reveal as much about social aspiration and cultural identity as any cathedral or country house. From the hand-painted porcelain of Victorian sanitary ware to the grand architectural statements of public lavatories, the subject is treated with both scholarly rigour and infectious wit. Lambton's unique voice — part architectural historian, part delighted provocateur — argues that the humblest room in the house is, in fact, one of the most honest mirrors of a society's values, its aesthetic ambitions, and its evolving relationship with propriety and hygiene. Rich with period photography and meticulous research, this volume stands as a testament to the ingenuity and artistry lavished upon spaces most would prefer to forget. Whether you are a devotee of Victorian decorative arts, a student of social history, or simply a curious reader, Temples of Convenience will forever change the way you regard the smallest room.