Fullbrook — Lutyens Sketchbook & Accounts 114/300 (Libanus Press, 1989)

This finely produced two‑volume limited edition from Libanus Press offers one of the most complete and revealing documentary records of Edwin Lutyens’s architectural practice during the late nineteenth century. Issued in 1989 in an edition of 300 numbered sets, of which this is number 114, Fullbrook — Lutyens Sketchbook & Accounts brings together the surviving working materials for the Streatfeild commission, presenting them in a format that respects both their historical significance and their original physical character. The result is a publication that sits comfortably within the broader narrative of industrial‑era progress, capturing the intersection of architectural design, technical specification, and the evolving professional standards of the period.

Volume I contains the introductory essays, Lutyens’s correspondence, and a series of facsimile sketches that illuminate the early conceptual stages of the project. Central to this volume is the facsimile letter to Mrs Streatfeild, printed on laid paper and bound directly into the text sequence as issued. This letter, dated 21 October 1896, outlines Lutyens’s initial thoughts on layout, circulation, and domestic functionality, and provides a rare insight into the communication style and design reasoning of one of Britain’s most influential architects. The inclusion of this facsimile, positioned exactly as intended by the press, reinforces the documentary integrity of the set and ensures that the reader encounters the material in a manner faithful to the original working archive.

Volume II reproduces the full Specification of Works & Accounts, a detailed record of the project’s technical and financial structure. This specification is more than a simple list of instructions: it is a window into the professional culture of the period, revealing the standards, expectations, and cost frameworks that shaped architectural practice at the turn of the century. It also reflects several industrial‑era innovations that were transforming domestic construction. By the 1890s, architects such as Lutyens routinely incorporated machine‑cut timber, standardised joinery components, and mass‑produced ironmongery — all products of industrial manufacturing that allowed for greater consistency and reduced on‑site labour. The specification also demonstrates the adoption of Portland cement, which had become a reliable industrial material by the late nineteenth century and was increasingly used for foundations, external rendering, and damp‑proofing. Likewise, the inclusion of cast‑iron and mild‑steel elements in structural and domestic fittings reflects the broader industrial shift from traditional wrought iron to more uniform, factory‑produced metals.

These innovations shaped the underlying construction logic. Lutyens’s specifications reveal a designer working with the best materials of his time: machine‑pressed bricks, industrially rolled joists, and factory‑produced glazing components. The facsimile presentation in this edition preserves the texture, layout, and rhythm of the original documents, allowing the reader to appreciate how industrial manufacturing quietly underpinned even the most traditional of architectural commissions.

Both volumes are quarter‑bound in terracotta leather over printed paper boards, with gilt titling to the spines, and are housed in the original cloth slipcase. The design is characteristic of Libanus Press’s approach during this period: restrained, well‑proportioned, and attentive to the relationship between form and content. The slipcase provides both protection and visual coherence, completing the set in a manner appropriate to its fine‑press ambitions.

Condition Report

The set is graded Near Fine overall, with a single qualification. Internally, both volumes are pristine, with all facsimile components present and correctly positioned. The bindings are firm, square, and clean, and the paper sides show no significant wear. The facsimile letter in Volume I is intact, correctly folded, and bound into the text as issued. The only notable flaw is the presence of two small, isolated dark oil spots to the terracotta leather bindings: one at the head of the spine on Volume I, and a minor spot to the front right joint of Volume II. These marks are minor, stable, and unobtrusive, but are noted for accuracy and have been taken into account during valuation. The slipcase shows shelf wear and minor fraying to the top and bottom edges, consistent with normal handling; cloth clean and unfaded, structure sound.

A handsome, complete, and well‑preserved example of this significant architectural facsimile edition.