Designs for the Pavillon at Brighton by Repton, Humphry - 1808

London, 1808. Tall folio, modern gilt-paneled, straight-grain full green morocco, spine richly gilt. Minor darkening to outer edges of pages; small tear to lower margin of pages 37-38 and small repaired tear to fore-edge margin of pages 27-28. A beautiful untrimmed copy of the first edition with plates watermarked 1807. Modern bookplate of Harris Hollin. Invited by the Prince of Wales, the future King George IV, to submit designs for the remodeling of the Marine Pavillon at Brighton, rRpton produced an elaborate, exotic building and gardens in the Indian style. Repton's philosophy of landscape gardening is expressed in the inscription to the frontispiece, "Gardens are works of art, not nature." The lovely frontispiece depicts a lush Flora triumphing over old man Winter with the help of a heated conservatory. Repton's work was not executed due to the Prince's financial difficulties. Later the commission was given to John Nash. The text includes a far-fetched argument for the Indian style as more suitable for the project than Gothic or Classical. It was Repton's only attempt at this style. With 21 aquatints, including one frontispiece in color (supplied from the second edition) and one uncolored frontispiece as is correct for the first edition, eight plates (one in sepia and seven hand-colored, including two double page). Five of the color plates with overslips; of these two have two overslips apiece. Eleven vignettes (one in sepia and three hand-colored, two with overslips). The overslips fold back to reveal the proposed alterations. "What God could have done if he had had the money." Abbey, Scenery, 55. Millard, British Books, 66 (describing the second edition, circa 1822). An illustration can be found on my website by clicking on Catalogue 31 (item 65, illustrated on the inside cover). Modern Full Morocco. Fine. Illus. by Humphry Repton. Tall Folio.