Architecture and Ornament: An Illustrated Dictionary

Architecture and Ornament: An Illustrated Dictionary by Maliszewski-Pickart, Margaret. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780786403837.

For architects, historians, preservationists, students or homeowners, this richly illustrated two-part dictionary makes it easy to identify a specific architectural detail even if you have no idea what the technical term for it is. Unlike traditional dictionaries that require you to know the name of the term before you look it up, this work allows you to visually identify a particular building element in a series of illustrations. Once the visual identification is made, the name of the term is given, making it simple for you to look it up in the traditional architectural dictionary section of the work. The illustrations are arranged by main categories with common labels--windows and doors; walls; roofs; columns; stairs; ornament and moldings; and arches, vaults and domes. For example, one would find illustrations for many types of columns, such as Tuscan, Doric, and Corinthian, and then could find many parts of these columns further identified. This broad range of architectural illustrations allows the work to function not only as a traditional architectural dictionary, but also as a design source or as an overview of architectural ornament and detailing.