The full title of the book: what is it revealing about the content of the book? Who is it speaking to?
The full title of the book is «A treatise on civil architecture». The title indicates a book about civil architecture. The book has a subscribers list with many names of noble people. But I think, all in all, the book is speaking to both professionals and amateurs. It includes content over a wide spectrum of knowledge which can be interesting for both, even though it’s meant for architects or at least for a lot of noble people.
List of contents: Does the book have one? If so, what kind of sections does the book include? How are the chapters organised/ listed?
No, I didn’t find a list of contents. But the book starts with the chapter «Origin and buildings» and ends with a documentation about modern buildings at that time. The organization reminds of a timeline which is built up and leads different subjects through the chapters.
Illustrations: Is the book illustrated? If so, what king of images are there? If not, why do you think that is?
It has a few pictures for each chapter. It contains illustration of columns, but also floor plans and a lot of views (Ansichten).
Size/format: Is the book large or small, thick or thin etc…? What does this mean in relation to the topic?
It is a large and heavy book compared to our regulations and normal sized books. This lets us believe that it contains a wide spectrum of content with a possibly precise documentation.
Author: who wrote the book? What was their background and occupation? What do you think they wanted to achieve with this book?
The book is designed and written by William Chambers. He was born on 23. February 1723 in Goteborg, Sweden and died on 10. March 1796 in London, England. He was an architect and wrote several books through this time. I think it is allowed to say, that it reminds me of Andrea Deplazes’s book «Architektur konstruiren» because they both are a summary of specific subjects in architecture. In the case of «A treatise on civil architecture» it’s for civil architecture.