Sketches and hints on landscape gardening : collected from designs and observations now in the possession of the different noblemen and gentlemen, for whose use they were originally made : the whole tending to establish fixed principles in the art of laying out ground

Author

Repton, Humphry, 1752-1818

Date

• 1794

Publisher

London: Printed by W. Bulmer and Co., Shakspeare Printing-Office, and sold by J. and J. Boydell ... and by G. Nicol ...

Summary

• Sir Humphry Repton (1752-1818) was a celebrated landscape designer for the English landed gentry. His three major publications are digitized by the University of Wisconsin libraries. "Sketches and hints on landscape gardening" was published in 1794; "Observations on the theory and practice of landscape gardening" appeared in 1803; and "Fragments on the theory and practice of landscape gardening," co-authored with his son J. A. (John Adey) Repton, appeared in 1816. During his career, Repton developed an innovative method for conveying his landscaping ideas to prospective clients. He presented them with individualized red-bound volumes outlining suggested improvements to their estates and illustrating the ideas in watercolors. Via tabbed overlays and hinged flaps, the illustrations showed landscape views both before and after proposed modifications. Late in his career, Repton estimated he had produced over 400 unique “Red Books” and reports for clients during his lifetime. In order to disseminate his ideas and theories to a wider audience, Repton published the three books digitized here. These draw on material originally contained in the Red Books and replicate the before-and-after views with hand-colored aquatint illustration plates. In our online facsimiles, illustrations with moveable flaps are shown in both states. In some cases, the tab mechanisms are visible from the reverse side of the illustration pages. See the original Repton books in the UW-Madison Memorial Library Special Collections at call numbers Thordarson T 4083, Thordarson T 4080, and Thordarson T 4078.