From the Foreword.
IN presenting the series of original sketches and the accompanying descriptive monographs, which at regular intervals appeared in The American Architect, it will not be necessary to comment further on their artistic excellence or the high reputation of the artist who sketched these many examples of early American architecture.
Heretofore there have never been adequately shown or grouped in one volume, the many buildings and details, historically interesting and architecturally good, that are to be found in the Colonial towns adjacent to the Eastern cities in the United States. A rather indifferent and poorly executed lot of postcards, illustrating some of these buildings, but lacking any description, issued by various communities, represents all that has been published of many of the subjects shown.
It was with the two-fold purpose of dignifying the work of the early builder-architects and furnishing the best possible examples of pencil rendering, that the publishers of The American Architect set about the preparation of the present series. Since the advent of the hand camera too little attention has been given by architects and draftsmen to sketching in the field. It is believed the sketches shown in this collection constitute an eloquent appeal for a revival of interest in this phase of architectural education.