Humphry Repton was what we would call a landscape architect though he called himself “an improver of landscapes” and that he certainly was. He obtained many commissions from the Prince Regent (George IV). Several other blog posts here have more wonderful aquatints after his designs.
The albums these are taken from present Granard’s designs for the Beverly Hills homes of some of the 1940s brightest personalities, including actress and pin-up model Betty Grable (“I became a star for two reasons, and I’m standing on them”), Henry Fonda (holdout juror of “12 Angry Men,” father of Jane and Peter), and Bert Lahr (the Wizard of Oz’s Cowardly Lion). For Lahr’s house, Granard collaborated with Paul Revere Williams, a once-overlooked Black architect who has recently been championed as a pioneer in his field. Also included is the residence of Mike Lyman—whose “Mike Lyman’s Grill” was a favorite haunt of Hollywood elite and (perhaps for that reason) F. Scott Fitzgerald—as well as the houses of several lesser-known figures.
The images are all Maynard Parker’s, the influential architectural photographer whose glam-home shots capture the domestic aspirations of the post-War era. Parker is a Hollywood counterpart to Ezra Stoller and Julius Shulman, evoking the easy luxury of home life to their high-minded vision of the American civic realm. He got his start in the pages of the Home Beautiful under the editorship of Elizabeth Gordon, an arbiter of homemaking taste who railed against the International Style—practiced by the likes of Mies, Richard Neutra, and Phillip Johnson—as cold and even totalitarian.
The covers of the albums are imprinted with the name of the homeowners, save for one which reads “Paul Granard Interiors”. Maynard Parker is a well-collected photographer, but complete albums of his are rare. These albums were created to showcase Paul Granard’s work, presumably so they could be shown to potential clients.
These pictures are all taken from the website of Daniel Oliver Gallery. These are all the images that are scanned and on the website. I learned of the Daniel Oliver Gallery when I visited the antiquarian book fair in my city last fall. When I was leaving I picked up a booklet that lists the various exhibitors which I have been working my way through ever since. It has many wonderful things and I hope to finish going through it by next fall when the Boston Book Fair returns.
Escalier, Hôtel du Figaro, Paris. Plate from L’architecture privée au XIXme siècle (Troisième Série). Published in France in 1877. Chromolithograph. César Denis Daly, editor. Jean Arnould Léveil, artist. Collections of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via http://collection.imamuseum.org/artwork/63484/Vestibule, Hôtel du Figaro, Paris. Plate from L’architecture privée au XIXme siècle (Troisième Série). Published in France in 1877. Chromolithograph. César Denis Daly, editor. Jean Arnould Léveil, artist. Collections of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via http://collection.imamuseum.org/artwork/61332/Salle de Bains, Hôtel Boulevard Exelmans, Paris. Plate from L’architecture privée au XIXme siècle (Troisième Série). Published in France in 1877. Chromolithograph. César Denis Daly, editor. Jean Arnould Léveil, artist. Collections of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via http://collection.imamuseum.org/artwork/63483/Vestibules, Hôtel du Figaro, Paris. Plate from L’architecture privée au XIXme siècle (Troisième Série). Published in France in 1877. Chromolithograph. César Denis Daly, editor. Jean Arnould Léveil, artist. Collections of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via http://collection.imamuseum.org/artwork/63509/Vestibule, Hôtel de Menier, Paris. Plate from L’architecture privée au XIXme siècle (Troisième Série). Published in France in 1877. Chromolithograph. César Denis Daly, editor. Collections of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via http://collection.imamuseum.org/artwork/63522Grand Salon, hôtel, Paris. Plate from L’architecture privée au XIXme siècle (Troisième Série). Published in France in 1877. Chromolithograph. César Denis Daly, editor. Collections of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via http://collection.imamuseum.org/artwork/63521/Vestibule, Hôtel Boulevard Exelmans, Paris. Plate from L’architecture privée au XIXme siècle (Troisième Série). Published in France in 1877. Chromolithograph. César Denis Daly, editor. Collections of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via http://collection.imamuseum.org/artwork/63494/
Soffito: della sala laurenti nel ristorante Storione in Padova. Cesar Laurenti, artist. 1910. Image 7 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n6/mode/1upDecorative medals. Milan (left) and Ravenna (right). Mario Stroppa, artist. 1910. Image 11 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n10/mode/1upCeiling and design for window. G. Beltrami, artist. 1910. Image 17 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n16/mode/1upFregi Decorativi. Ugo Palchetti, artist. 1910. Image 21 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n20/mode/1upMelagrane. Roberto Franzone, artist. 1910. Image 27 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n26/mode/1upAllegoria del Lavoro. Mario Stroppa, artist. 1910. Image 34 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n34/mode/1upDecorazioni per Sala da Pranzo. Giovanni Buffa, artist. 1910. Image 36 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n36/mode/1upEsposizione internationale d’art Venezia 1907: Sala del Sogno, Galileo Chini, artist. Published in 1910. Plate VII. Image 46 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n46/mode/1upOrologi Smaltati di A. Calderoni. Composizione di A. Mazzucottelli. Published in 1910. Image 50 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n50/mode/1upDecorative Panels. G. B. Grandi, artist. 1910. Image 52 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n52/mode/1upDecorative Panels. G. B. Grandi, artist. 1910. Image 56 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n56/mode/1up . Astucci per sigarette di A. Calderoni, Composizioni di Alessandro Mazzucottelli. Image 74 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n74/mode/1upFigure Decorative. Fausto Codenotti, artist. Image 77 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n76/mode/1upDecorazioni per Ditte Insegne. Fausto Codenotti, artist. Image 91 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n90/mode/1upEgyptian Wall Decoration. Image 99 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n99/mode/1upArtistic Stained Glass. Giovanni Buffa, artist. Image 104 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n104/mode/1upDecorazioni Murali. Edgardo Perindani, artist. Image 112 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n112/mode/1upMotivo di Decorazione a Stampo. G. Zuccaro, artist. Image 114 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n114/mode/1upMaioliche. G. Casanova, artist. Image 120 of Modern Decorative Art. Preiss and Bestetti, Milan, editors. Paul Wenzel, importer and publisher. Alfieri and Lacroix, Milan, fine art printers. Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Brigham Young University, digitalizing sponsor. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/moderndecorative01newy/page/n120/mode/1up
Cornices and drapery in the Chinese style. Plate 3. Page 19 of George Smith’s A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. 1808. Collections of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library with the digitalization having been federally funded with LSTA funds through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/collectionofdesi00smit/page/2/mode/1upDrawing room window cornices. Page 23 of George Smith’s A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. 1808. Collections of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library with the digitalization having been federally funded with LSTA funds through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/collectionofdesi00smit/page/n23/mode/1upWindow curtain. Page 28 of George Smith’s A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. 1808. Collections of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library with the digitalization having been federally funded with LSTA funds through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/collectionofdesi00smit/page/n28/mode/1upContinental Drapery. Plate 12. Page 33 of George Smith’s A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. 1808. Collections of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library with the digitalization having been federally funded with LSTA funds through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/collectionofdesi00smit/page/n33/mode/1upContinental Drapery and Window Curtains. Page 35 of George Smith’s A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. 1808. Collections of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library with the digitalization having been federally funded with LSTA funds through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/collectionofdesi00smit/page/n35/mode/1upContinental Drapery and Window Curtains. Page 37 of George Smith’s A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. 1808. Collections of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library with the digitalization having been federally funded with LSTA funds through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/collectionofdesi00smit/page/n37/mode/1upWindow Curtain. Page 41 of George Smith’s A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. 1808. Collections of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library with the digitalization having been federally funded with LSTA funds through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/collectionofdesi00smit/page/n41/mode/1upContinental Drapery. Plate 13. Page 44 of George Smith’s A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. 1808. Collections of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library with the digitalization having been federally funded with LSTA funds through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/collectionofdesi00smit/page/n44/mode/1up
George Smith was Upholder Extraordinary to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
Three Designs for Vases, done for the Right Honourable the Earl of Oxford. There are two vases well executed in Portland Stone according to the middle draught, which are set upon two large piers on each side of the principal Walk in the Garden at Wimpole in Cambridgeshire. Plate CXXXVIII. Page 316 of James Gibbs’ 1728 work A book of architecture: containing designs of buildings and ornaments. Collections of and digitalized by Oberlin College. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bookofarchitectu0000gibb/page/n316/mode/1upDraughts of vases, etc. in the Antique manner, made for several persons at different times. Many of them have been executed both in marble and metal. Plate CXXXIX. Page 312 of James Gibbs’ 1728 work A book of architecture: containing designs of buildings and ornaments. Collections of and digitalized by Oberlin College. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bookofarchitectu0000gibb/page/n312/mode/1upEight Draughts of Marble Cisterns for Buffets. Plate CXLV. Page 324 of James Gibbs’ 1728 work A book of architecture: containing designs of buildings and ornaments. Collections of and digitalized by Oberlin College. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bookofarchitectu0000gibb/page/n324/mode/1upFifteen pedestals for busts. Plate CL. Page 334 of James Gibbs’ 1728 work A book of architecture: containing designs of buildings and ornaments. Collections of and digitalized by Oberlin College. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bookofarchitectu0000gibb/page/n334/mode/1up
Several of these show the furniture with what we would call slipcovers making me think that they are either of rooms in a summer house or rooms with the upholstered furniture in slipcovers for the summer.