Lot #17: The Work of Sir Robert Lorimer - Scarce 1931 book on Scottish architecture by Christopher Hussey

The Work of Sir Robert Lorimer Christopher Hussey London: Country Life, 1931 First Edition Hardcover in cloth boards with black leather titles to upper board and spine, 10 1/4" x 13 1/2", 111 pages of text + 129 pages of black and white photographs. The dust jacket for this book perished, was rebuilt by a former owner preserving the text and photo on a new backing, which also perished, leaving the front cover of the rebuilt dust jacket laid in at the back of the book. The sacrifices of these dust jackets were not in vain; the book remains largely fresh and clean after 94 years. Small spot of damage at top of front hinge, a few crunches in the margins of the text block, small spine break prior to introduction, a few other minor imperfections. Overall a solid and appealing book, and difficult to find. In addition to the impressive architectural photos, the book is filled with Scottish history, written in a style that isn't found anymore, as can be seen in this excerpt from the history of Ardkinglas Castle in Argyll: "The burgesses of Dumbarton, the Dukes of Lennox and the Colquhouns of that ilk took a gloomy view of their demand notes tipped with steel, and these Campbells doubtless were often glad of the help of the greater Argyles, with whom they kept in intimate touch. Where there were minors in either household, the elders of the other branch served their younger kin as guardians. The seventh laird, we read, was a man of wrath. The laird of Calder was joint guardian with him of an Earl of Argyle, an inconvenience which Campbell solved by murdering Calder. To a taste for blood he added a gift for magic, and there is a flavour of Macbeth in his summoning of the witches of Lorne and one Patrick MacQueen, a warlock minister, to aid him in winning the affection of Argyle, who certainly had reason to mistrust his kinsman. Tried three times for these engaging doings, he escaped conviction, but missed the dry death only to be drowned. His galley capsized on the way home from a jaunt made agreeable by the sacking of an island. His son, the eighth laird, was saved from the same fate, and the reigning Argyle took on the task of guardian. His manhood was sweetened by some pursuit of the Camerons with fire and sword, but his death made way for his son in 1640. This Sir James was luckier than forty other Campbells who lay dead in Inverlochie, for he escaped, but in 1654 and 1661 was hauled before the Privy Council for his bickerings with the Lamond clan, by which no few of them perished. Now we come to an enchanting bit of pantomimic vengeance. In 1662 the Lyon King of Arms, with his heralds in their tabards, passed with trumpeters to the market cross at Edinburgh, and there affixed backwards the arms blazoned on paper of the traitor Ardkinglas, and did rend them asunder to the sound of trumpets." Pickup category timeslot {A}