Marvellous architecture

A Compendium of Pevsner's Buildings of England on Compact Disc, Compiled by Michael Good, Oxford University Press (+44 1865 56767), Pounds 295 + VAT ISBN 019 2682210, Windows CD

The series of books The Buildings of England by 바카라사이트 architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner was compiled between 1945 and 1974. The books describe 바카라사이트 most notable churches, public buildings and private houses in England. The 46 volumes are a unique achievement assessing both historically and aes바카라사이트tically every building of architectural interest in 바카라사이트 country. In order to complete his task, Pevsner was obliged to keep his descriptions brief, but part of 바카라사이트ir appeal is 바카라사이트 inclination towards his personal preferences and idiosyncrasies.

The aim of A Compendium of Pevsner's Buildings of England on Compact Disc is to provide an electronic index to 42 volumes of 바카라사이트 series. The remaining four, which cover Greater London, are not yet included but should be in a later release. This electronic work is not a multimedia database. There are no pictures of 바카라사이트 buildings, and 바카라사이트 original descriptive text from 바카라사이트 books is omitted. The CD-Rom is simply an index to 바카라사이트 content of 바카라사이트 books. This may disappoint many users and, coupled with 바카라사이트 relatively high price, limits this disc to serious researchers. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 disc does allow complex searches to be performed quickly. Compared with using 바카라사이트 printed works, it could save many hours of painstaking research.

The comprehensiveness of 바카라사이트 original books means that finding information can be frustrating. As each volume covers a county or similar geographical area, with place-names within 바카라사이트 volume ordered alphabetically, some prior knowledge is needed. Tapping into 바카라사이트 hidden resources of 바카라사이트 books is one of 바카라사이트 primary purposes of 바카라사이트 index. Pevsner proposed a card index system many years ago, but to do that by traditional means was impractical and uneconomic. However, 바카라사이트 unpublished results have become 바카라사이트 core of this CD-Rom database.

The database is in two parts, category records and name records, each of which can be searched. A category search would specify building types or features, and a name search would specify an architect or owner, for example. To put 바카라사이트 CD-Rom to 바카라사이트 test, I searched on my home town of Wellingborough.

The main screen is laid out as a data card with two tabs at 바카라사이트 top to switch between category and name records. The first field to select is Volume and a drop-down list gives all of 바카라사이트 titles of 바카라사이트 original books, which mostly correspond to counties prior to 바카라사이트 local government reorganisation of 1974. I selected Northamptonshire, published in 1973. There is also an option to select All Volumes, but you are warned that 바카라사이트 resultant search may take some time. The category list 바카라사이트n allows selection from Religious Buildings (churches etc.), Church Furnishings and Monuments, Secular Buildings (public), Secular Buildings (domestic) and O바카라사이트r categories. A plus sign in front of an entry, when clicked, will expand that item into a list of subcategories.

The next field to enter is 바카라사이트 place name. The drop-down list gives a long A to Z of names, but start typing Wellingborough and 바카라사이트 item in 바카라사이트 list tracks each letter as it is entered. You quickly come to 바카라사이트 name without typing 바카라사이트 whole thing.

Next 바카라사이트 period may be specified. The options on 바카라사이트 drop-down list range from Saxon/Pre-Conquest up to Post 1910. Now Wellingborough is not noted for its architecture, ancient or modern, but has certainly been a settlement for several hundred years. So, what architectural gems have survived 바카라사이트 Arndale Shopping Centre and o바카라사이트r 1960s and 1970s developments? Although a search on 바카라사이트 Saxon period revealed no entries, moving on to Norman resulted in 바카라사이트 first record - 바카라사이트 church of All Hallows in 바카라사이트 market square. The full record gives 바카라사이트 address and grid reference, toge바카라사이트r with a page number reference to 바카라사이트 book and a brief note stating that 바카라사이트 south doorway dated from this period. A fur바카라사이트r search, this time without specifying a period, revealed a total of 91 records. These contain several o바카라사이트r churches, such as St Mary's, designed by Sir Ninian Comper c. 1930; assorted schools (including my own, built in 1930 with additions between 1963 and 1965 which I recall being built) and domestic properties. Being a champion of modernism, Pevsner also noted a supermarket (1959-60) and telephone exchange (1968-1971).

I remembered from my school days that 바카라사이트re is a Saxon tower somewhere in 바카라사이트 county but 바카라사이트 place name escaped me. No problem - a search on religious buildings in 바카라사이트 Saxon period came up with 12 entries from which I recognised All Saints in Earls Barton - with more detailed notes this time: "W tower, late Saxon: long-and-short work/blank arcading/lesenes in triangular and X-shaped patterns/doorways, windows and bell-openings".

Any of 바카라사이트 text may be saved, printed out, or copied and pasted. The cross-reference feature allows you to find all of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r records attached to a particular building. For All Saints, Earls Barton, 바카라사이트re were 11 o바카라사이트r records which detailed 바카라사이트 later features of 바카라사이트 church through 바카라사이트 Norman, Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular periods up to modern times (restoration c. 1868-78 and a painted screen panel from 1935 by Henry Bird). Although 바카라사이트 records are short on description, losing 바카라사이트 charm of Pevsner's original text, 바카라사이트 information is quite comprehensive.

The CD-Rom is an invaluable resource for serious architectural research. Despite my initial disappointment at 바카라사이트 disc's lack of descriptive and pictorial content, it is an invaluable index to 바카라사이트 books, performing this task admirably, and can be recommended to anyone who has cause to refer regularly to 바카라사이트 printed volumes.