I read a book a few years ago about the history of elevators. Before elevators, buildings were wonky in that rooms and hallways did not line up from floor to floor. After elevators, buildings had to be much more regular to accommodate elevator shafts. The book is Lifted: A Cultural History of the Elevator by Andreas Bernard (my review is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1022629049).
beautiful photos, so thanks. I am on my city's local heritage committee and we deal with old buildings a lot, so I am going to forward this to the chair of the committee, an old friend, and he may have answers. I also am a member of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario so suggest you may wish to contact them. I love old non-ninety degree rooms. But try fitting in some furniture in one; 'taint easy.
Mass produced lumber is more consistently flat (boring) and its widespread availability and usage grew after 1860 with the widespread introduction of smaller, more efficient steam engines into manufacturing. So while machine cut building products were making inroads into the construction trade before the 1860s, you see a huge ramping up (of rectilinear boredom) thereafter.
I definitely believe materials and wealth are a large part of wonkiness. Having been in many cellars in new England, there is an almost abrupt change from when lumber was sourced locally and often hand cut to when steam power and locomotives changed the economics of construction. There were definitely well crafted, right angled buildings before the change, but they always seemed to have been built by the affluent who could afford the cost of higher standards. The difference between a hand dug dry brick cellar with joists going every which way and a hand dug cellar with masonry or stone foundations with all set at right angles was astonishing.
Great photos. London is a fabulous city with so much to see and do. Glad you enjoyed it (COVID excepted of course). Here’s Wikipedias take on Durrant’s:
Durrants Hotel is located at 26-32 George Street, in the central London district of Marylebone, England. Established in 1789, the hotel has been owned by the Miller family since 1921 and is one of the last remaining privately owned hotels in London.[1][2] The building has 92 rooms, and several houses have been incorporated into the building's structure.[1][3][4][5] It is located opposite the Wallace Collection art galleries.[5]
The building was converted to a hotel in the early 19th-century from a terrace of town houses built between 1780-1800. It has been listed Grade II on the National Heritage List for England since December 1987.[6]
So it’s Marylebone, and a bunch of old houses stuck together.
I know a lot less about construction history than I should. But I think it's more connected to construction technique than outright age. Lincoln Cathedral probably doesn't have a straight line or a right angle in it, but that not because (or not only because) it's old - it's because it's a very large and complex building that was laid out with stick and ropes. As tools became more precise, margins of error reduced.
I don't know when the breakthrough occurred, or whether it was a breakthrough or just gradual evolution and refinement. There's an organization called the Construction History Society (<https://www.constructionhistory.co.uk/>) which is the repository of a lot of this expertise. I'm a member, but not a very active one, so I can't direct you to a specific person or publication for an answer. But someone there must know....
Speaking of Victoria's birthplace, I expect you know that her father, Edward Duke of Kent, lived in Halifax for some time. He greatly embellished the residence overlooking the Bedford Basin that he was loaned, but unfortunately only one small part of it (known somewhat speciously as the Music Room) survives. I'd post a picture, if it were possible to post pictures in the comments.
I hope you're over COVID soon! When my wife and I caught it in July, it was like having a cold, the 'flu, and being pushed down a flight of stairs all at the same time.
Duh! Factory-made windows, doors and moldings. Flooded the market in the US in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Probably did the same in England. Deskilled master carpenters. Once self-employed artisans, they became workers employed by construction companies. See pp. 138-143, Cowan and Hersch, A Social History of American Technology.
Dreadfully sorry that your lovely trip left you with COVID.
We recently (first week of November) were in London following a visit with our eldest daughter who is located “over there” (up in Sheffield). We had a late-Georgian-era hotel in Craven Hill Gardens, so not wobbly like yours, but just off Hyde Park. Walking around the grounds, we took in the various sites you describe and pictured, but I was most taken aback by the Albert Memorial -- it’s staggering in size and concept, (that) Victoria surely was taken in by him!
I hope that you are soon better. I will research that hotel. I just returned for Europe and also have the travel lurgy. Yes let’s find out about that 90 degree thing. I always thought differential settling. Maybe not. I really enjoy your writing. Have been reading your stuff for decades. Putting your recent book on my Christmas list.
I live in a wonky London house build in 1842. Georgian and Victorian houses were built with shallow foundations, often on soft clay, which can lead to settlement. When we refurbished our house we had to rebuild a few of the internal foundations to stop some of the more severe subsidence.
Love the beautiful pictures, your capture of the light is insidiously evoking emotions. I admire the peaceful swan that will be rather more aggressive once the nesting starts. During my visits in the past the invasion of the Canada geese that compete with the swan territory was quite evident. I live in a house designed by an architect for himself in the late 70s. There are many odd angles --- any renovation is causing headaches for contractors 🤬 -- yet my eyes are delighted.
but "Boney"? adjective or noun? i'm guessing noun. if you continue in this vein at some point you're going to have to provide a.glossary. Hank had the gout so paid well for his sins. I was hoping for a word on the ravens. Maybe next time.
Thanks for the wonderful essay and photographs. It made me remember the best of London and the wonky pubs we stayed in around the countryside. All the best.
I read a book a few years ago about the history of elevators. Before elevators, buildings were wonky in that rooms and hallways did not line up from floor to floor. After elevators, buildings had to be much more regular to accommodate elevator shafts. The book is Lifted: A Cultural History of the Elevator by Andreas Bernard (my review is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1022629049).
beautiful photos, so thanks. I am on my city's local heritage committee and we deal with old buildings a lot, so I am going to forward this to the chair of the committee, an old friend, and he may have answers. I also am a member of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario so suggest you may wish to contact them. I love old non-ninety degree rooms. But try fitting in some furniture in one; 'taint easy.
Gail B
Mass produced lumber is more consistently flat (boring) and its widespread availability and usage grew after 1860 with the widespread introduction of smaller, more efficient steam engines into manufacturing. So while machine cut building products were making inroads into the construction trade before the 1860s, you see a huge ramping up (of rectilinear boredom) thereafter.
I love everything about this. What a special experience to share with one’s daughter. (The post requires such formality).
I definitely believe materials and wealth are a large part of wonkiness. Having been in many cellars in new England, there is an almost abrupt change from when lumber was sourced locally and often hand cut to when steam power and locomotives changed the economics of construction. There were definitely well crafted, right angled buildings before the change, but they always seemed to have been built by the affluent who could afford the cost of higher standards. The difference between a hand dug dry brick cellar with joists going every which way and a hand dug cellar with masonry or stone foundations with all set at right angles was astonishing.
Great photos. London is a fabulous city with so much to see and do. Glad you enjoyed it (COVID excepted of course). Here’s Wikipedias take on Durrant’s:
Durrants Hotel is located at 26-32 George Street, in the central London district of Marylebone, England. Established in 1789, the hotel has been owned by the Miller family since 1921 and is one of the last remaining privately owned hotels in London.[1][2] The building has 92 rooms, and several houses have been incorporated into the building's structure.[1][3][4][5] It is located opposite the Wallace Collection art galleries.[5]
The building was converted to a hotel in the early 19th-century from a terrace of town houses built between 1780-1800. It has been listed Grade II on the National Heritage List for England since December 1987.[6]
So it’s Marylebone, and a bunch of old houses stuck together.
I know a lot less about construction history than I should. But I think it's more connected to construction technique than outright age. Lincoln Cathedral probably doesn't have a straight line or a right angle in it, but that not because (or not only because) it's old - it's because it's a very large and complex building that was laid out with stick and ropes. As tools became more precise, margins of error reduced.
I don't know when the breakthrough occurred, or whether it was a breakthrough or just gradual evolution and refinement. There's an organization called the Construction History Society (<https://www.constructionhistory.co.uk/>) which is the repository of a lot of this expertise. I'm a member, but not a very active one, so I can't direct you to a specific person or publication for an answer. But someone there must know....
Speaking of Victoria's birthplace, I expect you know that her father, Edward Duke of Kent, lived in Halifax for some time. He greatly embellished the residence overlooking the Bedford Basin that he was loaned, but unfortunately only one small part of it (known somewhat speciously as the Music Room) survives. I'd post a picture, if it were possible to post pictures in the comments.
I hope you're over COVID soon! When my wife and I caught it in July, it was like having a cold, the 'flu, and being pushed down a flight of stairs all at the same time.
Duh! Factory-made windows, doors and moldings. Flooded the market in the US in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Probably did the same in England. Deskilled master carpenters. Once self-employed artisans, they became workers employed by construction companies. See pp. 138-143, Cowan and Hersch, A Social History of American Technology.
Dreadfully sorry that your lovely trip left you with COVID.
We recently (first week of November) were in London following a visit with our eldest daughter who is located “over there” (up in Sheffield). We had a late-Georgian-era hotel in Craven Hill Gardens, so not wobbly like yours, but just off Hyde Park. Walking around the grounds, we took in the various sites you describe and pictured, but I was most taken aback by the Albert Memorial -- it’s staggering in size and concept, (that) Victoria surely was taken in by him!
I hope that you are soon better. I will research that hotel. I just returned for Europe and also have the travel lurgy. Yes let’s find out about that 90 degree thing. I always thought differential settling. Maybe not. I really enjoy your writing. Have been reading your stuff for decades. Putting your recent book on my Christmas list.
I live in a wonky London house build in 1842. Georgian and Victorian houses were built with shallow foundations, often on soft clay, which can lead to settlement. When we refurbished our house we had to rebuild a few of the internal foundations to stop some of the more severe subsidence.
Great photos. Get well soon.
Love the beautiful pictures, your capture of the light is insidiously evoking emotions. I admire the peaceful swan that will be rather more aggressive once the nesting starts. During my visits in the past the invasion of the Canada geese that compete with the swan territory was quite evident. I live in a house designed by an architect for himself in the late 70s. There are many odd angles --- any renovation is causing headaches for contractors 🤬 -- yet my eyes are delighted.
but "Boney"? adjective or noun? i'm guessing noun. if you continue in this vein at some point you're going to have to provide a.glossary. Hank had the gout so paid well for his sins. I was hoping for a word on the ravens. Maybe next time.
me again. Thanks to my learned friend, these are his only comments on buildings below:
I would suspect that most buildings were built using right angles; but that with ground
settlement, and perhaps unseasoned timber being used from time to time, that the
buildings would gradually shift, settle, and move about. And thank goodness for that,
it's what gives 'em character. Other than that, I have no other magical solution to offer.
Thanks for the wonderful essay and photographs. It made me remember the best of London and the wonky pubs we stayed in around the countryside. All the best.