BOOKS wide mass of available material. The even coverage of each period in so brief a book creates an imbalance to the disadvantage of the 19th and 20th centuries, for which obviously more evidence survives. While not taking issue with what is said, it is unfortunate that public parks and cemeteries, to which the public have best access, are dismissed in only half a page, less space than is given to the Bishop of St David's gardens of the 14th century. This is, however, but a small quibble with an otherwise admirable and beautifully illustrated introduction. The comparisons with contemporary English gardening are difficult to resist and the study can lie read with profit by students of English practice. Alan Taylor PROPER RESPECT FOR THE PAST The Golden City - Essays on the Architecture and Imagination of Beresford Pite. Edited by Brian Hanson. Prince of Wales Institute for Architecture, 1993. l 55pp, 83 b/w & 16 colour illus. Softback. ISBN 1 898465 02 9. Price £14.95. Although a profound influence on a later generation of architects, including Charles Holden, Goodhart-Rendell and Albert Richardson, Arthur Beresford Pite was a puzzle to his disciples and even today he remains largely unknown and his work undervalued. This may in part be because he was a controversial and rebellious figure; a man upon who's life no convenient label could be hung. This is the first reprise of his thoughts and work since the 1930s when his reputation was swamped by a rising tide of modernism which he deplored for its lack of spirit and an absence of true idealism. He assimilated his influences through the process of building and his synthesis of design was largely unaffected by changing architectural fashion. Pite's principles were founded firmly upon a deep appreciation of building crafts. He believed chat the future could be nourished by proper respect for the past and looked for an 'intelligent archaeology' to provide a context for the furtherance of modern design. CONTEXT 40 Pite also defended the unity of arts and crafts against the fragmentation of the building industry. His work embraced both the Gothic and the classical tradition. He took a particular interest in the antique and, believing that Norman Shaw's . essentially pictorial architecture was a false trail, considered ic was essential to return to first principles. While young architects were studying Shaw and Earnest George, Pite was evaluating Butterfield, Burges and Street. Good architecture is thought to be a rare exception in any era. Reginald Blomfield certainly thought so a century ago when welcoming the "most original and remarkable" Institute of Chartered Accountants (with John Belcher) of 1888-93, a particular testimony to a true artistic insight into the essential qualities or architecture. This little book will do much to rehabilitate Pite's obscured architectural reputation and will garner many new admirers of his astonishing and exqu1s1ce draughtsmanship. The typography, layout and illustrations do full justice to the subject and the Prince's Institute is to be congratulated on such an attractive publication. There is only one particular quibble. As it is unlikely that a further work on Pite can be expected soon, even a brief chronological or topographical Appendix of Pite's executed work would have been invaluable to all those who will now wish to experience his work for themselves. Bob Kindred The Institute of Chartered Accountants, London.John Belcherand BeresfordPite, 1888-93. Consuhin.g Engineers Specialising in the design of sensitive solutions to problems arising out of damage, natural ageing, a change of use, or a wish to enlarge old buildings possessing high aesthetic value. The practice has extensive experience in solving difficult planning problems and obtaining acceptable compliance with building regulations. Full project management of schemes with tight control of cost, quality and duration, backed by powerful design and control technology. Anthony Howell CHARTERED ENGINEERS Rads End Farm, Evershollt, Bletchley, Bucks. MK17 9ED Tel: 0525 280357 Fax: 0525 288810 LETTERS NONTRADITIONAL REPAIRS Dear Editor I read with interest che Dorset team's report of their ACO Annual School ( Context 39, page 16) and would like to correct one or two technical points regarding my lecture which could be misinterpreted in the inevitable shorthand summary of a lengthy presentation. My objective in discussing non-traditional techniques was to argue for a balanced, objective and informed response to all technologies when repairing historic fabric. Traditional materials can be misused just as modern high-tech products can. Often the choice depends on knowledge and experience, and clearly there is much for Conservation Officers co· do to improve their technical competence - as the slips of the pen in reporting my talk illustrate. For example, underside leadsheet corrosion has many causes and the change in alloy content might be one of them, but copper, rather than silver, is the metal I had in mind. Then there is the much maligned though generally misunderstood area of stone consolidation. For readers' information, Brethane is an alkoxysilane and English Heritage will be publishing findings on its long-term use shortly. But I did not, as the report infers, state a preference for lime-shelter coating (did the reporter mean lime watering?). How reversible or effective is that? Again English Heritage is taking an objective look at the claims made for traditional overcoats and strengtheners and will report back. John Fidler English Heritage PROPAGANDISE NOT INSTITimONALISE Dear Editor I read Dave Burton-Pye's article on institute status for the ACO with interest( Context 39, page8). I agreewith hisviewthat theACO and its members are perhaps too introspective and fail to bang the conservationdrum loudly enough in the rightears. However, I doubt whether institute status would necessarily change this. The architects, via the pages of their professional press, constantlymoan on about theirlackof influencewith government.The RTPI upper echelons behave like an old boys' club, remote from their membership, while the Institute is probably as ineffectualin influencing governmentasthe RIBA Rather than pursuing the institute route, I wonder if the way forward lies in moving towards a more campaigning and propagandising organisation.SAVE, Greenpeace,FoE and others have shown the way. Perhapswe shouldfollowtheirlead. TonyRobinson NorthaDemm 43
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