SAMUEL SLOAN (1815-1884)

Published in a series of two designs each month, Sloan's original designs for 57 residences and other buildings were among the most popular of mid-century pattern books, whose dissemination was greatly facilitated by the steam-powered printing press and the railroad. Sloan's publication demonstrates a new much more richly illustrated format, offering elevations, sections, plans, and numerous decorative details, plus a discussion of construction materials and interior finishes. In the introduction Sloan expressed his hope that with an increasing number of well-designed beautiful buildings, Americans would become more sensitive to and affected by that beauty. A second benefit of the well-designed residence is that it is a refuge offering both comfort and convenience. All classes and levels of citizens should have such housing, and Sloan offered a wide range of styles—from Norman to Elizabethan to Italian—and price ranges. The original 1852 edition was republished in 1860, 1868, and 1873.

1. "Design XXX. A Plain Dwelling," vol. 2, plate XV. The Model Architect: a Series of Original Designs for Cottages, Villas, Suburban Residences, etc... Prepared expressly for the Use of Projectors and Artisans throughout the United States. 2 vols. Philadelphia: E.S. Jones, [1852].
2. "Design VI. Italian Villa," vol. 1, plates XXI-XXII. The Model Architect: a Series of Original Designs for Cottages, Villas, Suburban Residences, etc... Prepared expressly for the Use of Projectors and Artisans throughout the United States. 2 vols. Philadelphia: E.S. Jones, [1852].