Edward Shaw of Boston: Antebellum Architect and Author—An Introduction

This is the first in-depth study of the career of an important antebellum American architect and author. In the quarter century after 1830, Edward Shaw designed dozens of townhouses in Boston, including the landmark Adam Wallace Thaxer, Jr. house on Beacon Hill. Shaw also published five influential books on architecture and structural materials. James F. O'Gorman describes the design and contents of Shaw's published works, and traces their distribution across the country, from Maine to Oregon.

James F. O'Gorman is Grace Slack McNeil Professor Emeritus at Wellesley College.

"This is a substantial book, by a major scholar, that sheds a revealing light on the history of the architectural profession and the role of books and prints in forming public taste. This is a substantial contribution to the scholarship of American culture."
—Michael J. Lewis
Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Art
Williams College