Downing's Successors > William Ranlett
William Ranlett (1806–1865), like Lafever, first learned architecture as a carpenter-builder. A year of partnership with the English-trained architect Joseph C. Wells broadened his knowledge, and Ranlett came to embrace the picturesque styles of the Romantic Revival movements gaining popularity in the 1840s. He produced this large and lavishly-illustrated book of designs as his own contribution to the growing list of architect-authors that Downing’s Cottage residences had set off.
Ranlett’s practical building skills and architectural training is evident in the copious and meticulous details he provides for each design, including a framing diagram (Plate 21); finishing details (Plate 22); and written specifications for building the Tudor Cottage featured here. The book served as a portfolio of his work, but it also provided such thorough information that others could build directly from the book without consulting him, a detail that may have eluded the architect hungry for commissions.
Lawn & entrance fronts, Tudor Cottage (Design V). William Ranlett, The architect: a series of original designs, for domestic and ornamental cottages and villas ..., 1847-1849. AA7120 R1611 F
Framing diagram and plan, Tudor Cottage (Design V). William Ranlett, The architect: a series of original designs, for domestic and ornamental cottages and villas ..., 1847-1849. AA7120 R1611 F
Finishing details, Tudor Cottage (Design V). William Ranlett, The architect: a series of original designs, for domestic and ornamental cottages and villas ..., 1847-1849. AA7120 R1611 F
Specifications for a Tudor Cottage (Design V). William Ranlett, The architect: a series of original designs, for domestic and ornamental cottages and villas ..., 1847-1849. AA7120 R1611 F