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Life of John Claudius Loudon his wife

Early life London Country Residences Ferm ornee Russia Loss of fortune   Hothouses France and Italy Gardeners Magazine Marriage Birmingham Scotland Arboretum Suburban Gardener  Cemeteries Last illness Death Anecdotes Elegy

Encyclopaedia of Architecture

In 1832 Mr. London commenced his Encyclopedia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture, which was the first work he ever published on his own account; and in which I was his sole amanuensis, though he had several draughtsmen. The labour that attended this work was immense; and for several months he and I used to sit up the greater part of every night, never having more than four hours' sleep, and drinking strong coffee to keep ourselves awake. The First Additional Supplement to the Hortus Britannicus was also prepared and published in 1832.

Arboretum Britannicum

The great success of the Cottage Architecture, which is perhaps the best and most useful of all Mr. Loudon's works, tempted him to publish the Arboretum Britannicum also on his own account. He had long intended to write a work on the hardy trees of Great Britain; but he did not contemplate the expenses which he should incur by so doing. When, however, the Arboretum was once begun, he found it was impossible to compress it into the limits originally intended; and, in his determination to make the work as perfect as possible, he involved himself in the difficulties which hastened his death. Notwithstanding the immense labour attending the Arboretum, which was published in monthly numbers, Mr. London, in March, 1834, began The Architectural Magazine, the first periodical devoted exclusively to architecture; though, like The Magazine of Natural History and The Gardener's Magazine, it only served as a pioneer to clear the way for others, which afterward followed in tile same Course with much greater success.

From the year 1833 to Midsummer 1838 Mr. London underwent the most extraordinary exertions both of mind and body. Having resolved that all the drawings of trees for the Arboretum should be made from nature, he had seven artists constantly employed, and he was frequently in the open air with them from his breakfast at seven in the morning till he came home to dinner at eight in the evening, having remained the whole of that time without taking the slightest refreshment, and generally without even sitting down. After dinner he resumed the' literary part of the work, and continued writing, with me as his amanuensis, till two or three o'clock in the morning. His constitution was naturally very strong; but it was impossible for any human powers to bear for any lengthened period the fatigue he underwent.

 

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