Architecture

At Joigny in France, some of the oldest homes may have started as holes in the ground, with tree trunks planted inside and branches plastered with clay to keep out the rain. How did such a humble refuge lead to temples and palaces?

In this early-twentieth-century survey, N. D’Anvers follows architecture from its earliest shelters to the monumental buildings of ancient civilizations. The question is not simply what a building is made of, but what makes it art: it must serve its purpose and possess a genuine style. Wood, brick, and stone each shape what builders can achieve, while the shift from the horizontal lintel to the arch changes how walls, roofs, and openings can be made. The arch’s inventor is unknown—but how did this single device transform the buildings that followed?

With centuries of literature, it's inevitable that some will fall through the cracks. We hunt down public domain works and restore them so they're not lost to the world.

Who are we? We're Cairn Press. Our background is in design, publishing, typography, and technology. These skills fuel our mission to create the highest quality Public Domain eBooks available online, at an affordable price. We give them the treatment they deserve; our proprietary process restores books for a better overall user experience in design, readability, and e-reader compatibility.