The buildings of Victorian Britain are perhaps the most varied and colorful in the country"s architectural history, mirroring the great changes that were taking place in society and in technology, and expressing the delight of patrons and designers in almost every style from the world"s past. The authors have organized their survey by building types (houses, structures for entertainment, for industry and commerce, civic architecture, churches and schools) to show how the buildings sprang from the interplay between social forces, ideals, techniques and individual genius. The book also includes a unique dictionary of more than 300 architects of the period. 250 illus.