author
W. H. (William Henry) Leeds
1786–1866
A sharp-eyed 19th-century architectural critic and journalist, this writer helped make design, public building, and European literature more accessible to English readers. His work ranges from essays on architecture and civic improvement to translations and practical guides for beginners.
1 Audiobook
Rudimentary Architecture for the Use of Beginners The Orders and Their Æsthetic Principles
by W. H. (William Henry) Leeds
About the author
Born in Norfolk in 1786, William Henry Leeds became known in Britain as an architectural critic, journalist, and writer on design. He contributed to major periodicals including the Foreign Quarterly Review in the 1830s and the Westminster Review in the 1840s, writing not only about architecture but also about Russian literature and other continental subjects.
Leeds also worked on important architectural publications. He was associated with books such as Moller's Memorials of German Gothic, a supplement to Illustrations of the Public Buildings of London, The Travellers' Club House, and Railway Architecture. His Rudimentary Architecture for the Use of Beginners shows another side of his work: a talent for explaining architectural ideas clearly for general readers and students.
Although he is not as widely remembered as some of the architects and critics he wrote about, Leeds played a useful part in 19th-century architectural culture by interpreting new styles, public improvements, and European influences for an English audience. No suitable confirmed portrait image was found during this search, so none is included here.