Brick: A Social History

by Carolyne Haynes

Bricks and lime mortars came to this country with the Romans but for most people bricks become popular a little later. After the Great Fire of London, whole buildings had to be built from non-flammable materials and brick buildings came into their own. The Georgian town house became the epitome of urban design; bricks and mortar built the infrastructure of industrial Britain. Mortars had to be created that could set under water for canals and be strong enough to build long railway tunnels, while bricks had to be made in huge quantities. They also built the worst slums this country has ever known, contributing to the early deaths of thousands. The love affair with bricks continues today, with exposed brickwork on show in many modern buildings. This is the surprising social history of bricks in Britain.

Genres: History

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2019

Reviews

[Leslie P · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seemed to be written for three distinct audiences: sociologists, architects, and masonries. The chapters that described the use of bricks by different cultures and bricks as an indicator of class and security fascinated me. This is what I was seeking. I found the chapters about varied architecture interesting and very quickly skimmed the chapters on the various compounds and techniques of making and building with bricks.

[Ewan · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's fun to read about the economic basis and the ingredients and the processes of making that underlie this material that holds us

and fun to read at length about one of the membranes of our lives

and to pick a unit of our planned space and follow it all the way through

I liked it like I liked the notebook book, but that book had mor character studies. this book has less whimsy, but it is sturdy and water tight, like a good wall