Drawer 127 contains 2 distinct folders, one entitled 'Smaller Sketches: Classical, Regency, Rococo and Baroque', the other unnamed. It has been given the title'Classical, Regency, Rococo and Baroque Tracings'. The drawer also contains 91 loose items which have been catalogued as if they were in their own distinct folder and titled 'Mixed Classical, Regency, Rococo and Baroque'.
'Classical' is known for the mastery of the human form and sophistication of architectural design. This style was revived from the late 18th- to the early 20th-century, when architecture and ornament was based relatively closely on ancient classical forms. 'Regency' refers to the style of architecture and decorative arts produced in England during the regency of George, Prince of Wales from 1811 to 1820 and then including the period of his reign as George IV from 1820 to 1830. Varied in style, furniture and architecture reflect a combination of classical and French Empire styles with Egyptian and Orientalizing motifs. This style was revived at the turn of the 20th century. 'Rococo' refers to that period primarily of decorative art that emerged in France ca. 1700 at the court of Louis XV, and dominated Europe until it was superseded by the Classical Revival in the late 18th century. This style is characterized by opulence, asymmetry, grace, gaiety, and a light palette of colors, in contrast to the heavier forms and darker colours of the Baroque. In the19th century, originating in France and spreading to other parts of Europe, England, and the United States, there was a revival of Rococo forms and motifs in interior design and decorative arts. Finally, 'Baraoque' style is characterized by balance and wholeness, often with an emphasis on spectacle and emotional content, and a tendency toward contrasts of light against dark, mass against void, and the use of strong diagonals and curves.
Design sketches that carry a number written in red ink, or the letters B.L. or B.G. (meaning 'bought in London' or 'bought in Glasgow') followed by a number, can potentially be cross referenced with STOD/201/1/8/1 'Templeton Register of Designs Brought - Sketches 1897-1915 (1925)'. Numbers written in red ink have been taken to be the Design Number and are catalogued as the Design Title. Most of the designs in this drawer feature letters and numbers in the form 'SK/C 234', or similar, accompanied by a coloured sticky dot, which perhaps refers to a more recently added indexing system.
This description is part of the Design Archive which is divided into the 142 sections, each with its own separate description.