George Bankart first wrote The Art of the Plasterer in 1908. It was then re-issued, with amendments, a few years later. Now available from Donhead as a facsimile edition, this impressive, well illustrated volume offers an artistic interpretation of the way plaster was used in response to stylistic changes. Bankart was an architect inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement who cared passionately about the craft of plastering and sought to complement Millar's earlier craftsman's book by producing a volume which traced the history and art of plastering throughout the United Kingdom. It explores in detail how plaster materials and methods were developed and used, giving a fascinating insight into some of the unusual substances added to plaster. For instance, he tells us that ancient stuccos sometimes contained fig juice, curdled milk, blood or beer to make them harder. The book also contains an account of wattle and dab as well as parge-work, using practical illustrated examples to give an excellent description and record of the subject. With over 400 illustrations, comprising black and white photographs and drawings of ceilings and the profiles of mouldings, this volume will be of value to craftsmen engaged in plasterwork, conservation professionals and all architects and architectural historians with an interest in this field.

William Millar's classic book "Plastering Plain and Decorative" is universally referred to as the 'Plasterer's Bible'. It was first published in 1897 and was clearly a great success, with a second edition following a couple of years later in 1899 and a third edition in 1905 (a reprint of the first edition is available from Donhead). In 1927 the publishers, B. T. Batsford Ltd, decided that it was time to republish Millar's 'magnus opus', but that the fourth edition should be revised and updated. They asked George P. Bankart, an architect/craftsman and author, who had already written another book for them, to take on this task. George Percy Bankart was an architect highly influenced by the 'Arts and Crafts' movement, who had chosen to work as a decorative craftsman. The 'Arts and Crafts' was an English movement dedicated to the idea that architecture could be inspired by a revival of traditional building crafts and materials. It started in the second half of the 19th century, based on the writings of Ruskin and was driven by the ideas Morris, amongst many others; and carried on into the first quarter of the 20th century. Bankart was born in Leicester on the 20th January 1866, and was a great friend of Ernest W. Gimson, another Leicester born architect, just over a year his elder. Both men studied and became architects, and shared a creative passion for the handicrafts. Whilst Gimson's career included embroidery design, traditional chair-making and furniture design, as well as decorative modeled plasterwork, Bankart concentrated primarily on plasterwork. Their different activities were true to the ideas of the Arts and Crafts movement, and their designs reflect the movement's interest in a return to nature. Bankart's career as an author started with "The Art of The Plasterer," which was published by B. T. Batsford Ltd in 1909. He seems to have taken a break from writing until, together with his son G. Edward Bankart, he produced two books "Modern Plasterwork Construction" in 1926, followed in 1927 by "Modern Plasterwork Design," both published by the Architectural Press. Also in 1927 he was back with B. T. Batsford Ltd for the publication of this fourth and revised edition of 'Millar'.