architectural salvage dealers: the humble ledged- and-boarded or bead butt cottage front door, the Yorkshire light, or the 12 pane sash - so often the victim of the restorers hand.” Charles is committed to charting the development of the metal window as thoroughly as that of the sash window, “otherwise current attitudes towards inter-war architecture, and steel windows in particular, will ensure that very little record survives of the fascinating varieties that were produced by many firms in the first half of the 20th century”. The Collection therefore includes material from domestic, commercial and institutional buildings of every status from the 16th century to the present day. The ordinary and humble is preserved as well as the grand, the work of Adam appearing alongside that of the provincial, speculative builder. At bottom the raison d’être of the Brooking Collection is to use this wealth of architectural details to promote and facilitate the historically accurate restoration of period property.

The comprehensiveness with which the Brooking Collection covers this field is unrivalled in this country. Visitors are often staggered by its scale. What was once contained in seven sheds now fills a store behind the exhibition gallery on the University campus, and the whole of a nearby industrial warehouse. At present the Collection includes 2,000 windows! sections of windows and approximately 2,500 examples of moulded architraves, skirting, dado and picture rails. The computerised catalogue carries information on over 7,000 items in total. Charles is continuing to add to the Collection in an endeavour to chart every significant regional and chronological variation.

It is this very depth of coverage which makes the Brooking Collection such an invaluable resource to the Conservation Officer and those in related professions. This, and the fact that in the Collection immediate comparison can be made between a range of materials, something which is obviously impossible when referring to items in situ.

This comprehensiveness also makes it possible to readily trace the historical evolution of a particular feature, or to compare a number of variations within a given date-span. Earlier this year an architect working on a refurbishment within Peiham Crescent, London, requested to see a sample of architrave mouldings produced between the late 1820s andthe late 1830s. We were able to provide 58 examples of architraves

from that date range from which profiles could be taken.

Charles has not only collected details representative of buildings of every status. He has also taken pains to illustrate the ‘hierarchy’ ofdetailswhich often existed within a single building. The Brooking Collection can supply examples of every gradation thus helping to avoid the all too common errors such as ‘restoring’ to the basement window of a Regency house the same glazing bar profile as was used on the front elevation of the piano nobile.

So how can this wealth of architectural detail serve the Conservation Officer?

One of the most frequent uses which professionals make of the Collection is to extend their understanding of a particular area in order to better advise the public. One Conservation Officer requested to see examples of four and

A mid-i 8th century ‘blind’ fanlight which has been stripped to reveal the quality of its construction.

Detail of a circa 1800 staircase balustrade. Whilst the balusters are wrought iron the diamond infill with central floral motif is constructed from lead.

Sections of architraves dated c. 1905-1910, one of 32 shelves of timber mouldings in the store.

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