SPECTACULARLY LONG LITHOGRAPHIC PANORAMA.
STRICKLAND, WILLIAM. 1781-1854. Strickland's Lithographic Drawing of the Ancient Painted Ceiling in the Nave of Peterborough Cathedral. London: Published by the Author, 1849.
Folio (415 x 290 mm). 7 chromolithographic plates folded accordion-style and hinged, to create a single panoramic illustration by John Sleigh. Publisher's blind-stamped cloth, gilt lettering within floral border on upper cover; contemporary trade label from A. Tarrant, Binder and another (later) label reading 'Restored by Blair Jeary/Burghley House/Stamford' on front paste-down. Marginal chips on leaves and plate hinges, with archival restorations.

William Strickland, an American architect and engineer, began a tour of Europe in 1838, visiting England, Italy and France. In England he made sketches of railway and locomotive construction and ornate ceilings at Crosby Hall and Peterborough Cathedral. He would later design the interior of the state capitol building in his native Tennessee. With a combined length of approximately six feet, John Sleigh's lithographic image from Strickland's drawings is an impressive achievement in printing. It depicts the painted wooden ceiling of Peterborough Cathedral, whose intricate geometric and pictorial panels date to around 1230.