I have a collection of plates that were part of a 3-Vol publication titled, The Builders Portfolio, authored by R.W. Shoppel and published by New York: The Co-Operative Building Plan Association in 1886. I will be listing the plates individually.  

Here is an online brief description of this 3-Vol set:  

"Robert W. Shoppell and the Co-operative Building Plan Association

Shoppell's company, the Co-operative Building Plan Association, published designs prepared by an in-house staff of architects for nearly three decades between 1881 and 1907. At its peak the firm employed about 50 architects, who provided free consultation to the customer who purchased a Shoppell plan, priced in the range of $15 to 65. Shoppell's business intended to challenge directly the rising popularity of expensive custom-designed plans.

The Builders' Portfolio was issued in three portfolios of 100 designs each. Shoppell's designs were targeted to an audience of architects, builders, and real estate people and were intended to offer sufficient construction details and pricing to protect those professions from "making losing contracts." The "Color Sheet" for residential exterior paint provides advice on color selection, placement, and application.

In Modern Houses Beautiful Homes Shoppell noted that 8000 houses had been built from his designs in the previous six years. His published designs were extremely popular—so popular that Shoppell patented the designs so he could control the number of houses built to each design and discourage "copycat" houses by other builders.

Shoppell had high expectations for the ability of his books to positively influence new construction: that if we devoted "knowledge, reflection and common sense [to our architectural works] ... we should possess an architecture of our own, worthy of our advanced civilization and in harmony with our national genius." To assist in developing this knowledge, Shoppell included chapters of The Habitations of Man in all Ages by Viollet-le-Duc throughout the book."

The plates measure 14.3" by 11.2", and are card stock. They are all lightly age-toned and have lightly rounded corners.  I have selected for listing only those which I believe are SUITABLE FOR FRAMING.  A few do have some small chips at the corners and some small soil marks.  Found in this collection from an estate was a laminated copy of the title pages of Volumes 1 and 3. 

THIS LISTING IS FOR PLATE #262 FROM VOLUME 3.  There are slightly dark area top left hand corner, possibly foxing or from a moisture event.

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