OVERTON, Thomas Collins. The Temple Builder's Most Useful Companion. 15, [4] pp. With frontispiece and 50 engraved plates, of which 1 is folding, all engraved by R. Pranker. 8vo., 260 x 175 mm, bound in original grey wrappers in a new half morocco folding box, uncut, partially unopened. London: I. Taylor, 1774.

Overton's Temple Builder's Companion focuses on the architectural garden "follies" of the eighteenth century. Overton, whose only claim to fame, is this book, would appear to have come from a family of country land surveyors in the west of England, and several of the plates are from that part of England.

The fifty plates are engraved by R. Pranker some of which are adapted from Batty Langley's Ancient Architecture Restored of 1742 and illustrate designs for small houses, cottages, pavilions and other garden structures in a Palladian mode. The book was published without a text, other than the brief explanations to the plates. A splendid copy in fresh condition of this scarce little book.

Millard, British, 47 (listing the second edition).