The Early Imprints Collection currently holds over 4,000 books published between 1478 and 1840 from across Europe and the United States, over half are in English with the remainder published in other languages. Highlights include:

 

• John Shute's 'The first and chief groundes of architecture' (1563).
• A.W.N. Pugin's 'Contrasts' (1836).
• The manuals and pattern books of Sir William Chambers, William Halfpenny, Batty Langley, William Pain, William Salmon, Abraham Swan and Isaac Ware.
• Editions of the writings and publications of Vitruvius, Alberti, Palladio and Piranesi.

Use the online catalogue| to search the collection and the rest of the holdings of the British Architectural Library, RIBA. 

All the books in the collection may be consulted during the opening hours| of the Library. A full bibliographical and historical account of the books has been published in the 'Early Printed Books 1478-1840: a catalogue of the British Architectural Library Early Imprints Collection'.