Object Type
Bookcases for domestic use first appeared in the 1660s and were often known as book 'presses'. In the 18th century, books were increasingly seen as status symbols, reflecting not just the wealth but also the knowledge and interests of the owner of the house. For this reason people liked to have their books on display. Glazed fronted bookcases were an ideal way of protecting valuable collections without making them invisible.

People
These bookcases were made by the firm of William Vile (born about 1700; died 1767) and John Cobb (born about 1715; died 1778), cabinet-makers to George III, who were paid £260 in January 1765 for the work. The carpenter John Hobcraft of Titchfield Street, London, assisted with their construction and the finer details were carved by Sefferin Alken, the principal decorative carver of his day.

Places
Croome Court, Worcestershire was built in 1751-1752 for George, 6th Earl of Coventry, by the architect and landscape designer Lancelot 'Capability' Brown (1716-1783). In 1759 Lord Coventry commissioned Robert Adam (1728-1792) to redesign some of the house interiors, including the Library, in the fashionable Neo-classical style. In June 1763 Adam provided detailed drawings for the bookcases, which were to form the principal feature of the room.

Design & Designing
By the mid-18th century, designs for bookcases were principally derived from architecture and often reflected the architectural scheme of the interior and exterior of the house, as did this example from Croome Court. The Ionic pilasters of the central section echoed the Ionic frame of the Library's Venetian window and the honeysuckle motif in the cresting reflected Adam's design on the plaster ceiling.