Ebook Mission Architecture as Exemplified in San Xavier Del Bac Including a Complete List of the Missions in the Southwest

Someone has said that the ignoring of an author's preface is very much like appearing indifferent upon an introduction to the author himself; however that may be, if you arc so generously polite or, perhaps, so negligent of time as to he reading these few words, let me take this opportunity of cautioning you beforehand that this is one of the first works really to attempt the analysis and study of mission architecture. The field is practically unknown and there is no precedent to follow.

However, since the beauties and charm of mission architecture have become more widely known, a great need has been experienced among architects during the last few years for accurate drawings and descriptions of the best types of missions. Few architects of today can afford to devote the time necessary to making such drawings and studies, and I deem myself fortunate that peculiar conditions have allowed me a year of leisure, which I unhesitatingly devoted to such study.

I trust I have done well in selecting for study the greatest and finest of the missions, San Xavier del Bac. It is a Mission not generally known, and never before have any plans been drawn from it. For that matter, scarcely any of the missions have been studied to any great extent' although something has, at times, been written about them, especially the California "Chain"; but even in this case more with a view to general description, concerned with little or 110 architectural or archaeological study.