John Papworth was the architect responsible for the design of Ackermann's showroom at 101 Strand. He adopted the second name of Buonarroti after his friends acclaimed him as a second Michelangelo following his design for a Waterloo trophy. Before this, however, he had been writing a series of architectural notes for Ackermann's Repository illustrated by coloured aquatints and in 1816 Ackermann decided to reprint in volume form those that described contemporary London. Only the plate The Guildhall was additional and the showroom interiors from the Repository were omitted. The views are divided into two sections, the first dealing with places of worship, entertainment, and residences; the second dealing with mercantile and financial establishments. Of particular interest are the views of West End squares, not published systematically since the time of Overton, 100 years earlier. The Select Views anticipates the work of Shepherd in his Metropolitan Improvements in its illustration of the work of contemporaries and topically records the ephemeral structures which appeared in the parks to celebrate the Peace of 1814' (Adams).

'Copies carrying Papworth's name (on the title-page) are somewhat scarcer than those without' (Abbey)

First edition, 4to, [4]pp., list of plates, 159, 76 handcoloured aquatints including frontispiece, 5 folding, one with short split to fold, later maroon straight-grained morocco gilt, an excellent example.

Adams 117; Abbey (Scenery), 217; Tooley p.188; Martin-Hardie pp.112, 312; Prideaux pp.143, 347.