Originally published in 1881, but here reissuing the 1906 edition with a new introduction by Stephen J. Scaysbrook, the Mitchell Building and Construction books offer an unparalleled insight into construction techniques and materials. Originally written to provide a concise handbook and guide for students and for practitioners, this reissue of Mitchell's 1906 First Stage or Elementary Course edition now provides a valuable addition to building pathology, allowing students and practitioners to research construction methods and materials pertinent to the period.

Including over 1000 drawings, it is of no surprise to see Mitchell's First Stage or Elementary edition start with a detailed explanation of the instruments and methods of drawing with pencil ink and tracing paper, emphasising the need to learn basic drawing skills and the need to think about a detail and the materials used to create a detail capable of lasting well over 100 years or more. The simple act of making a scale from a drawing with only one dimension may be lost to modern-day students, but not to Charles Mitchell, who describes the method and its use.