This book on the history and technology of architectural ironwork aims to impart an understanding of the myriad of forms and uses to which ironwork has been put. In addition, the book describes techniques for restoring and preserving ornamental ironwork. Also shown are many of the traditional patterns and design motifs which can be used as tracings for contemporary design.
Artists have made gates and fences in wrought iron over the centuries in ornamental designs shown here in hundreds of photos. The restoration of wrought iron is discussed and ironwork examples are organized according to their uses, such as gratings that protect doors and windows, entries and gates from Europe in the Middle Ages, artistic creations of the 17th and 18th centuries, and works of our own day.
This classic work documents the many uses and ingenious adaptations of wrought iron in architecture, with numerous examples from the fourteenth century through the twentieth centuries. Gerald Geerlings' extensive introduction details the properties of wrought iron; its textures; tools and terms of the trade; architectural applications, design, motifs, and ornamentation; economic considerations; finishing; and more. The author illuminates the history of wrought iron with carefully researched surveys of the craft in several countries, including Italy, Spain, England, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, and America. Nearly 400 illustrations, including 73 clear drawings and 307 sharply focused photographs of gates, railings, screens, lighting fixtures, bannisters, balconies, door knockers, and other objects, chronicle the evolution of wrought iron as both a structural and decorative material. Special attention is devoted to early-twentieth-century developments and applications of this highly useful metal.
