"Decorative Antique Ironwork"

[tomhw]

"Decorative Antique Ironwork" by Henry Rene' D'Allemagne, Dover Publications (1968).
This soft cover book has 415 pages of black and white photos with a paragraph describing the many objects on each page.

This is a reprint of a 1924 catalogue of "Le Secq des Tournelles Museum a Rouen". It is a catalogue so the pictures are a little grainy and the descriptions (in English) are minimal and unsatisfying. That said the pictures are of sufficient detail to impress one with the mastery of the medium to our craft's ancestors from the late medieval to the 19th century.

The book is divided into Architectural Iron and Small Iron and Steel Objects. Architectural iron work includes grilles, locks, door knockers and knobs, hinges, signs, and "objects of repousse' or chased iron".

Small iron includes steel jewelry and and Berlin cast iron jewelry , toilet accessories, boxes, shears, scissors and sewing accessories, religious objects, iron furniture, fireplace and kitchen equipment, lighting fixtures, table utinsils, chests, and iron mounted wooden furniture.

If you are interested in antique, decorative, or domestic ironwork this book is a must have.

[RichardT]

Thanks for the review, I've just ordered it! (happy dance)

[CurlyGeorge]

I too have this book. It is an excellent reference book on old ironwork and designs. :D