Wrought iron has been used as a decorative element in architecture from the eleventh to the twentieth centuries. At first a device to strengthen and embellish doors, wrought iron was soon adopted for free-standing screens and railings, examples of which can still be seen in churches and cathedrals. The cheaper technique of cast iron led to a subsequent decline in wrought iron, although the latter underwent a revival at the end of the nineteenth century.
This book provides an introductory guide to decorative wrought iron, describing how it was made, its context in architectural history and where examples of it can be seen today.
Contents:
Introduction
Doors and chests
Railings, screens and interior fittings
Screens, gates and railings: the early eighteenth century
Street furniture
Gothic revival to Post-modern
Places to visit
Further reading
