BABA Books

Wrought Iron in Architecture
By Geerlings
BABA member price £17
Non-member price £21

This is a reprint of the book, originally published in 1929.

The author set out to help architects and clients understand the unique properties of forged iron, at a time when there was still a proliferation of cheap cast iron. He explains and discusses the differences in the materials and techniques, and then shows, chapter by chapter the different styles of forge work historically executed in the different western European countries and North America.

There are plenty of black and white photographs of forged ironwork from Europe and from America, taken before the original publication date in 1929, so this book will show some pieces that no longer exist, alongside some that have survived to the present.

There are also line drawings and images of some architect drawings to support the photographs.

The 'Raison Detre' for this book, although written 80 years ago, is one that still resounds today. The familiar competition to forge work then was cast iron. Today it is the readily available elements that are welded together and usually called 'wrought iron'. If a client or architect was to read the opening chapters of this book, and have images of the artist blacksmith's work of today available, it might help to explain the uniqueness of forge made articles, when set against the alternatives that are all around us.

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