History of American Iron Beds

First used by the Chinese, cast iron pieces wereyard pieces, urns, benches and also for architectural
made in 550 B.C. In the 18th Century there wereand structural pieces such as porch and step railings,
numerous small foundries in the East and even as farbrackets, cupolas, etc.
west as Chicago. They took great pride and care inThe style of iron beds produced during the Victorian,
their designs. These small foundries could take daysArt Nouveau and Arts and Crafts periods heavily
to make one single bed. Raw iron was melted andinfluenced the styles, especially Victorian and Art
hand poured and into molds. Finishes were varied andNouveau. Iron was so suitable for fancy creations, it
could range from simple white to beds with multiplesatisfied peoples' taste for the ornate beds during
color schemes with gilded detail on the castings.these periods.
Because of the meticulous methods used to produceThe beauty of owning an iron bed is how easily it
iron bed frames, it is rare to find duplicate designs.can be incorporated into any style decor of a room
There is just no substitute for a hand-forged ironand with any colors. These beds go with any type of
bed from a skilled foundry craftsman. These bedswood furniture from cherry to pine, painted or dark
have withstood the test of time.walnut in the room, complementing virtually any style.
Iron furniture was first introduced into the homes ofThey have never gone out of style, probably never
America in the 1840s. The beds varied from verywill, but currently are especially in high demand. A
simple and plain designs to fancy, ornate styles,beautiful aged patina with worn paint is extremely
especially toward the end of the 19th Century. Untilpopular now and antique iron beds definitely meet
that time, iron was used primarily for garden andthose qualifications.