Foundries began mass-producing cast iron furniture in the 19th Century. Designs previously reserved for the wealthy and massive English estates were for the first time available to the middle class. Many of the English cast garden furniture designs were replicated and then newer American cast iron furniture designs also became very sought after and are still popular today in the Antique Garden Furniture collector’s market. One such example, shown here, from the Trade Catalogue of the Coalbrookdale Company 1875, the Passion Flower Design, is a good example of the level of detail and artistry developed in the production pieces. It features a trailing passion flower design, cabriole legs, and a tight hexagon pattern on the seat.It is one of my personal favorites and also a favorite among collectors. Leaves, flowers, and motifs from nature were popular themes for this period and were commonly expressed in the cast iron furniture pieces of the time. The fern was a particularly popular motif, not only in furniture but also as a theme in printed fabric of the time.
Intricate patterns which were previously only possible by the skilled hands of a blacksmith could now be produced with a reasonable likeness. Because the iron was poured into a mold which could be used multiple times, the time and skill required to produce each piece was reduced considerably and therefore the cost as well. Easily welded while hot, and corrosion resistant as well, cast iron garden furniture became very popular and remained so until the 1930’s.
The popularity of cast iron furniture began to wain as other materials became available. Cast iron pieces are extremely heavy making them difficult to move from place to place. Cast Aluminum, 3 times as light as cast iron, is used by many manufacturers today for Cast Aluminum Garden Furniture to achieve the same look with less weight.
Mild Steel casting, while less corrosion resistant, also developed a following, and today is the choice of many manufacturers and artisan designers specializing in Steel Metal Garden Furniture who want the versatility of the malleable nature of steel with the added availability of cast decorative elements welded artistically for added ornamentation.
Cast Iron Garden Furniture manufactured during the late 19th century and early 20th century is still very much sought after by collector’s for the timeless beauty of a bygone era.
Today cast iron decorative elements are used extensively in the fabrication of elaborate gates and fences. It is also used as a component in the manufacture of many traditional garden furniture styles requiring a flourish of embellishment on bended steel frames as floral and leaf designs and geometric decoration from traditional motifs to contemporary adaptations for an endless supply of imaginative results. Return from Cast Iron Furniture to Metal Furniture