The industrial revolution brought about significant change. Increases in technology meant that, for the first time, goods could be mass-produced. The Victorian era was the era of the cast iron fireplace and, thanks to mass production, many kinds of grates and fireplaces became available. Throughout the 19th century, cast iron grates and fireplaces became very popular – the Victorian cast iron fireplace was to be found in wealthy and poor homes alike.
The Victorian cast iron fireplace was available in a wide range of styles, influenced by previous eras. Popular styles included the Greek, the neo-Gothic and the Elizabethan, and by Queen Victoria’s reign many complicated and elaborate designs of fireplace were available.
Since Inigo Jones’s day, fireplaces had been rectangular, but in the Victorian era arched cast iron fireplaces became popular. Iron founders also designed new cast-iron chimneypieces that combined the grate and surround into one unit. All this choice led to the term the battle of the styles.
The Victorian cast iron fire-grate was relatively small, with ample heat being generated by the radiation from the polished metal. Victorian cast iron surrounds ranged from the small and delicate to the grandly ornate with imposing over-mantles. Craftsmanship in all cast iron pieces was of an extremely high standard, and the smaller surrounds were often used as attractive in-fills for mantels.
There is no doubt that cast iron fireplaces were very popular in the 19th century, and they are still very much in demand today: this is closely associated with nostalgia and the Victorian ideals of a closely-knit family life.
Due to the large selection of styles and sizes available, there is a cast iron fireplace to suit every room. Specialist fireplace retailers sell original Victorian cast iron fires and surrounds, and these come cleaned, polished and restored to their former glory. Excellent reproduction Victorian fireplaces are also available.
9 Responses to “Victorian Cast Iron Fireplaces”
[...] fireplaces were slightly smaller and more understated than Victorian models, with minimal design and surface decoration. Although Edwardian fireplace designs were [...]
[...] Victorian: The era known as ‘the battle of the styles’, due to the huge influence of all previous decorative styles. Arched cast iron grates introduced for the first time, often surrounded by wood, marble or stone surrounds. This was an age of industrial wealth and mass production, so opulence and grandeur were primary factors in fireplace design. The early to mid Victorian period looked back to the Gothic and Elizabethan fireplace styles, with the Gothic being linked to the Victorian ideals of Christianity and truthfulness. The later Victorian age was influenced by a mixture of styles, with opulence being the key. Mantels were dressed with sumptuous velvet pelmets and overmantels incorporated several shelves, often with mirrors. Other popular designs of the later Victorian period include Charles Rennie Mackintosh and a revival of the Adam design. [...]
[...] of Louis XIV, XV and XVI. In reality, these replicas made by French architects and artisans in the Victorian era were much less ornate than the original Louis fireplaces. However, the Victorian Louis XV [...]
[...] had an arched fireplace opening, but this tended to be much narrower than the Georgian and early Victorian versions. Decoration moved away from floral motifs and became decidedly geometric, with moulded [...]
[...] taken from the television or glossy magazines – we have visions of warming our homes with cast iron fireplaces beneath marble mantelpieces with limestone surrounds. Faced with so much choice and so much [...]
[...] maximum popularity between the years of 1880 and 1901, with tile sliders being introduced for cast iron fireplaces from 1860 onwards. These 6-inch tiles featured at either side of a fireplace opening and served a [...]
[...] sell a property, particularly if they include stained glass in and around front doors, and elegant cast iron fireplaces with Art Nouveau or Arts & Crafts [...]
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