19th century Coalbrookdale cast iron garden furniture

The Coalbrookdale Company was founded in 1709 by Abraham Darby, who was originally involved in the making of brass pots and began experiments in 1707 that finally led to the patent for casting iron bellied pots in dry sand and in particular, to the art of casting them in thin section.

He leased a furnace at Coalbrookdale, Shropshire and from there the company expanded rapidly to meet demand for its castings and forgings. Additonal furnaces were established locally and in surrounding towns, and by about 1750 the company was the largest in England.

Coalbrookdale had a growing reputation among engineers, more... and by 1778 the Company had cast more than 100 steam cylinders and many complete engines, including Boulton and Watt engines, under licence.

At this time the company commenced building the world's first cast iron bridge, completed in 1781, and which gained Abraham Darby III (grandson of the founder) the Gold Medal of the Society of Arts in 1790.

In the 1840s, the company was in the hands of Francis Darby, the son of Abraham Darby III, and it began developing lines of decorative furniture. Due to the strength and resistance to rust when painted, cast iron was an ideal material for outdoor furniture and decorative items.

Once the moulds had been manufactured, it could mass produced, making it more economical than wrought iron furniture which had to be individually made.

Coalbrookdale furniture was designed in a variety of styles, in line with that of furniture fashions of the times, including Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, Rococo. Ornate and often lavishly detailed decoration of fruit, vines, ferns, leaves, and floral motifs were especially popular.

Garden seats are amongst the firm's most best-known items, either with wooden or cast iron seat slats.

Coalbrookdale items made during the 19th-century usually have a cast indented 'Coalbrookdale' or 'C-B Dale Co.' and often a date lozenge, a kite or diamond shaped mark indicating the year the design (for that item) was registered. Often these markings are difficult to make out due to the build up of successive layers of paint over the years. less...

The Coalbrookdale Company was founded in 1709 by Abraham Darby, who was originally involved in the making of brass pots and began experiments in 1707 that finally led to the patent for casting iron bellied pots in dry sand and in particular, to the art of casting them in thin section.

He leased a furnace at Coalbrookdale, and from there the company expanded rapidly to meet demand for its castings and forgings. Additonal furnaces were established locally and in surrounding towns, and by about 1750 the company was the largest in England.

Coalbrookdale had a growing reputation among engineers, and more... by 1778 the Company had cast more than 100 steam cylinders and many complete engines, including Boulton and Watt engines, under licence.

At this time the company commenced building the world's first cast iron bridge, completed in 1781, and which gained Abraham Darby III (grandson of the founder) the Gold Medal of the Society of Arts in 1790.

In the 1840s, the company was in the hands of Francis Darby, the son of Abraham Darby III, and it began developing lines of decorative furniture. Due to the strength and resistance to rust when painted, cast iron was an ideal material for outdoor furniture and decorative items.

Once the moulds had been manufactured, it could mass produced, making it more economical than wrought iron furniture which had to be individually made.

Coalbrookdale furniture was designed in a variety of styles, in line with that of furniture fashions of the times, including Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, Rococo. Ornate and often lavishly detailed decoration of fruit, vines, ferns, leaves, and floral motifs were especially popular.

Garden seats are amongst the firm's most best-known items, either with wooden or cast iron seat slats.

Coalbrookdale items made during the 19th-century usually have a cast indented 'Coalbrookdale' or 'C-B Dale Co.' and often a date lozenge, a kite or diamond shaped mark indicating the year the design (for that item) was registered. Often these markings are difficult to make out due to the build up of successive layers of paint over the years. less...

Cast iron is produced by heating iron with a high carbon content until it liquefies, and then casting the iron into moulds of compressed sand.

Cast iron was invented in China in the 5th century BC and poured into moulds to make ploughshares and pots as well as weapons and pagodas. Although steel had been invented, was in use, and was more desirable, cast iron was cheaper and thus was more commonly used for warfare in ancient China.

In the west, cast iron did not become available until the 15th century, and its earliest uses included cannon and shot, and more... later, cast iron cannons, which, while heavier than the existing bronze cannons, were much cheaper to manufacture and enabled more to be produced..

Cast iron pots were made at many English blast furnaces from about the 17th century. In 1707, Abraham Darby patented a method of making pots and kettles thinner and thus cheaper than his rivals could. This meant that his Coalbrookdale furnaces became dominant as suppliers of pots, an activity in which they were joined in the 1720s and 1730s by a small number of other coke-fired blast furnaces.

The ability to manufacture lighter items led to the popularity of cast iron for furniture and garden decoration during the 19th century, of which the Coalbrookdale company was the leading exponent.

Wrought iron became very popular again in the 1920s during the Art Deco period, and its uses included chairs, firescreens, decorative lamps and legs for tables.

Wrought iron differs from cast iron in that articles made from it cannot be mass produced. Each piece must be individually made (wrought) using a hammer on an anvil and a blacksmith's forge. less...

Coalport porcelain was first produced in 1795 by John Rose, who established a porcelain factory in Coalport, Shropshire, England. The company quickly gained a reputation for producing high-quality porcelain with intricate designs and fine craftsmanship. In 1814, the Coalport factory was purchased by William Pountney, who expanded the business and increased production. During the 19th century, Coalport porcelain was highly sought after and exported to many countries. The company continued to produce porcelain chaning hands a number ot times, before it became part of the Wedgwood group in 1967.

Coalbrookdale porcelain, on the other hand, was produced by the more... Coalbrookdale Company, which was located in Coalbrookdale about 6 km from Coalport. The company was founded in 1795, the same year as Coalport porcelain. Coalbrookdale porcelain was known for its fine figurines and other decorative items, and the company was particularly noted for its high-quality casting techniques. The Coalbrookdale Company was active until the 1850s, when the company went out of business.

Both Coalport and Coalbrookdale porcelain are considered valuable by collectors less...