Pieh Tool

Lecoq
Brand new in 2005! From grilles and gates to balconies and complex lock and key mechanisms, this book traces the successive styles of decorative French ironwork over its 700-year development. The authoritative work on traditional French architectural ironwork designs, from Romanesque to the Empire, the book's masterly black-and-white illustrations and concise explanations reveal the complex fabrication techniques and myriad elaborate foliate motifs employed by French craftsmen. The late Raymond Lecoq, a Frenchman, wrote extensively on ironwork and locksmithing. Richard J. Wattenmaker is director of the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art.

Meilach

Dona Z. Meilach tackles the revival of the blacksmith's art in this important book. She has brought together over 500 works by nearly 200 artist-craftsmen from 16 countries to illustrate the unprecedented activity in modern ironwork. In this current perspective, she shows how metal work has blossomed into a serious art form over the past 25 years, since the publication of her first classic book on the subject, Decorative & Sculptural Ironwork. Delving into the fascinating historical background of ironwork and designs rooted in art nouveau and art deco styles, Dona shows how the modern movement emerged. She introduces some of the men and women who are fascinated by smithing, and why and how the act of manipulating metal becomes such a powerful muse. You will learn several techniques using hot and cold forming with the results clearly shown. You will be able to recognize how a fence, railing, grille, table, chair, knife, and other items, evolve, and better appreciate their design and workmanship.

Stuart

One of the world's greatest collections of architectural ironwork is on display in the five boroughs of New York City. Author and photographer Diana Stuart captures the magnitude and impressive array of historic exterior designs in 400 color photographs, with background information and the location of each piece included in captions.

You will see iron fences, gates, newel posts, balustrades, railings, brackets, lamps, and much more. These stunning artifacts play a major role in the fabric of New York City's streetscape, and artists, designers, and ironworkers will all be inspired by the rich selection of designs found here. This book also serves as an historical record of the amazing wrought ironwork to be found in this amazing outdoor museum -- New York City.

Many wonderful illustrations of work from Bordeaux, including balconies, gates, grilles, stair railings, doorknobs and doorknockers.  The designs include, but are not limited to, floral and foliate designs, human and animal figures, and geometrics.

This is a wonderful old classic which has been out of print for years. It is a massive book of over 750 pages and 3000 drawings! It is actually three books in one, which explains its rather expensive price. This is a great coffee table book! Blue Moon Press had so many requests that they decided to reprint it in 2007. 

Deas

This book, reprinted from the original 1941 edition, is an important contribution to the history of Southern ironwork. Deas concerns himself with the period from the 1750's through the 1830's. There is a wealth of illustrations for the blacksmith and designer. Most pieces are traced to their earlier sources and then discussed in relation to the influence they may have exerted on later pieces.

IND.I.A (Industria Italiano Arteferro)

A photographic collection with relevant technical instructions, this IND.I.A catalog will inspire your own unique wrought iron railings, fences and balconies. IND.I.A., based in Italy, is known as the world leader in the production and distribution of wrought iron components. Their catalogs include over 10,000 different ready to use artistic and forged items, including components for the fence and furniture industries. Their forged pieces have been developed from in-depth studies by architects with a passion for wrought iron. The designs are perfect inspirational tools for creating gates, railings, stairways, grilles, balusters, posts, partitions, window grilles, indoor and outdoor lamps, furniture, pedestrian gates and a great deal more!

Rizzo

Antonello Rize shows hundreds of gates and more, all made from 2000 through 2007.

This massive book is non-other than the third volume of 'Gates and Railings'. Those beautiful first 2 books (BK945 and BK946)  showcase the work of Italian smiths made in the 1990s. This volume shows gates, railings and other work for homes and buildings which were produced from 2000 through 2007.

Like the two first volumes, this book was put together by a smith for other professional smiths who produce gates, railings, and other metalwork for homes and buildings. You will definitely get many design ideas from the excellent, high quality photos in this book. The photo captions are in Italian but the text is of minor importance, if any at all. This book is worth every bit its price.

HEPHAISTOS

Written in German. 

The catalogue covering the first IFGS (Internaional Professional Association of Artist Blacksmiths-Germany)-exhibition in 1993 called "fires and steel" in Harrisburg.  It had to be there!  Complete your collection.

Meilach

Here is the first book that focuses on unique custom-made fireplace accessories as works of art by talented modern artist blacksmiths. Over 400 ideas for unusual fireplace designs reflect historical styles from Renaissance to Post-Modern. You will be amazed at the infinite effects that can be wrought from a bar of metal between the hammers and anvils of more than 100 master artist blacksmiths from nine countries. You'll learn to appreciate the forms that are used, from scrolls to carved animals, and to recognize their texturing, unusual handles and hinges, supports, and more. Fire screens, hoods, doors, andirons, grates, tongs, pokers, shovels, brooms, and their stands emerge as significant decorative items in today's homes. This is also a wonderful sourcebook for homeowners and designers seeking original art for their homes. You will marvel at the artistry, variety, and craftsmanship.

Spencer

Inside are hundreds of examples showing trash transformed into fascinating sculpture, collages, furniture, jewelry, and clothing - some items functional, some not. Meet the artists who count themselves among an exclusive club of dumpster divers and garbage pickers from all over the United States. And watch as other people's junk finds new life as treasure. This book and the innovative artisans inside, will profoundly influence the way you view life and its everyday detritus.

Skinner

From once-cast_aside items, these artists have carefully crafted fine jewelry to experiential gallery installations. This book takes you on an exciting tour through their imaginations. Experience the found object movement touted by artists and groups. 83 artists from across the United States and Europe are represented in 487 original artworks. Many of them make thier work a poignant environemental message, some uncover treasure and transcendant beauty, and still others set out simply to evoke a smile. This is a delightful treasury of one-of-a-kind artworks that you'll want to study and be inspired by time and again. A listing of galleries that represent the artists shown is included.

Clark

Over 500 striking color photos display artworks produced by today's leading blacksmiths and metalsmiths. Revealed here are beautiful sculptures, created by long-established and new artists, and destined for individual homes, public parks, and other outdoor venues.

Leslie

"From Forge and Anvil" is the story of one of smithings' most accomplished, yet little-known, artisans.  With this phtographic study, writer Candace Leslie and Photographer Diane Hopkins-Hughes have restored Erich Riesel to his proper place in the pantheon of ironwork artists.  The first part of the book tells the story of Riesel's life.  Born in Germany, he came to America at 22 and after working as a cowboy on a number of Texas ranches, his gifts as a talented ornamental ironworker were accidentally discovered by two oilmen who were establishing handsome ranch/retreats on the banks of the Guadalupe River in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.

Mediaprojet

This first volume of the 2 volumes is a unique publication for its usefulness and ample coverage of this specific kind of work. It is an excellent sourcebook for smiths who are looking for ideas on producing attractive, but not highly detailed or involved gates and railings, of a more more modern look and design. The gates and railings in this first volume can be made by any experienced smith.

The book is imported from Italy and all work shown is Italian. Text is in Italian only but the importance of this book lies in the photos, not the text. If you make wrought iron gates, fences and railings, you'll find this book useful.

Mediaprojet

The second volume of this unique set showcases gates, railings and fences of a more artistic and sometimes more classical style than those shown in the first volume. However, all work shown was fabricated in the last 15 years. So while the influence may be classical in some cases, the actual work is contemporary. The work in making these gates, fences and railings is definitely more involved than for those in the first volume.  However, this may be exactly what you are looking for. It is a great sourcebook for anyone involved in the design and fabrication of artistic gates, fences and railings.

IND.I.A. (Industria Italiana Arteferro)

Full page pictures and line-ink designs of gates, railings, driveways, pedestrian gates and fences.

IND.I.A., based in Italy, is known as the world leader in the production and distribution of wrought iron components. Their catalogs include over 10,000 different ready to use artistic and forged items, including components for the fence and furniture industries.

Their forged pieces have been developed from in-depth studies by architects with a passion for wrought iron. The designs are perfect inspirational tools for creating gates, railings, stairways, grilles, balusters, posts, partitions, window grilles, indoor and outdoor lamps, furniture, pedestrian gates, and a great deal more!

Davidson III

Rickey's fascinating sculptural oeuvre spans a fifty-three-year period (1949-2002) and is incredibly diverse. This book is concerned exclusively with the early indoor sculptures from the first twenty-five years of Rickey's output. With over 380 photos covering the artist's early innovations, we get an intimate and more complete picture of his artistic diversity than ever before. This book lays a firm foundation to an understanding of the artist's creative intentions, and carefully categorizes the works into 35 chapters. Many of the works are published here for the first time.

HEPHAISTOS

This is "the magazine" to the European sculptors and designers and covers their exhibitions.  This exhibition was in Immenstadt in the Allgau in 2002.  The cover shows a large metal sculpture depicting life positively as an echo on the water.  With an abundance of outstanding photos of all issued work, detailed information on material and technology as well as detailed portrait of all involved metal designers.  It delivers a colorful kaleidoscope of the styles with representatives of all generations.  In addition there is a detailed supplement with a list of all issuers and its addresses.

Sept. 22 - Dec. 1, 2002
National Ornamental Metal Museum
Memphis, TN

Each year, in conjunction with Repair Days, the Metal Museum presents a one-person retrospective of work by an American metal artist who is an acknowledged master. Harlan Butt, the 2002 Master Metalsmith, has exhibited his enamelwork both nationally and internationally for over twenty-five years. Elected a Fellow by the American Craft Council, he has been Regents Professor at the University of North Texas in Denton where he has taught since 1976.

He is internationally known for his enameled vessels - writing boxes, vases, tea caddies, chalices - all of which reflect his awareness of the Zen Buddhist concept of emptiness. For the past several years he has been engaged in a series of enamel works under the title "The Earth Beneath Our Feet".