176 pages, 8-1/4 x 11-3/8 (Hardcover)

Another great blacksmithing book has been published by Peter Elgass of Hephaistos magazine. Alfred Habermann remains one of the great European artists of our time, stretching the definitions between blacksmithing, sculpture, and function. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Habermann studied under Berlin blacksmith Fritz Kuhn and Italian blacksmith Toni Benetton in the early `60s. He was made an honorary member of ABANA in 1980 and demonstrated at the `82 conference in San Luis Obispo. This book represents a chance for some of our newer smiths who did not make it to the 1982 conference to get to know the work of this remarkable artist-blacksmith. You might be familiar with Alfred's hammer in a roundabout way. Uri Hofi studied under Habermann. This book gives no details about Habermann's tooling or toolmaking processes, instead examining his work from an artistic retrospective point of view. There are chapters on fences/railings, art works/sculptures, works for the church, embossed works, lamps/chandeliers, and restoration work. All the photographs are excellent, clear and sharp black and white. Some of Habermann's design drawings are included, and helps to see how he presents his designs to clients. Thankfully it is written in both German AND English, with readable, understandable commentary. It would be a great book to have in your library.

Item #: BK173

Item #: BK707

Written in German.  Catalogue shows the 2nd exhibition of the IFGS (International Professional Association of Artist Blacksmiths-Germany) in Ulm in 1995.  81 participants, 220 photos of exhibit and fashioners, object descriptions and addresses are included.

104 pages, 6 x 9-1/4 (Paperback)

This well-illustrated book contains over 50 copper weathervanes and finials.  Good reference from an 1883 manufacturer.

Item #: BK249

320 pages, 8-1/2 x 11 (Hardcover)

The antique ironware field is covered by this extensive selection of items. Included are architectural hardware, lighting devices, andirons and fireplace equipment, tools, toys, weathervanes, firemarks, kitchen utensils, fences and gates. Many items are in private collections, never before seen publicly, while others are from foremost museums. Concise descriptions of each item identify regional products from the United States and England, and they amplify or provide background for the groups. A short history of manufacturing processes is presented in the first chapter. Here are discussed the ironworks and functions at Saugus, Massachusetts, of the seventeenth century; Batsto, New Jersey, of the eighteenth century; and Hopewell, Pennsylvania, of the nineteenth century. The importance of blacksmiths in town life is made clear by the numerous examples of their trade throughout communities.

Industrial historians, iron buffs, and antique collectors will all find this a fascinating group of items. The text contains a great deal of historical and manufacturing information. The selection has been made to illustrate the artistic, as well as common examples of each form and to show the evolution of styles through the years.

Antique Iron follows The Brass Book by these authors, whose interest in antiques metalware is deep. Herbert and Peter are partners in an antique business in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Nancy Schiffer is a former museum curator and writer. Their interests in cultural history have brought each of them to important collections worldwide.

Item #: BK232

240 pages, 11-1/4 x 8-3/4 (Hardcover)

This book showcases a vast array of ironwork commissioned for new commercial and residential building projects. Traditional styles in modern settings and designs that reach for new visual impact help to redefine ironwork's status in our current society. There are over 375 spectacular examples from more than 100 of today's top blacksmiths, supplemented with historical works from 15 countries, some derived from old French and English ironwork. These include doors and hardware, staircases and railings, and gates and fences. This book will inspire architects, builders, homeowners, and artist-blacksmiths with the wealth of beautiful ideas it contains.

Item #: BK604

Originating in early twentieth-century France, Art Deco is a pastiche of artistic styles, influenced by Cubism and Futurism, Egyptology and the Orient, Ballet Russes and the Bauhaus. Alistair Duncan's exhaustive work surveys one of the most exhilarating periods of decorative art, illuminating the cultural fabric of the period, and discussing some of the century's most influential artists and craftsmen and their works. From Edgar Brandt's ornate ironwork for ocean liners, to Rene Lalique's celebrated perfume bottles, to the Chrysler Building, Art Deco takes us on a dazzling tour of one of the century's most vital decorative movements. Antique Collector praises the book as "lavishly illustrated with photographs of interiors as well as individual pieces...an invaluable book for collectors."

Item #: BK737

112 pages, 9-3/8 x 12-1/4 (Paperback)

Sumptuous treasury of 320 lavish examples of architectural ornamentation from the 1920's and 1930's by Paul Kiss, Raymond Subes, Edgar Brandt and other artisans.  Meticulously reproduced photographs from three rare portfolios depict magnificent designs for doors, grilles, gates, lamps, balustrades, chandeliers, screens, mirrors and other objects.  This is a splendid collection for artists, illustrators, craftspeople and Art Deco enthusiasts. 

Item #: BK576

112 pages, 8-3/8 x 11-1/4 (Paperback)

The ornamental ironwork that embellished European architecture during the period between the two World Wars was among the most imaginative aspects of Art Deco. Nearly 200 examples of that splendid achievement -most by French artists, fill this beautiful book, and are reproduced from two rare portfolios by Henri Martinie. Clear, detailed images depict gates, grilles, screens, balconies, and numerous other architectural adornments, and the expressiveness of these designs is remarkable. While most of the ironwork is from France, examples from Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Poland are also included. Enthusiasts of ironwork, architectural ornament, and the Art Deco style will find this beautiful pictorial both an invaluable reference and wonderful browsing book.

Item #: BK208

Menten

468 examples from L'Art International d'Aujourd'hui capture geometric, prismatic Art Deco of 20's and 30's.  Gardens, dwellings, interiors, furniture, fabrics, stained glass, sculpture, jewelry, graphics by Brandt, Chareau, Fouquet, Vuitton-171 other artists, architects, and designers.  Over 400 photographs.

183 pages, 8-3/8 x 11-1/4 (Paperback)

Item #: BK497

Karl Blossfeldt
120 pages, (Paperback)

Originally intended as reference for his work as architect, sculptor and teacher, Blossfeldt's exquisite sharp-focus photo studies of plant form-leaves, buds, stems, seed pods, tendrils and twigs-won acclaim with publication of the 1928 edition of this book. 120 full-page black-and-white plates. Original introduction. Publisher's note. Captions.

Item #: BK927

128 pages, 8-1/2 x 11-1/2 (Paperback)

The 137 photos shown in this book are an excellent source of inspiration for the crafts person no matter what area interests them.  Includes photos of railings, balconies, doorways beautifully crafted.

Item #: BK214

Authors: Federico Santi & John Gacher

Size: 8 1/2 x 11
Illustrations: 500 color photos
Pages: 240
Binding:: Hard Cover

Item #: 764

160 pages, 8-1/2 x 11 (Hardcover)

This book is a great find with 170 photos illustrating 19th century weathervans.  Each item details backgrounds of style and manufacturer.  60 color plates, 111 black and white photos.

Item #: BK216

296 pages, hardcover

The subject Otto Schmirler chose for this book is ironwork for buildings with emphasis on protection and  ornamentation. This book is for craftsmen who already possess the basic knowledge of forging iron. All of the drawings and photographs in this book were hand-picked by Schmirler from his archives. These true-to-scale drawings formed the basis of his work. "The drawings of pieces reproduced here are all original and sketched by me." His drawings were used to faithfully record the details he would wrought in the iron, to file away for commissions in the future, and to pass on what has been learned. His drawings and photographs include sculptures, garden gates, letter boxes, gates and doors, lanterns, grilles for doors and windows, furnishings, balustrades, garden furniture, fountains, decorations, and screens. Text in German, French and English.  Varied display of wrought metalwork created by master Otto Schmirler.  Beautiful works shown include letterboxes, doors, lanterns, hardware, gates, screens and more.  236 photos and 499 drawings.

Item #: BK233

Parkinson

Item # BK721

223 pages, 8-3/4 x 11 (Hardcover)

One of Scmirler's first picture books showing all sorts of work made by the artist blacksmith. The cover photo says it all without a word, a detail of two art smiths assembling a beautiful grill in this Vienna shop. Wall-to-wall photos of work made by these skilled craftsmen fills every page in this book.

Text in German only.  Beautifully photographed examples of Artist-Blacksmiths works that include chandeliers, railings, gates, screens, tables, clock faces, fireplace tools and many, many more.  429 photographs and 345 working drawings.

Item #: BK234

192 Pages, 9 x 11, (Spiral hardbound)

Hundreds of examples of over 75 years' work of Master Blacksmith Francis Whitaker!  Each page shows a photograph of one piece, along with some written description, dimensions and length of time of completion.  Work includes andirons; door hardware; fireplace screens, hoods, and tools; gates and window grilles; weathervanes; railings; candlesticks, and much more.

Item #: BK916

176 pages, illustrated, 8-1/2 x 11 (Softcover)

This is the story of blacksmithing, considered by many to be the "king of the Crafts". Smithing fathered the metal working industry, which we take for granted today. It is a story about an art which was recognized as an equal of other great art forms. It contains pictures of some of the world's finest iron-art, and relates where countless other examples may be seen. It also shows modern day creations, which demonstrate that there is still a place for beautiful hand forged art objects in a 20th Century. It offers aid and inspiration to the growing number of persons who are looking for a vehicle of self-expression-a vehicle developed and nourished during thousands of years by art-craftsmen around the world. The book tells and shows how the great masterpieces were produced, and how one may today apply those centuries old pioneer methods in forging new treasures for future generations. It details eight basic operations of smithing. Master these and you to can be an art-smith.

Item #: BK720

64 pages, 8-1/2 x 11 (Paperback)

Len Masters shows off some of the ironwork he has witnessed on his travels through Europe.  This book contains examples of 57 different Refflinghaus anvils used in Europe around the turn of the century.

Item #: BK209

This is a expanded and improved version of the "Brass Founding" (out of print now) booklet we offered. Many of the same illustrations are repeated here, but much new information and many new illustrations are provided. In part 1 you get details on metals and molding, copper-zinc alloys, copper-tin alloys, aluminum alloys nickel alloys, bearing metals (babbitt), brass molding practice, materials for brass molds, molds for brass castings, cleaning non-ferrous castings, polishing and plating, economics of brass foundry, remelting and reclaiming practice and more. Part 2 will show you crucible furnaces, open-flame furnaces, electric-arc furnaces, melting practice, brass-foundry crucibles and ladles, and more. You get not only the practical how-to of handling brass, but the details on the furnaces and their design could very well help you in developing a furnace for your own use. This was part of a correspondence course training men to get a job in heavy industry during the great depression. You get industrial details here that just don't pop up anywhere else. You'll be told about oxidizing and reducing atmospheres, melting losses, fluxes and more. You will get a solid introduction into non-ferrous casting, mostly brass. Worth having. Great illustrations. A lot of book for the money.

Item #: BK735

172 pages, 8 x 9 (Paperback), 4th printing

A guidebook to the beautiful ironwork of historical Charleston created by Philip Simmons (a renowned blacksmith).  Simmons' love for his craft is highly evident in more than 100 photogrpahs.  Descriptions of methods, motifs, and materials used in each item is included.

Item #: BK246

Author: Raymond Lecoq
Winter 2005
Cloth Cover
128 pages

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.

Item #: BK736

160 pages, 8-1/8 x 11 (Paperback)

This lavishly illustrated tribute to Philadelphia's many well-preserved examples of colonial ironwork features 182 crisp black and white photographs and 41 measured drawings.  These imaginatively rendered ironworks appear in the railings and gates of churchyards, on the marble steps of town houses, in the balconies and lanterns of banks and other buildings.  Architects, antique lovers, craftspeople and historians will savor this inspiring collection.

Item #: BK248

256 pages, 8-1/2 x 11 (Hardcover)

This volume is a photographic survey of early wrought iron work in America, reflecting the collection of James C. Sorber. It presents the culmination of a lifetime of selective collecting of wrought iron pieces, with a focus on signed and dated items from Pennsylvania and the Northeastern states. The text explains the characteristics and the  conditions of the period in which the iron was forged. The book is a valuable resource tool for the historian, artist, collector and blacksmith involved in making reproduction hardware and related items. Examples from German, British  and Dutch are portrayed in this excellent well illustrated book.

Item #: BK222

256 pages, 8-3/4 x 11-1/2 (Hardcover)

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. In each chapter, Dona provides background for the type of objects shown; architectural ironwork, sculpture, furniture, containers and vessels, lighting fixtures and candleholders, fireplace accessories, wind vanes, household and liturgical items, and the incredible knives made of Damascus steel. She has also gathered statements from almost all the artists represented, who could easily inspire you to pick up a hammer and try your hand at this ancient art form gone modern. You will find ample information for how and where to begin in her extensive resource list of organizations, Internet sources, publications, museums, and education opportunities. The Contemporary Blacksmith would be a plus in the libraries of every metalworker, art educator, architect, interior designer, ironware collector, and crafts person.

Item #: BK213

420 pages, 8-1/2 x 12-1/4 (Paperback)

Rare volume illustrates the history of European decorative ironwork from Roman times to the 19th century. Over 4,500 outstanding examples of antique ironwork are illustrated on 415 plates: grilles, locks and padlocks, escutcheons, doorknobs, hinges and mountings, signs and brackets, jewelry, toilet accessories, key rings, handbag frames, liturgical objects, and much, much more.

Item #: BK167

96 pages, 8-3/8 x 11-1/4 (Paperback)

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.

Item #: BK575

R. Goodwin-Smith

This magnificent study of decorative English iron and metalwork provides a spirited introduction to the age-old craft, with 140 illustrations ranging from a 14th-century wrought iron gate to the elegant bronze front of a 20th-century art gallery.  The author, a passionate collector and expert on the subject, begins with an enthusiastic general history of the craft and follows with chapters on various kinds of antique ironwork, ironwork inspired by historic design, and modern designs.  Clear photographs and carefully rendered sketches depict a wide assortment of lace-like grilles and gates, Elizabethan-era firedogs, small handles, hinges, door-knockers, candlesticks, doors, keyhole plates, warming pans, lighting devices, elevator panels, weather vanes, stair railings and balustrades, garden furniture, and numerous other items--many never catalogued before.  Delightfully written and meticulously researached, this superb treasury will provide a rich source of inspiration and permission-free graphics for illustrators and designers, and will be an invaluable source of information for collectors, art historians, craft worksers, preservationists, and anyone interested in historic ironwork.  Unabridged republication of English Domestic Metalwork, originally published by F. Lewis (Publishers) Ltd., England, 1937.  Reference List of Metalworkers.  140 halftones and line illustrations.

250 pages (Paperback)

Item #: BK688

176 pages, 9 x 12 (Hardcover)

This book has many photographs of wrought iron gratings, balconies, gates, fencing, and railings.  It also describes and illustrates techniques for the restoration of wrought iron and other materials.  With artistic creations of the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as, works from present day.

Item #: BK156

96 pages8-1/2 x 11 (Paperback)

This books' main focus is on German gothic decrative ironwork from the 12th through the 17th centuries.  The work in the book is depicted through over 400 illustrations and notes the source of each object, as well as, dates of each. This is a republication of the plates from a French work, Serrurerie, ou les Ouvrages en Fre Forge du Moyen-Age et de la Renaissance (Paris, 1870). Most of the items are from 1400 to 1600, but a few go back to 1160. Sometimes the captions tell where the piece is from, but there is always a tentative dating. Typically Victorian, all the attention is paid to the ornate and the unusual. Although Victorian re-drawings can be a nuisance, this is a nice collection of pieces that may or may not still exist portrayed in detail at an inexpensive price. There is no text.

Item #: BK187