Bench thumbnail 1
Bench thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ironwork, Room 114a

Bench

late 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Garden bench of cast iron with a mythological style pastoral scene.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cast iron, painted
Brief description
Garden bench, cast iron, made by the Coalbrookdale Company, England, late 19th century
Physical description
Garden bench of cast iron with a mythological style pastoral scene.
Dimensions
  • Height: 102cm
  • Width: 167cm
  • Depth: 67cm
Gallery label
GARDEN BENCH Cast iron England; c. 1870 Made by the Coalbrookdale Company Coalbrookdale had a number of cast iron garden seats in its catalogues from the 1830s onwards. This one was called the "Medallion" pattern, and, like others in the range, was available in a selection of colours: green, chocolate, bronze, or "painted oak". The Coalbrookdale ironworks were established in 1706 by Abrahan Darby (1678-1717), the first ironmaster to successfully smelt iron with coke. This breakthrough led to the mass-production of cast iron on an industrial scale, and contributed to the Industrial Revolution as a whole. The first iron bridge - which gave its name to the nearby town, iron rails and steam locomotives were produced there, but in the 19th century the Company was also a major manufacturer of domestic cast and wrought iron goods. Its catalogues offered appliances ranging from umbrella stands to fireplaces, fruit plates and garden furniture. Museum No. M.6-1979(07/1994)
Object history
Made by the Coalbrookdale Company. Coalbrookdale had a number of cast iron garden seats in its catalogues from the 1830s onwards. This one was called the "Medallion" pattern, and, like others in the range, was available in a selection of colours: green, chocolate, bronze, or "painted oak". The Coalbrookdale ironworks were established in 1706 by Abrahan Darby (1678-1717), the first ironmaster to successfully smelt iron with coke. This breakthrough led to the mass-production of cast iron on an industrial scale, and contributed to the Industrial Revolution as a whole. The first iron bridge - which gave its name to the nearby town, iron rails and steam locomotives were produced there, but in the 19th century the Company was also a major manufacturer of domestic cast and wrought iron goods. Its catalogues offered appliances ranging from umbrella stands to fireplaces, fruit plates and garden furniture.
Bibliographic references
  • Campbell, Marian. An Introduction to Ironwork. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1985. 48 p., ill. ISBN 0112904157 fig.12, p.15
  • Ames, A. Collecting Cast Iron. Ashbroune, 1980. pp.100-101
  • The Coalbrookdale Ironworks: A Short History. Ironbridge, 1975
  • Trinder, B. The Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron: A Guide to the Museum and the Old Furnace. Ironbridge, 1979.
  • Trinder, B. The Darbys of Coalbrookdale. Chichester, 1974.
Collection
Accession number
M.6-1979

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
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