George Edward Fox was an architect who produced designs for all kinds of interior fittings. This fire grate is typical of the elaborate metalwork wrought by the great iron and steel manufacturers. They developed revolutionary methods of producing and forging new forms of metal in the period 1850 to 1870. Some historians now regard the second half of the 19th century as the ‘Age of Steel’. For a household of limited income, this meant that the cost of such things as iron grates, mantelpieces and stoves was progressively reduced. This grate was probably intended for a small room, such as a bedroom or a study.