The Metalworker's Art: A Pictorial Celebration (Dover Jewelry and Metalwork)

A broad survey of metalwork from ancient times to the twentieth century, this acclaimed monograph displays 115 illustrations of ornamental designs. Images range from the windows and balconies of ancient Italian villages to the gates of English cathedrals and universities and the facades of New York City banks and hotels. Visually arresting examples of decorative ironwork include Parisian cabaret signs, Greek coins, and the gateway to a Scottish castle, plus lamps, doorknockers, stair railings, and more. The unusual mix of drawings and photographs occasionally depicts pieces in both the design and finished stages. 
This volume draws upon a wealth of metalworking precedents, including the patient and primitive processes of the medieval smithy as well as the Renaissance crafts of Spain, Italy, and England. It consists chiefly of bronze and iron works but also explores the decorative possibilities of lead, copper, and newer resources such as aluminum, chromium, and nickel alloys. Architectural historians and metalworkers interested in the history of their craft will find this book a valuable resource.