It is a celebration of the Village Blacksmith. It was reprinted on wonderful paper taking into account how dirty blacksmiths hands can be. The cover can even be wiped. It's a great resource for both blacksmiths and architects. A great way to show customers the various choices they have when selecting wrought iron hardware. Often referred to as the 'Bible of Colonial Hardware'. Albert Sonn, draftsman and artist, spent 8 1/2 years traveling the East Coast sketching items for this book. He traveled to museums, sought out private collections at residences and visited numerous antique stores.
This is the definitive source for American wrought iron. Albert Sonn (1867-1936) originally published Early American Wrought Iron in 1928 in three volumes. No one has surpassed his drawings and background on a wide variety of American wrought iron hardware since. The book covers information such as: The History of Blacksmithing, early American blacksmiths, wrought iron door hardware (knockers and knocker latches), wrought iron door latches/thumb latches of all types and the development of bars and lifts, door locks, early American wrought iron hinges of all types, hasps, bolts, and doors. Conestoga wagon hardware, chest hardware, gate hardware, balconies and railings, newels, gateways, grilles, signs, brackets, weather vanes, wall anchors, gutter supports, foot scrapers, shutter hardware, andirons, fireplace accessories, cooking implements and kitchen utensils, miscellaneous household articles (scissors, curling irons, etc.), lighting equipment, bells, hooks, chains, and on and on. It contains over 700 pages of great information for anyone who appreciates, collects, or is using early American wrought iron. Each page is filled with descriptions of the items, where they were found or made originally, and dated.
