This photo is of a stack of iron beds from the early 1900’s. The obvious difference between these and the metal beds from the 1800’s is the degree of ornamentation and the total lack of decorative iron castings where the metal pieces are joined.
More and more metal beds started hitting the market that had little or next to no curves or styling. They were the beginning of a newer more modern trend of furniture that was more streamlined and less decorative and busy. With this new era of design came a cleaner , colder look with less emotion attached to it . It was an era of detachment in design. Where the Victorian era drew you in, with all its intricate and meticulous detailing. This new era in design seemed to want your eye to pass over it without a second thought……..never to get hung up in detail and character.
Antique iron beds made you think when you looked at them. A beds castings drew you in to inspect their detailing and make your own assessment of what the designer was thinking of when he carved the molds. Metal beds have a way of engaging you in a visual conversation.
As man decided to become more streamlined, detailed casting on beds created to much emotional wind resistance. They just took too much time.
Cleaner lines became all the rage. Smooth, sleek……emotionless. Beds like in this photo.
