Here are two rather diverse “iron bed” advertisements. The first is of a little girl playing with her miniature doll bed. It’s not sure if this was simply a re-touched photo or actually an ” bed” ad. I’ve seen similar ads in the past that had definite script attached discussing the bed in the photo. This particular photo seems to be staged. Because this bed has curved and scrolled side rails, it’s probably French in origin. It’s also probably a photo that was used as an ad.
The second photo of the full size ” bed” was an ad for a furniture company. You can see two pieces of wooden furniture on either side of the bed. It may have been a photo that was taken to show people how iron beds can be introduced into a bedroom set that usually would be all wood. There was definitely a wooden bed frame that went with the other two pieces of wood in the photo. The owner of this furniture line was probably trying to show how these beds could be introduced into a wooden bedroom set and look appropriate.
Although it’s a little difficult to ascertain what the true color of of the full size bed is in this black and white photo, it definitely isn’t white. It appears to be, from the shading, a gold tone. Gold would be a good color to blend with the other wood tones in the room and also the possible brass pulls that most of the furniture of that period used.
It always strikes me funny that most peoples preconceived idea of an antique bed is that they were all painted white. Actually it’s quite rare that I’ve ever come across an old photo of any antique iron beds that were white. The majority of them are different colors like this one in the photo. Even the child’s doll bed, in the other photo appears to have been painted black….another popular color.
So when you’re thinking of a color to refinish your 
bed, consider doing it the way it might have been done originally. Not the way most of the reproductions are being done today.
