What is a “Transitional” style antique iron bed ? It’s a bed design/style, that falls between two distinctive established design styles, like Victorian, Art Nouveau, Craftsman, Austere, or Art Deco, It’s style encompasses elements from two distinctively different styles. The attached photo, has casting’s that are definitely from the Victorian era, yet curved tubing and interior design that is totally Art Nouveau inspired .
So how does a style like this come about ? It’s usually from a designer on the “cutting edge” of design, who wants the tried and true elements of the most popular and current design style, yet also wanting to incorporate a new element from what appears to be a popular up and coming design style.
Over the last 50 years of being in the antique iron bed business, I’ve seen thousands of iron beds that defy being pigeon holed into one design group or another. I have had antique iron beds from the early 1800’s, have total Art Deco styling……..that didn’t come into being until 1919. Its a difficult thing to classify a bed with such a difference of the current prevailing style trend. But such forward thinking and trend setting designers were not uncommon in the iron bed business.
The competition between the small independently owned foundries throughout the east and up to Chicago, helped fuel new and popular designs which eventually became the major design groups that became the ones we refer to now.
Trying to classify or pigeon hole an antique iron bed in one particular design group is doing a disservice to the bed and its designer. It’s far better appreciate a particular bed for the individual design it has, instead of making it fit into a distinct classification.
Hope you found this blog interesting and informative. I also hope you’ll take the time to circle back around and visit our website to see all the things we can offer regarding antique iron beds.
