The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-06 00:00:00

THE COALBROOKDALE IRON COMPANY.

We had occasion some time ago to notice the splendid
warerooms of this company in James's-street, and then ex-
pressed our gratification and astonishment on viewing so
many beautiful articles, manufactured of a material which,
until of recent years, was considered of too obdurate a na-
ture to be fashioned so as to combine domestic utility with
the highest classical adornment, hut which modern science
has rendered as apparently pliant and ductile as wax, and
susceptible in casting the richest and most elaborate orna-
ments of an equal sharpness and finish. A second visit to
the establishment has more than confirmed our former im-
pressions of the vast improvements in the art of manufac-
turing and casting in iron, which is here made to supersede
the finest woods, marbles, japan, or even bronze itself, in
every variety of furniture, from the requisites of the kitchen
to the finest ornaments of the drawing-room or the boudoir.
We were fairly bewildered amidst avenues of grates, stoves,
fenders, tables, &c., all elegant and varied in design ; and
the vases, chimney ornaments in characteristic figures,- pic-
torial representations in relief, &c., are so exquisitely cast
as to be quite equal to the finest bronze productions of the
Continent, and at less than half the cost. Several novelties
have been introduced since our last visit. Amongst these is
a costly fender, the design and workmanship of which sur-
pass anything we have ever yet seen, or indeed could have
conceived. The style, if we mistake not, is that of the age
of Louis XIV. The body of the front and ends is of polished
steel, sloping inwards. This is surrounded by rich foliated
castings representing bronze ; and from the interior of the
rounded corners at each end is affixed a wreath of beautiful
flowers of the finest china, of English manufacture, and as
rich as the choicest specimens of that description by the far-
famed artists of Dresden. This article is really too splendid
for any mansion short of that of a prince or a duke, and is
produced, we presume, rather to shew the perfection of
workmanship which can be attained at Coalbrookdaie, than
with a view to its being sold.

The grates and stoves are of great variety, from plain to
the most elaborate in design and finish, and all on the most
approved principles, from the emission of a strong heat with
economy of fuel, good draught, and the absence of dust.
One of these—a strong grate—is remarkably beautiful. The
interior part or recess, forms a Tudor arch, and the sloping
part, of polished steel, is enriched by antique panelled work
within rich foliated castings in alto—the panels or compart-
ments being beautiful paintings, or enamel, on china. The
ornamental castings are peculiarly line and sharp ; and the
effect of the whole is such as would have astonished the most
luxuriant ofour forefathers, and induced us to exclaim, " What
will they do next? We shall not attempt to enumerate the
great variety of the articles in the several large rooms, in
addition to those noticed in our last sketch, including garden-
chairs, rocking-chairs, beds, safes, splendid kitchen ranges,
cheese-presses, communion and lobby tables, flower-stands,
chandeliers marble-topped, and also beautifully painted, and
japanned tables for the drawing-room, &c. &c., down to
the smoothing irons, of which last there are many tons
weight constantly on hand. Our readers, and especially
those of the fair sex would do well by paying a visit to the
establishment, which they will be politely shown through,
and au inspection of which will, we feel assured, afford them
much gratification, the more so when it is considered that the
whole is the production of home articles and workmanship,
and from home materials. The iron of the Coalbrook Dale
Company's mines is, we understand,—and can readily admit—
of a very superior description, not only for the manufacture
of the articles noticed, but for ship-building and other
out-door works requiring great strength and durability; and
much of it has been supplied for the former purpose, to our
townsman Mr. Laird, as well as other iron ship-builders.