Iron Beds
Iron beds are beds in which the headboard and footboard are made of iron; the frame rails are usually made of steel. Iron beds were developed in 17th century Italy to address concerns about infestation by bed bugs and moths. An iron cradle (with dangerously pointed corner posts) has been dated to 1620-1640. From the start of their production in the 1850s until World War I, iron beds were hand-made. The manufacturing process included hand pouring and polishing intricately detailed casting and hand applying finishes. In the many small foundries of the time that employed only a handful of employees, it could take days to produce a single bed.
After the end of World War I, the mass-production methods used for war time affected the iron industry as well. The hand-made quality gave way to cost-effective mass production.
Today’s iron beds are constructed of cold roll, heavy-gauge steel tubing and solid bar stock.
Almost all iron beds now have a beech wood sprung slatted base in a steel framework which gives support to all types of mattresses.
Read more about this topic: Bed Frame
Famous quotes containing the words iron and/or beds:
“There is nothing but is related to us, nothing that does not interest us,—kingdom, college, tree, horse, or iron show,—the roots of all things are in man.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“For the baby suckles and there is a people made of milk for her to use. There are milk trees to hiss her on. There are milk beds in which to lie and dream of a warm room. There are milk fingers to fold and unfold. There are milk bottoms that are wet and caressed and put into their cotton.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)