RELATED EVENT
Sunday, March 9, 2:00pm
Lecture & Gallery Talk: Tammis K. Groft, AIHA Deputy Director for Collections & Exhibitions
Support for this exhibition has been provided by the estate of Richard J. Salisbury
CAST WITH STYLE: 19th Century
Cast-Iron Stoves from Albany and Troy
January 26 - May 25,
2008
This exhibition, drawn from the museum's well-known collection will include 30 stoves complemented by prints, drawings, photographs, stove catalogues, and advertising materials. During the nineteenth century Albany and Troy, New York manufacturers were considered to be among the largest producers of cast-iron stoves in the world. Stoves made in these two upstate New York cities were renowned for their fine-quality castings and innovations in technology and design. The strategic location of Albany and Troy, located nine miles apart on opposite banks of the Hudson River afforded easy and inexpensive transportation of raw materials to the foundries, and finished stoves to worldwide markets.
Cast-iron stove making reached its
highest artistic advent of the cupola furnace permitted more
elaborate designs and finer-quality castings. Stove designers
borrowed freely from architectural and cabinet-makers design books,
a process that resulted in the use of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and
Rococo revival motifs; patriotic symbols, and Franklin, box, dumb,
base-burner, parlor, cook stoves and ranges and parlor cook stoves.
However, the stoves that attracted the most attention and helped to
secure the reputation of stoves produced during the 1830's and
1840's. These stoves were a focal point for a Victorian parlor
because the overall designs incorporated current tastes in
architecture, furniture and other decorative arts.
Baker Stove Store
circa
1886, N.E Corner of Green St. and Norton St.Photographer, Stephen Schreiber. AIHA
Library,
S10B374
Two
Column Parlor Stove
E.N.
Pratt & Co/Albany
1837 -
1844, 58" x
341/4" x 15 1/2" Collection of John I. Mesick, Schodack, New
York
Dumb Stove Representing a Full-length Classical Female Figure
Alonzo Blanchard
1843, Albany, New York
Cast Iron; ht. 48 3/4"; w. 14 d.9
AIHA
Purchase, Rockwell
Fund, 1992.8
125 Washington Avenue Albany, NY 12210 Tel: 518.463.4478; information@albanyinstitute.org