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Cast Iron Girders

S

StuartM

New Member
Hello all,

I'm trying to find out what company may have manufactured the cast-iron girders frequently used by Martin and Chamberlain / Martin and Martin in their buildings. I'm specifically interested in the School of Art ones but have a hunch that they probably used the same supplier for the Board Schools they designed (and other non-residential properties) as the design of the girders looks similar (the manufacture period is something like 1870-1900 (around 1880 for the School of Art)). These sorts of girders often have the manufactory cast into them but the ones I have investigated close up have no sign of this.

I attach a photo in case that may help.

Any help much appreciated.
Thank you,
Stuart
 

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Stuart,

I think the fact you can't locate the foundry 'hallmark' on these cast beams would suggest they were perhaps not made by a pukka foundry: one proud enough to put their names on works of architectural significance; Birmingham in its day was just as notorious as Japan and now China for 'borrowing' other peoples designs and concepts.

The Tangye Brothers were one of the major contributors (along with Ms Ryland) to the building's building fund and perhaps one of their foundries or sub-contract foundries cast these beams in order to keep the costs of construction within budget. The architects sort of went over-the-top on the buildings frippery: tiles etc. According to Wikipedia the external perimeter railings were made by a business named Hart & Co but railings and steel girders are like bicycles and cars: they each have wheels, get you to where you want to go but not the same at all.

There is a link to records of iron founders if you are, or have to be, obsessive about finding out - I don't envy your quest. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=145-wri&cid=2#2.

You could of course phone around all or some of the buildings Martin & Chamberlain/Martin were involved in and go on a visual search to look for 'hallmarking' on their similar cast beams. Sorry I can't be of any further help.
 
Hello,
Probably useless, if not stupid, as usual, I thought girders were or are called R.S.Js. { Rolled steel joists }???????

betty.
 
There is a difference Betty, Cast Iron Girders are made using molten iron cast in moulds and Rolled Steel Joists are formed by rollers on hot steel, decorative girders are still made by casting.

Colin
 
Thanks DPL.

I had wondered about the 'keeping it in the family' option as Martin and Chamberlain had many friends in useful places (inc Nettlefolds) as well as all involved in the Art School project (inc. Tangyes).
Somebody was churning these sorts of girders out (my children's school has similar ones - built c1900) and I had naively hoped that I may stumble across an illustrated catalogue or similar via Graces for instance (https://www.gracesguide.co.uk).

As you say the railing fabricators were probably not responsible for the girders - very different propositions but I will check what else Harts may have done (most sources seem to have them working at a smaller more intricate scale though).

I'm currently doing further research on M&C but there is surprisingly little detailed material on them given their prominence in Birmingham's rise. I will also check on the individual Board Schools as they were working on those contemporaneously with the Art School.

Thanks,
Stuart
 
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