502

AWAKD3—COUNCIL MEDAL.

[Class XXII.

noticed. 7he end of a bedstead in cast-iron is consideredby the Jmv to be one of the most faultless castings iniron contrimted to the Exhibition. The design is ingood taste, uid the sharpness and soundness of the cast-ing extremdy perfect. A cast-iron fountain in the EastNave is aso a meritorious work; though it may bedoubted wlether east-iron is a material suitable for sucha purpose, mless protected from the action of water bysome hydr<fuge.

2. Aub.WKL (France , 1055, p. 1*229'—This exhibitorhas given tie highest evidence of his skill, in a group ofan Eagle aid Lamb, a bronze gilt chimney-piece, and agilded cashron door. The latter is extremely welldesigned aid beautiful in execution. These, and theabove-men ioned works of Andrd, evince with equal suc-cess the apdicability of cast-iron to artistic uses.

3. Barb:dienne and Co. (France , 1709, 1723, p. 1258V—This firn exhibits a magnificent collection of artisticworks in bonze, consisting for the most part of reduc-tions bv nvchanical processes from ancient and modernworks of sculpture. The processes are the invention ofCollas, the bronzes finished by the sculptor (desinger.The Jury consider that the whole collection displays acarefulness, completeness, and beauty of execution whichplace it ii the first rank (Joint Medal with ClassXXVI.).

4. Tin: Coalbrook Dale Company (641, pp. 659-661).—The vastexteut of the contributions by this Company,their variey and very general excellence, whether asobjects of uility or ornament, seen to claim for them avery promiient place in the awards of the Jury.

This Conpany, one of the oldest in Great Britain ,carries on the largest manufacture of iron and irontrade in tie world; the works producing the almostincredible anount of 2,000 tons of finished iron per week.

On a sindl scale iron works seem to have existed inOoalbrook Jalt* from a remote period, but the recordsonly extern* to the reign of Charles II . ;

The wor:s of the present proprietors date from thebeginning <f the last century, since which time theyhave gradmlly attained their present magnitude. Inthe earlier lalf of the last century the first iron railroadfor waggon-, ever known in England, was laid down atthese work ; and its efficiency being proved, the fur-naces at tin top of the Dale were connected by railwaywith the fmndry at the centre, and the line continued :from thence to the stores and wharf on the Severn;from whicl the products of Coalbrook Dale st II con-tinue to be ent down the river in barges for export totheir severa destinations.

In 1779, the Company had the merit of erecting thefirst iron brdge ever constructed in England, viz., thatover the Severn, near Madeley; the position of whichwas so adantageously chosen, that a populous andthriving m rket-town arose in the neighbourhood, andnow bears tie name of Ironbridge.

The Coimany is besides remarkable for the iutroduc-ion of impnved modes of smelting, and economy in themanufacturi of iron.

The predicts of the Coalbrook Dale works, now of alldescriptions were, until about twelve years ago, chieflyconfined to the manufacture of bar iron, beams, pipes,castings foi bridge-work, agricultural implements, andthe hollow rare, consisting of culinary utensils, brewingvessels, suga* pans, &c., for which Coalbrook Dale origi-nally obtain'd its celebrity. Since that period, the at-tention of tie Company has been directed to the produc-tion of ornonental castings: and the success which hasseconded thir efforts is fully exemplified in their nu-merous conributious to the Exhibition. There is, per-haps, no est.blishment in which so many different kindsof labour ar applied:—its operations extending from thefirst raising md smelting of the ore, to the ornamentingand burnislmg of highly-finished works in iron and steel.

5. J. IIaidman and Co. (700, p. 668). —Such of theproductionseontributed by this firm as belong to ClassXXII. are admirable in workmanship, and unrivalled forperfect devoopment of the mediaeval design and taste inwhich they .re executed. The desigus have been for themost part/iis understood, prepared by Mr. A. W. Pugin,

and reflect great credit on that gentleman; but the Juryare more particularly impressed with the very perfectmanner in which Messrs. Hardman have developed theartist’s conceptions. It evinces a skill in manipulationwhich might, they conceive, be exhibited to still greateradvantage in brass-work of a more varied and ornatestyle than may be admissible in the particular species ofmediaeval art to which they have confined themselves.

6. IIoole, Dobson, and IIooee (140, p. 639:.—Thebeautiful grates, fire-places, aud fenders contributed bvthis firm have already been noticed. They are designedchiefly in the Italian taste of the earlier half of the six-teenth century, and display a subserviency of the execu-tion to the intentions of the artist, to a degree whichplaces them among the most remarkable contributionsfrom the United Kingdom . The castings on some ofthese grates have been before alluded to; and it raav beadded here that there are, besides, some detached speci-mens shown as they come from the sand, which appearto be quite faultless. On the whole these works are dis-tinguished for a higher and purer taste, and the applica-

1 tion of a more artistic ornamentation, than productionsof a similar kind have vet exhibited.

7. 0. S. Matifat (France , 923, p. 1224).—The Juryconsider the contributions by this exhibitor to be of a

; very high order. They are chiefly works in bronze, andbronze gilt and silvered, consisting of chandeliers, can-delabra, caudlestieks, stands for gold fish and for flowers,and various caskets, and chimney and table ornaments;which, for the most part, are designed in good taste, andadmirable in execution. The chasing, chiselling, andfinishing of these works, the Jury believe to be withoutparallel in their class. In that respect they would advertmore particularly to the stand or fountain for gold fish, asmall bronze of a lion and lamb, a casket in bronze andhard-wood, and a lofty candelabrum in bronze. Theymay also mention (though it can scarcely be reckoned inClass XXII.) an unfinished pendule in ivory and bronzegilt, designed by Dieterle, with figures sculptured byseveral artists from a model in plaster, by Schoenwerk.It is a work of great beauty.

8. Fi-:rd. Miller (Bavaria , 90, 2 Zollv,, p. U02\—Theheraldic lion cast in bronze bv Miller, of Munich , fromthe model by Professor Ilalbig, is regarded by the Juryas a most admirable example of successful casting.

It is said to be one of a pair cast at the same timefrom the same furnace, and to weigh about six tons.Ample details of the history of this work are alreadybefore the public. It may be sufficient, therefore, tonotice that the difficulties of casting in bronze, in thisinstance so successfully overcome, become greater inproportion to the size of the mould to be filled. Theliability of the metal to “ blow,” the precautions neces-sary to obviate a change in the character of the alloywhich takes place owing to the rapid oxidation of thetin, to secure the perfectly-uniform dryness of the mould,aiuV to preserve the mass of molten metal at the hightemperature required—are difficulties which it is scarcelypossible to over-estimate in a case like this; and the Juryare persuaded that public opinion will justify the highplace which they assign to this work as a specimen ofbronze casting.

9. The Koval Prussian Iron Foundry, at Berlin (Prussia, 271, p. 1064), has been already adverted to.

10. Societe de Mines et Fonderies de Zinc de laYieille Montagnk (Belgium 26, p. 1152) has alreadybeen mentioned witli high commendation.

11- Stuart and Smith (102, p. 603).—The Jury havehad occasion, in a previous part of this Deport , to remarkthe peculiar beauty of workmanship and general brilliancyof effect, for which the contributions of this firm are dis-tinguished. In this respect they stand pre-eminent; andit deserves also to be noticed that this house has, perhaps,more than any other, contributed to impart the highly -ornate character which the stove-grate manufacturepossesses at the present time. The grates exhibited bythem are for the most part manufactured on “ Sylvester’splan; ” by which the combustion of the fuel takes placeon a metal plate which extends into the room and lies onthe surface of the floor. In proportion as custom deviated