Chapter 31: Badger’s Illustrated Catalogue of Cast-Iron Architecture

The book I would like to read a sequel to ...
… is Immagini di città by Walter Benjamin. In the 1920s, Benjamin authored a series of essays exploring multiple cities, including Naples, Moscow, Weimar, Paris, Marseilles and San Gimignano. His reflections express the unique essence of each place.

The books that have been most inspiring to me are...

The Seven Lamps of Architecture by John Ruskin. This book offers an emotional discourse on architectural principles, exploring topics predating the Modern Movement. The eminent art and architecture critic was among the first to formulate the theme of restoring monuments in architecture.

I quattro libri dell’architettura by Andrea Palladio. The treatise on architecture in four volumes was published in 1570. This work, authored by the Renaissance architect, marks a key moment in the history of architecture, serving as both a model and a guide for generations of architects and scholars.

Se Venezia muore by Salvatore Settis. The book, written by the Italian archaeologist and art historian, addresses the issue of depopulation and settlement of false modernity in the city of Venice, which risks becoming a mere commodity focused on tourism. From this study case, the author articulates a universal discourse.

The book that is currently on my nightstand …
… is Testi sulla (non più) città ("Studies on (what was called at the time) the city") by Rem Koolhaas. This collection of writings and reflections delves into the nature of the contemporary city and its profound transformations.

Daniel D. Badger, Margot Gayle: "Badger’s Illustrated Catalogue of Cast-Iron Architecture" (New York: Dover Publications, 1982)

“Illustrations of iron architecture”, the 1865 catalogue from Daniel D. Badger’s Architectural Iron Works of New York, stands as one of the most significant volumes documenting iron architecture in the United States. Copies of the original edition, from which the 1981 reprint with an introduction by Margot Gayle was produced, are now extremely rare.

According to Gayle, throughout history, structures have been built using materials such as stone, wood, and clay, often shaped into bricks, adobe, or concrete. Metal, however, was primarily employed for decorative elements, including railings, panels, and fasteners. Cast iron, a high-carbon alloy of iron, was not produced in significant quantities until the eighteenth century. The furnace technology improvements enabled this material to melt and flow into moulds, thus facilitating large-scale production. Over time, iron began to be cast into sizable forms suitable for structural purposes, most notably the ribs used in cast iron bridges built across England. The earliest of these was the Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdale, completed in 1789 across the Severn River, which remains operational to this day.

Daniel D. Badger, president of the Architectural Iron Works, claimed to have erected the first iron structure in America in 1842, located in Boston. Nevertheless, he was required to provide a substantial guarantee due to widespread scepticism surrounding this innovation, agreeing to disassemble it at his own expense in case of failure to meet expectations. At that time, property owners were hesitant to adopt iron. This circumstance was primarily due to the prevailing belief that it lacked the strength necessary to support a superstructure unless cast solid and made as cumbersome as stone. In such a case, its high cost would have rendered it impracticable. The author emphasizes the significant transformation in public opinion regarding the use of iron as a building material since that pivotal event in 1842.

In the following years, the invention of rolling iron shutters led to an increased demand for store façades featuring iron pillars and hollow posts on the lower stories. Consequently, the so-called “Badger Fronts” became widely adopted in buildings seeking large, attractive show windows. Through years of persistence, initial objections were overcome, and prevailing prejudices were dispelled. As production increased, more refined and intricate designs began to emerge. Over time, iron architecture was rigorously tested and ultimately became firmly established as a viable building method.

The illustrated catalogue of cast-iron architectural elements presents iron as an exemplary building material through a comprehensive overview of its various properties: strength, lightness, architectural beauty, cost-effectiveness, durability, fire resistance, and ease of erection and renovation. Badger argues that the use of iron enables the creation of light and ornamental structures where adequate strength can be achieved without compromising natural light. He contends that nearly all components of an iron structure can be pre-fabricated in the foundry and finishing departments and then transported to the construction site for swift, efficient, and secure assembly. In addition, this material allows for finer detailing and highly elaborate ornamentation while being more cost-effective than others. Finally, the author highlights that iron structures, due to their exceptional durability and fire resistance, can be eas­ily restored with a simple coat of paint, owing to their non-absorbent surface.

The catalogue served a dual purpose: it was a resource for architects, providing detailed specifications for constructing iron buildings while acting as a marketing instrument for the foundry.

The illustrations are large-scale, clear, and informative lithographs. A total of 102 plates present 38 buildings featuring entire iron facades and 51 designs for ground-floor storefronts, despite Badger documenting 654 of those constructed by the firm by 1865. They highlight the versatile applications of iron as a building material, including stores, fireproof rolling shutters, manufactories, grain warehouses, arsenals, ferry houses, oil tanks, beams, Venetian blinds, and window sashes.

Each section of the catalogue contains elaborate drawings of various iron components: cornices, balustrades, windows, arches and keystones, spandrels, consoles and brackets, columns and capitals, window lintels and sills, as well as lamps, urns, and sidewalks. These sections depict the assembly of numerous smaller elements, forming beautifully detailed architectural forms.

Following the release of this volume, the firm secured commissions for some of the country’s most notable buildings, reflecting the growing interest and confidence in iron as a structural material.