Almost 100 years have passed since the last of the true antique brass and iron beds were made by the original bed artisans. Can you begin to imagine what it was like to have such a choice and to make your own special requests? How often do you read or scan antique books and magazines, taking extra time to ponder over the beautiful bedroom furniture? Do you flip through copies of the original mail order catalogues and wish you were born 100 years ago. You are not alone.
Many of our Timeless Antiques clients have told us that they ended up choosing modern reproductions either because they do not have the time to search the antiques shops, bazaar’s and markets or when they do find them, there is only one – leaving them to make “a take it or leave it” decision . As it was then so it can be now. This is exactly what led a boys’ hobby to our specialised Antique Brass Bed business – Timeless Antiques.
Specialising in original Antique Brass, Iron and Porcelain Bed sales and restorations. Able to extend to Queen Size and King size and specialised customisations. Repairs to porcelains, broken castings and Mother of Pearl restorations.
Over 16 tonnes of original brass and iron beds from 1860 to 1930's for clients to choose from.
BED HISTORY and BED STYLE TIMELINE: The bed artisans made iron beds in Australia from approximately 1840's though archive research and trade catalogue of the time show the majority from 1860 to early 1900's and perhaps mother of pearl ornaments or cut glass medallions and did not have porcelains. another way to assist in dating the beds is by the hoop iron lugs which can be found or their remnants seen on the angle irons of the bed.
They began to introduce porcelains into their bed designs and continued through the depression years, where timber beds started to become more popular.
They began to phase out prior to world war 2 and many were donated to the scrapmongers for the war effort to be melted down and reused as artillery!
In the past 100 plus years they have been for many purposes from remelted to artillery to a sweetpea trellis, handy pigpens and gates and we even have a photo of a farm where the bed was used as a poddy calf feeder. We have found them a couple of metres on a branch up a tree, where the owner leant them against a young tree and forget about them in the back paddock. Many ended their lives as concrete reinforcing or thrown on the property dump or into the dam. But luckily for all of us many have survived in the great Australian sheds, under old houses or for the fortunate few cared for by successive generations.
Our aim is to rescue and restore them for a few more generations to enjoy.
Any questions please contact Timeless Antiques - Specialists in Original Brass, Iron and porcelain beds sales and restorations.
Antique Brass Bed Specialists - Over 30 years experience - By appointment, pleasae email or phone