What Do Original Victorian Fireplaces Look Like?
Victorian fireplaces were never plain; they used mainly cast iron and were rarely ever were of wood. They were very pretentious and flamboyant. Heavy curtains surrounded them in ways that would constitute a fire hazard in this day and age. They could be influenced by different styles such as Oriental, Neo-Gothic or Rocco. The Victorian era was a time when a new middle class was forming and wished to flaunt its newfound wealth. The fireplaces had intricate carvings on the wood framework or had exotic tiles surrounding them and even the grill work was unique. Images of flowers, birds and animals were freely used on the most colourful ceramics. The fireplaces seem to be heavy and grand and several styles rather than a particular one were fused into each. They form part of displays when exhibitions on the Victorian era are on display as if meaning to say that we were the fulcrum of England’s leap to the Industrial age.
