benches

The Dartmouth Bench

Reproduced by Lost Art Limited based solely on historic images of the original bench. At all stages of the project, approval was sought from the client as original carvings were produced, followed by a pattern and finally the castings. A substantial, yet decorative bench, a variety of styles were eventually produced, with and without the armrests. The finished benches were also supplied with the basic colour scheme supplemented with bespoke pearlised gold paint highlights.

Produced by Lost Art Limited for a significant Heritage Lottery Fund park restoration in West Bromwich. The original benches in the park had all long since disappeared and therefore Lost Art were commissioned to reproduce the benches based solely on visual documents that remained. The original source of the benches was also unknown but was not one of the major foundries of the time, although there were many smaller foundries operating in the midlands throughout the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

The benches comprise chamfered timber slats between substantial cast iron supports that feature geometric and heraldic elements, including pierced trefoils and quatrefoils. We produced a pattern that allowed for the casting of bench spurts that either include the arm rests or can be produced without them and both styles are in evidence throughout the park.

As a finishing touch, the painted supports feature highlighting in a pearlized paint finish to add further interest to the rather elegant supports.