Familiar to both locals and visitors, cast iron artistry remains an iconic characteristic of New Orleans. This pictorial study traces the iron work's history from its origins in England in the sixteenth century, to the establishment of the Leeds Iron Foundry in New Orleans in 1825, and cast iron's evolution into contemporary times.

Mass-production methods made cast iron available for numerous types of building materials, and it was used for both decorative and structural purposes. In addition to noting the application of the material for bridges, beams, and girders, the book cites...