Detail of cast iron capital

Description Detail of cast iron capital

Date 18/6/2001

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number SC 769035

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of E 15273 CN

Scope and Content Detail of Iron Ballroom, Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire This Classical-style cast-iron corner piece provides an anchor for the rivets that secure the corrugated iron sides of the building. The capital is decorated with the palmette motif, a Classical ornament of petals shaped like palm leaves which was frequently incorporating into balconies, and other Victorian cast-iron work. Corrugated iron was invented in London in 1828 by Henry Robinson Palmer. It was later advocated for use as a building material, and examples of corrugated iron buildings were shown at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. Prince Albert approved of them sufficiently to order a ballroom for Balmoral, and it was transported in parts and erected on site. The ballroom was assembled within three weeks, and is still sound. The Balmoral estate was bought in 1852 by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria as a Highland retreat from the stresses of London life. Prince Albert initiated many improvements, including the building of a new holiday home, Balmoral Castle, in 1853-5, and the construction of new cottages for estate workers, new stables, new bridges, roads, plantations and a model dairy. In 1851 the prince ordered the first Balmoral ballroom, a corrugated iron building which was shown at the Great Exhibition in London, and one of the first pre-fabricated buildings to be constructed in Britain. It is now used as a workshop. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/769035

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap