Bob Kindred is wide-eyed at the range of cast iron rainwater goods once available IN PRAISEOF THE PIPES One of the most surprising aspects about catalogues of cast iron being made available throughout the late 19th century and still being supplied until the Second World War was the extraordinary range of sizes and types of even the most prosaic items of architectural ironmongery - the humble but essential gutters and downpipes. These items, which even now often go unnoticed, are the kinds of details which add distinctiveness to Victorian and Edwardian buildings in particular. Even when replaced by modern cast iron the range of replacements is quite small; but when replaced by modern plastics or aluminium fittings the special character is inevitably diminished. These are the "minor works of indifferent quality, which may seem individually of little importance, can cumulatively be very destructive to a building's special interest" (PPG15 para 3.13). The 8th (undated) edition of the Walter Mcfarlane catalogue I have been looking at probably dates from the early 1930s and is in five parts, each 11 by 15 inches in sturdy card binders. It boasted that "in Ornamental work, the traditions of the Firm are as ever jealously maintained, the greatest care being taken in the making of Patterns to ensure that our Castings are 'sharp, clean and full of character'." Minor concessions had been made to modernity but they retained a distinctive 19th century quality in the engraved illustrations. Section 1, Part II actually had photographs as well as dimensioned drawings of the rainwater heads, including some pretty jazzy, zigzag, patterned art moderne and art deco designs - but 395 different models? Part I, Rainwater Pipes and Ears still relied on engraved illustrations. These had probably not been changed for several editions, if at all. The ornamental pipes illustrated were particularly impressive with 30 designs, several of bewildering complexity of pattern including three splendid corkscrew designs. In addition to conventional square, rectangular, circular and semicircular pipes was model No 19 'The Hexagon' - "For Prisons, Asylums etc" which were "unclimbable, and with no fixings that might be tampered with". Sixty designs for ornamental ears; 15 patent projecting pipe holderbats with ornamental ears; 25 ornamental ear wings with bands for fixing pipes to walls and CONTEXT 44 Ii'~ C • • ~\& A No 64. Q RN A Ml NT Jd GUTTER 12)~•, a• B N° 6_1s'Gu111A ilR><><[T', 0 N'.' 104 RAILINC. STANOAFIO ;f ( F N'.' 70. HlAD G NO 25 EARS H [AH SOCKET 10 designs for ornamental spikes for fixing ears and heads! Each was illustrated together with a further 12 ears to match the jazzy hopper-heads referred to above. Variety, complexity, character. It is perhaps in Section II Plain, Ornamental and Figured Gutters, a II;, I ,I, 111 11! II I I I I 0 0 0 catalogue of 152 pages, where one can only describe the range as astonishing. It is difficult to imagine 123 different types of guttering profiles. Type 12 alone (a rectangular box-section gutter) could be supplied in 75 sizes ranging from 4.5 by 2.2 inches to 18 by 10 inches. I have never been able to explain the extreme forces of 19th century demand and supply for such a range. Did the vanity of manufacturing more varieties than any other company play its part? Gutters and dowpipes must above all other things be functional. Perhaps in recognising how vital it is that a building be kept dry and well drained, both architects and foundrymen recognised that utility was insufficient and that ornamentation was appropriate homage to so vital a building component. • N°10 'i D D 0 15
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