Cast iron flourished during the 19th century in an amazing variety of forms, often of extreme richness of design. This volume surveys cast iron decoration worldwide in over 500 illustrations - specially taken photographs of surviving work supported by reproductions of pattern books and drawings. All national variations are covered, from Victorian Brighton to New Orleans, from Paris and Lisbon to the relics of colonial empire in South Africa, India, Tahiti and Mexico. The author details its relationship to architecture and its aesthetic contribution to buildings.