Ironing Out Art

This week we will explore women ironing.

                                                     1882 Edgar Degas - Woman Ironing

Ironing is the use of a heated tool to remove wrinkles form fabric. The flat piece of metal on the bottom of the iron is called the sole. Basically heat relaxes the fiber while the weight of the iron presses the fiber flat and it stays flat as it cools. Some fibers such as cotton requires moisture to get the fiber to relax.

Irons which were flat pans filled with hot coals have been used in China for centuries. In the 17^th century thick slabs of iron, which were delta shaped, were heated in fires and applied to fabric. They were called sadirons. 

                                       Sad Iron By J W Lufkin of Boston Massachusetts Mass

Later iron delta shaped boxes were filled with hot coals which were re-heated with a small bellows.

In the late 19^th century you could find irons heated by whale oil, kerosene, and natural gas.

Gochsheim Castle 

                                                                  Gochsheim Castle

in Germany which not only houses over 100 works of art by local artist Karl Hubbuch 

                                                         Karl Hubbuch

but also a museum with a collection of over 1300 historical irons on display.

This week enjoy Ironing Out Art.