MacFarlane Bandstand Pattern 224
Whole bandstand and individual components
The image above shows a classic Saracen Foundry pattern no. 224, as produced by Walter MacFarlane & Company of Possilpark, Glasgow, one of the largest, most important and influential of the decorative cast iron producers of the Victorian and early Twentieth Century periods. The bandstand shown is in Wandle Park, Croydon and was produced by Lost Art to match the original installation, which had been lost.
It is not unique in the UK but one of a small number of survivors; a few of which have also been repaired or reproduced by Lost Art. Recent examples can be found at St Helens, Swanage and in The Pump Room Gardens, Leamington Spa, for which we won an award.
The scarcity of the design, the history of the foundry, the relevance of cast iron to our heritage, plus the wealth of social history relating to these public structures make them an important link to the past in both local and national terms.
The bandstands are made up of a number of components and these are identified within the catalogue illustration and the individual elements are also illustrated within the MacFarlane Company Catalogue. Lost Art Limited carry a number of original catalogues as part of our archive.
In keeping with other foundries of the time, the Macfarlane Foundry produced a number of different bandstand designs. However, individual components such as columns or antifixae may be common to different designs of bandstand.
Alternatively, as can be seen, the same pattern of bandstand may feature different components and so, the two bandstands in St Helens and Croydon are the same basic pattern featuring may of the same components, they feature different railings around the structure.
In order to fully reproduce missing bandstands, or to restore those that have fallen into disrepair, Lost Art Limited now possess a full set of patterns, allowing us to create new castings of all the components of an original bandstand. However, not only can each of the components be incorporated into a bandstand but they can also be used as components of other structures as well. Thus, the columns shown in the bandstand design may also be used to produce a porch or veranda and the brackets from the top of the columns may form a support for a balcony. We can supply castings of the individual components to include in your own projects, or as part of a Lost Art design.
