Pair of iron door hinges, attributed to Hopewell Forge (act. 1744-1780) Union Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1750-1780

From a house in Oley Valley, Pennsylvania
Joe Kindig III, York, Pennsylvania, 1977

"The Pennsylvania Germans: A Celebration of Their Arts, 1683-1850," Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1982-83

Garvan, Beatrice B. and Charles F. Hummel. The Pennsylvania Germans: A Celebration of Their Arts, 1683-1850. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art in association with Winterthur, 1982, pl. 46
Wilmot, Sandra. "More Than Just Hearts and Flowers," Americana 10, no. 4 (September/October 1982): 33
American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Musuem, p. 171, fig. 136

Appears to be in very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The Delaware Valley's natural deposits of bog iron, iron ore, and limestone and its ready access to waterpower and abundant timberlands from which to fuel smelting furnaces enabled the development of a widespread iron industry in Pennsylvania by the mid-eighteenth century. Early speculative investment from wealthy English and Germanic entrepreneurs in the colony continued throughout the Revolutionary War period and into the first years of independence, and more than seventy prosperous iron furnaces, forges, and foundries had been established in the state by 1800. These larger operations were joined by innumerable smaller local blacksmith shops and independent ironmongers, each producing a wide variety of utilitarian and decorative iron products for the domestic consumer.

Among the early, influential investors in Pennsylvania's iron industry was English immigrant William Bird (1703-1761), who established Hopewell Forge and the village of Birdsboro along French Creek in the mid-1740s. Upon Bird's death, his son Mark assumed and expanded operation of the forge and furnace. These hinges, decoratively wrought in the shape of birds, are attributed to the Hopewell Forge during the tenure of the Birds, and may have been made for either the father's or the son's own use.¹ During the height of Hopewell's operation, a number of highly trained immigrant and locally trained ironworkers were employed. As is the case with most of these early large iron enterprises, few records survive to document the individual craftsmen. Interestingly, Hopewell Forge was one of the first to employ enslaved and free black craftsmen.²

Various types of hardware for both architectural and cabinetmaking applications were supplied to carpenters and furniture makers by local forges and independent blacksmiths. These bird-shaped hinges follow the tradition of incorporating animal motifs or other natural forms into the design of an otherwise utilitarian form, which seems to have been a popular decorative device employed by a number of Pennsylvania blacksmiths. The fabrication of the hinges follows traditional methods of hot and cold hammer forging. The paired main components were formed and cut from rough, hammered sheet iron, which varied in thickness. The edges of the bird-shaped components are hammer-and-file beveled, and their ends have been feathered thin with a hammer, bent, looped, overlaid, and further forged around a cast round pintel post, which is seated and secured into the split-tailed hinge section. Each section was then pierced to accommodate the attaching bolts or nails, with one of these holes positioned to form the eyes of the birds. -J.L.L.

¹ This premise was first put forth by Donald Fenimore and Vernon Gunnion during their
research in conjunction with the exhibition "The Pennsylvania Germans: A Celebration
of Their Arts, 1683-1850" (PMA, 1983) and its accompanying catalog.
² Joseph E. Walker, "The People of Hopewell," The Historical Review of Berks County 29
(spring 1964): 53-56.