This is an article excerpt about tin ceilings originally published in:
The New York Times
By TERRY TRUCCO
Published: October 18, 1990
A CENTURY ago tin ceilings were extremely popular, gracing countless restaurants, shops and kitchens all over the United States. They disappeared in World War II, when metal grew scarce.
These days, pressed metal ceilings with classic lines and curlicues can be seen in restaurants, bars, billiard halls, kitchens and bathrooms. The embellished panels, either painted or left tin-tone gray, can also line fireplaces, cover walls and, when perforated, even serve as radiator covers.
Tin ceilings are said to have originated in New York in the late 1860's, when enterprising shopkeepers used tin sheets to cover cracked plaster ceilings. Rope was added to hide seams, and carved rosettes masked the rope joinings. Decorative metal sheets with images, often of Greek, Roman or Victorian origin, transferred onto metal dies from wood carvings were soon widely available.
Metal ceilings are quintessentially American, said Mark Quinto, vice president of W. F. Norman Corporation, which manufactures metal panels, cornices and ornaments. Nonetheless, the Nevada, Mo., company recently made an elaborate brass ceiling for a room in the new Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City.
''We can do a subtle ceiling or a bold ceiling,'' Mr. Quinto said. Panels range from relatively flat three-inch patterns that repeat like wallpaper to elaborate patterns two inches deep that repeat every eight feet.
The 92-year-old company, which still uses designs from its 1902 catalogue, also uses its original production tools, including drop hammers and cast-iron dies. Most Norman ceiling panels are made of tin-plated 30-gauge steel; copper and brass sheet are also available. Tin-plated steel panels 2 feet by 4 feet start at $18. W. F. Norman also has a wide range of outdoor architectural embellishments including urns, friezes, garlands, lion heads and weathervanes. Outdoor ornaments are available in sheet zinc, copper, bronze and other alloys. The company, which offers nearly 140 items, accepts mail and telephone orders and will ship. A catalogue is available for $3. A Brooklyn Source... { Read More }
This article is archived in The New York Times.