Metalworks!

Series looking at aspects of British metalworking over the centuries, including the art of the silversmith, the history of armour and the work of the blacksmith.

Storyline

Series looking at aspects of British metalworking over the centuries, including the art of the silversmith, the history of armour and the work of the blacksmith.

First Aired

2012-05-02
Last Aired

2012-05-16
Creator
Genre

Documentary
Seasons

1
Episodes

3
Status

Ended
Language

English
Network

BBC Four

Keywords:

metal work

Stream and watch Metalworks!

Season 1

1. The Golden Age of Silver

Dan Cruickshank visits Britain's finest country houses, museums and factories as he uncovers the 18th-...More

Dan Cruickshank visits Britain's finest country houses, museums and factories as he uncovers the 18th- and 19th-century fascination with silver. Delving into an unsurpassed era of shimmering opulence, heady indulgence and conspicuous consumption, Dan discovers the Georgian and Victorian obsession with this tantalising precious metal which represented status, wealth and excellent taste. He gives us a glimpse of some of the most extensive collections and exquisite pieces of silverware to have ever been made on British shores.Less

60mins 2012-05-02

2. The Knight's Tale

Art historian and curator Tobias Capwell celebrates the great age of armour. Referencing the unstoppab...More

Art historian and curator Tobias Capwell celebrates the great age of armour. Referencing the unstoppable rise of the Royal Almain Armoury at Greenwich, he tells the forgotten story of how Henry VIII fused German high technology with Renaissance artistry in the pursuit of one aim - to become the very image of the perfect knight. Using the talents of foreign craftsmen and his court artist Hans Holbein, Henry transformed himself into a living metal sculpture. His daughter Elizabeth I further exploited that image, making her courtiers parade before her in the most innovative and richly decorated works ever commissioned in steel.Less

60mins 2012-05-09

3. The Blacksmith's Tale

In a story where progress meets creative invention, this film looks at how the blacksmith created item...More

In a story where progress meets creative invention, this film looks at how the blacksmith created items in wrought and cast iron that both served and embellished society. From the earliest ornate hinges and doors to magnificent baroque gates and mass-produced street furniture, it reveals the mastery of metalworkers such as Jean Tijou, Robert Bakewell and John Tresilian, the designs of Robert Adam and George Gilbert Scott, and the mass marketers of the Victorian age such as the Saracen foundry.Less